“People don’t leave bad jobs, they leave bad bosses”. Fact or Myth?
In my role in health service management, I was surprised at how many new staff were reporting negative experiences in their past workplace. Every time I hear these stories, my mind gravitates to the famous quote: “People don’t leave bad jobs, they leave bad bosses.”
Interestingly, the reasons for people leaving their jobs are more complex than the quote suggests. As a ‘boss’, I also feel that this oversimplification unnecessarily stigmatises leaders, likening them to the ‘evil stepmother’ stereotype perpetuated in children’s fairy tales.
I would like to discuss some of the nuances surrounding why people who have negative experiences at work resign from their jobs.
- The job was actually bad
Some jobs are just poorly designed. We have all heard of jobs where employees rarely stay more than a few months. These jobs can be those that are: repetitive, mundane, where employees have low control over their work or have unrealistic performance expectations. While it’s true that a senior leader would have designed these jobs, there are also leaders who have no authority or control over approved work tasks and performance expectations.
What can you do?
If you lead employees where the job is poorly designed, consider conducting a review of roles, responsibilities and work tasks. It is possible to redesign jobs with a focus on both the goals of the organisation and the needs of employees. Advances in technology also allow for greater automation of simple tasks which then frees the employees to focus on tasks requiring higher level skills that provide greater satisfaction and motivation.
- Work is unfulfilling
Sometimes there is a mismatch between an employee’s goals and the work role. While it’s easy to blame the leader or the company, employees can also stay in jobs they hate for various reasons. For example, some employees may not have other viable job options at the time, other employees may be too anxious to leave a comfortable role. No amount of great leadership can cause these employees to be happy and fulfilled in their roles.
What can you do?
If you notice unhappy employees in the absence of other workplace issues, engaging them in a coaching conversation may help them become unstuck. This may mean spending regular weekly coaching sessions with individual employees to identify their goals and help them think about whether these goals align with their current work roles. You may also consider transferring employees to another available work role that better matches their goals and aspirations. This change may help them stay longer and experience better job satisfaction. You can also engage external coaches to provide more specialised services.
- They leave ‘bad bosses’
A ‘bad boss’ does not mean that they are an evil person hell-bent on causing their employees misery and suffering. Most people try to do well in their jobs, including leaders. Good leaders are also prone to make mistakes and these mistakes usually impact their staff. Inexperienced and untrained leaders tend to make more mistakes than leaders who have completed formal leadership training and have experience in their roles. However, no matter what their level of skill and expertise, disgruntled employees tend to label leaders as ‘bad bosses’ as a result of their leadership mishaps.
What can you do?
If you are a well-intentioned leader who is feeling ‘out of your depth’, engage in intentional learning to develop your leadership competencies. There are many workshops, courses and degrees that can be useful in developing your leadership competencies. Use workplace situations to apply the knowledge in practice and be open to continuous learning and professional development.
I hope this article helps to demystify the overused quote: “People don’t leave bad jobs, they leave bad bosses.” Leaders can improve themselves, their workplace environment and work roles in order to retain their employees and reduce staff turnover. Optimal Minds have skilled leadership coaches, trainers and consultants who can help you and your organisation to implement solutions that will develop and create an engaging and satisfied workforce.
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