Career Column: The Cost of Poor Supervision: Part I

The cost of supervising employees is expensive. The cost of poorly supervising employees may be even higher than realized. Here's why.

Employee Turnover
There are many reasons why employees leave their jobs, and the cost of replacement is skyrocketing. Did you know that poor supervision and bad management are the leading causes of turnover? Gallup research puts the figure as high as 50% for the number of employees who quit a job to get away from a manager who is making it difficult for that employee to pave a brighter future within the organization. Gallup's research implies that one of the biggest decisions that organizations need to make could hinge on preparing supervisors for management, as many managers have difficulty relating to supervisees.

Low Productivity
For employees who may not leave due to poor management, low productivity may surface as a symptom. Almost 3 out of 4 employees will feel more engaged, thus productive, simply because they believe their personal and professional strengths are known by the manager, according to a study by the VIA Institute on Character. But how many supervisors and managers really know how to assess, communicate, and utilize employee strengths? Empathy, effective one-on-one communication, and meetings that generate team action are additional areas where results are needed yet often lacking from leaders.

Want to learn more? Visit future Career Columns and ask about our seminar on "Better Supervisory Relationships...in a Day".