What’s the true cost of a bad manager?
We all have a story about a bad manager. Their impact on individuals is clear, and your stories will no doubt be testament to that; at best, they can make you dread the morning alarm, and at worst, they have you running for the exit.
But as a coach, I find the impact they can have on the business is wildly underestimated by senior leaders.
Yes, they know it can lead to some people leaving and some complaints to HR, but they don’t affect the bottom line, do they… or do they?
When I’m talking to HR departments and Chief Executives about how supporting their managers to become confident leaders can directly help their business performance, I describe it like this:
Imagine the CEO is the composer writing a winning musical composition (the strategy), they set the style, tempo, and dynamics (the values), and invest in high-quality instruments (resources) to deliver it.
The Manager is the conductor, and your people are the musicians.
It can go like this:
Loss of Values/Message: The composer's piece is intended to be uplifting and grand (the value). The conductor doesn’t understand the sheet music, gives conflicting cues to their musicians, or simply tells them to just play quietly and slowly all the time. The beautiful music (the company's purpose) is never fully realised, and the intended emotion and meaning is lost.
Failed Strategy Execution: The composer writes a technically complex passage that requires perfect coordination. The conductor is unable to lead their sections through the difficult part, blames the musicians when it fails, and won't practice the new movements. The performance falls apart, and the audience (customers, stakeholders, or clients) is disappointed.
Underdeveloped Talent: The conductor ignores the virtuosos in the back row, not giving them solos or opportunities to lead. The orchestra loses its best performers to another group, and the quality of performances fades.
Affects the Business: The audience (customers/clients/stakeholders) stop buying tickets and go and watch someone else instead.
Do you still think poor managers don’t impact the bottom line?