Good People, Bad Managers

Are you really supporting the people you manage, or are you caught in the workplace's cycle of self-protection and pretense?

1. Bad Management is Shockingly Common

Bad management isn't just a rare occurrence; it's widespread and often normalized. Studies show that a vast majority of managers—four out of five, according to Gallup—simply don’t have the talent required to manage effectively. Consequently, most workplaces are riddled with inadequate support for employees.

Employees are accustomed to bad management to the extent that they shrug it off or look the other way. This normalization of poor practices allows managers like Carly Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlett Packard who was fired for eavesdropping on her board, to keep climbing ladders. Fiorina later joined AT&T’s board and gained substantial political support, illustrating how workplace norms often let behaviors slide.

The assumption that oversight equals additional support is another flaw in management thinking. Research demonstrates that the best support managers can sometimes provide is to leave employees alone when they are producing good work, rather than meddling or micromanaging.

Examples

• Four out of five managers in the US lack effective management talent.
• Carly Fiorina’s controversial actions went largely unchallenged in professional and political circles.
• Studies show employees prefer to be left undisturbed when they are working productively.

2. Managers Focus Too Much on Themselves

Managers are often driven by the desire to succeed personally rather than supporting their teams. Rooted in self-interest, this focus hampers their ability to meet employees’ needs and create a collaborative work environment.

Think of the "Boy Scout mentality": a manager attempts to "help" but without seeing if the assistance is actually required or appreciated. Ultimately, these actions fail to meet the needs of their subordinates, much like aiding someone who didn’t ask for help crossing the road.

Good managers shift their focus. Like parents guiding their children, they provide encouragement, understand individual needs, and foster growth. They create mutual respect by asking what employees need rather than focusing only on their own objectives.

Examples

• Managers often "help" without checking whether their team members actually need it.
• Poor parenting parallels inadequate management: both ignore individual needs.
• Managers themselves often lament not receiving adequate support from their own superiors.

3. Business Schools Ignore Personal Development

Business education prioritizes hard skills like finance and strategy over people-oriented soft skills. As a result, future managers are deprived of psychological tools to foster authentic relationships with employees.

Although active listening is taught at times, business schools fail to emphasize reflection. This reflection—such as considering how personal biases shape workplace relationships—is vital for effective leadership.

After graduation, workplace culture further enforces conformity. Employees quickly realize that playing it safe and not raising concerns is the key to staying employed and getting promoted.

Examples

• Few schools teach managers how personal biases affect their behavior at work.
• A new holiday policy at the LA Times created fear among employees, who hesitated to object.
• Conformity is prized as employees and managers alike fear challenging the system.

4. The Culture of Secrecy and Deceit

Workplaces reward secrecy and pretense, even encouraging managers to lie or misrepresent themselves to maintain authority. This misrepresentation diverts their focus from genuinely assisting employees.

Managers often decide outcomes before meetings even take place. Feedback discussions appear open-ended, but the decisions are already cemented. Similarly, managers "borrow authority" by citing figures like CEOs to push through their agendas without personal accountability.

This widespread dishonesty negatively impacts trust and honesty. Employees then mirror these behaviors, perpetuating the same secrecy and distrust through various levels of the business.

Examples

• Managers frequently pretend to consult but rarely alter their pre-made decisions.
• Citing "Ted, the CEO" becomes a ploy to avoid debates or genuine dialogue.
• Employees mimic deceptive habits modeled by the management culture.

5. Structural Incentives Sustain Bad Practices

Why is poor management so persistent? Company structures reward speed and efficiency more than empathy or careful support of employees.

For instance, bosses commonly assume that issuing direct orders is easier and faster than supporting employees. While this approach yields short-term results, long-term morale and productivity suffer. Employees fear retaliation or lost promotions and choose silence instead of challenging poor management.

Influential leaders at the top often hold the key to overriding these structural hurdles. A committed CEO can create impactful change, provided they champion the movement from the top level.

Examples

• Managers focus on efficiency at the cost of employee morale.
• Employees shy away from criticizing managers when promotions are at stake.
• A committed CEO was instrumental in transforming a 150,000-employee company's culture.

6. Say Goodbye to Traditional Performance Reviews

Performance reviews harm employee-manager dynamics by being unidirectional and overly critical. They often become biased assessments rather than productive conversations designed to improve outcomes for all parties.

Replacing reviews with two-way conversations can solve this problem. Both employees and managers benefit from open exchanges using prepared questions and shared reflections. This approach eliminates intimidation, building trust and fostering better relationships.

Two-way accountability is even better. By exchanging feedback in turns, managers and employees align on their mutual goals and challenges while equally sharing the weight of honest critique.

Examples

• Traditional reviews often become one-sided critiques instead of balanced conversations.
• Two-way systems include managers and employees sharing feedback.
• Honest exchanges build cooperation while reducing hierarchical gaps.

7. Replace Unrealistic Expectations with Empathy

Most workplaces expect perfection—both from managers and their teams. Yet this expectation leads to dishonesty and inefficiency as employees fear admitting mistakes or gaps in knowledge.

Good managers counteract this by normalizing imperfections, encouraging employees to say, "I don’t know," without fear of judgment. This culture of learning enables more effective collaboration and self-improvement.

The author offers tools such as replacing “we need to” language with “I think.” Personalized phrasing invites discussion, helps uncover alternative perspectives, and introduces honesty into workplace dialogue.

Examples

• Expecting perfection discourages honesty among employees and managers.
• Allowing “I don’t know” strengthens morale and trust within teams.
• First-person communication opens channels for genuine feedback.

8. Honest Feedback Revolutionizes Management

When managers seek real feedback, they uncover issues beneath the surface that can improve teams and overall company structure. Companies like Home Depot use structured feedback systems to involve employees and gain their trust.

Home Depot's board members visited store aisles to collect employees’ confidential concerns regularly. This proactive effort allowed the company to preemptively address gender discrimination lawsuits by improving pay and opportunities for women.

Such feedback systems strengthen relationships across hierarchical divides and prepare organizations to solve issues before they escalate.

Examples

• Home Depot board members engaged employees on the ground for honest input.
• Feedback identified gender discrimination concerns before they became legal threats.
• Open communication reduces dissatisfaction and builds trust at every level.

9. Authentic Leadership Cultivates Success

To lead effectively, authenticity and honesty must replace competitiveness and pretense. Leadership thrives when managers use transparent communication and recognize the humanity of their teams.

By honestly listening to employees, managers are better equipped to detect challenges early. Empathy and individual focus help create happier teams and stronger workplace bonds.

When leaders set the tone for proactive transparency, they improve both team morale and business results.

Examples

• Transparent dialogue replaces hierarchal constraints.
• Honest leaders foster creative collaboration and employee satisfaction.
• Listening deeply helps managers address real challenges effectively.

Takeaways

1. Substitute traditional performance reviews with structured two-way accountability processes.
2. Train managers to use first-person language to foster open discussions and encourage honesty.
3. Regularly collect feedback from employees through confidential, structured conversations.