This post will be short because I prefer that you read the excerpt from a great blog post by Insperity, an HR solution provider. This is one I wish I would have written.

Why do I love it?

It lays out 5 clear reasons managers may be negatively impacting engagement.

• Erratic expectations
• Favoritism
• Micromanagement
• Distractedness
• Burnout

When reading the title of each reason, no manager would think they intentionally behave that way, but many actually do.

For example, favoritism. Most managers would say that they treat all team members fairly. Yet, they may share more information or regularly give more more praise with one team member than another.

Within the description of each reason, the author gives examples of manager behaviors that exacerbate the problem.

For example, erratic expectations. “An employee may turn in the same report every month with little response from the manager. Then, one month, the manager critiques it closely without acknowledging the change in expectations.”

Here’s the big takeaway. Disengagement happens gradually over time and can often be in response to micro ways that the person is being managed. Most managers don’t even realize they are doing it. Many times, managers are just hyper-focused on driving towards the goal, or they are simply just trying to survive themselves.

Share this blog excerpt. Share it far and wide.