A colleague of mine recently said, “Very often, people don’t leave jobs, they leave managers.” The best workplace can be ruined by a bad manager. And when I say bad, I don’t just mean someone who is unpleasant to work for. Someone who is unskilled in people management cause problems as well.

Six Management Sins

Ineffective – Can the employee count on the manager to run interference when necessary, keep confidences, solve problems?

Weak – Does the manager fail to replace employees who are unproductive or who make the workplace unpleasant or unproductive for others? Confession time – I learned this lesson in my first management role when after a few months, my best and most irreplaceable employee came to me and asked me what did “Gina” have to do before I would fire her? I knew then that I had failed my best people by putting off firing my worst one. I never made that mistake again.

Tactless – Does the manager temper public statements? A former mentor of mine always said counsel in private, praise in public. Public humiliation does not breed respect.

Inappropriate – Unbelievably, I once had a boss who scratched himself in, um, indecorous places during meetings (I swear to God).

Inattentive – is the manager unaware of the employee’s workload, well being? Do they touch base periodically. I loathe micro management and most people appreciate being allowed to work independently. At the same time, an employee needs to know their manager is conscious of their skills/contributions and has a plan for your future.

Partiality – Excluding merit-based rewards, is there an actual or even perceived favoritism when it comes to perks, choice assignments or face time?

Scarcity of jobs is no excuse for poor management. When the boom comes there is always an exodus of the best people if they have been poorly managed. I have been extremely lucky over the years because as an employee and as a consultant I have worked for great managers (the scratcher excluded).

If you are lucky enough to work for a good one, remember them on National Boss Day, October 15^th.