When someone in a position of authority exhibits a hands-off managerial style, it can leave the entire workplace in a state of confusion. Suddenly employees aren’t clear on which benchmarks they should be meeting; nor are they sure whether they’re doing well or poorly because they lack valuable feedback. Passive bosses tend to belittle business struggles, likely due to a fear of confrontation or innate need to keep the peace – but this type of mentality does not help a workforce excel. As an employer, how are you to know which traits to watch out for when taking on one of these potential managers?
Vagueness Is A Red Flag
One of the most important qualities a strong supervisor will display is assertiveness. This means they’re confident in their ideas, and able to implement them strategically while delegating work to others without allowing a weak ego to get in the way (as seen through passivity or aggression). If a manager beats around the bush when they’re asked a direct question, or avoids the question altogether seeming unaffected by it – attempting to dismiss associated concerns, they are unlikely fit for leadership. They value balance over making hard but important observations and giving guidance.
Other Employees Are Managing The Manager
When good employees don’t receive adequate direction, the only choice they have is to try and fill the gap by steering their passive manager to the best of their abilities. This, however, can take time and energy away from their own tasks and increase anxiety in the workplace. They feel forced to take on extra responsibilities they may not be qualified to take on, putting the entire enterprise in a precarious position. Thankfully there are sales personality tests available, allowing those doing the hiring to measure a person’s level of assertiveness instantly when they apply for a job. Both sales and non-sales specific evaluations are presently available for an affordable price from providers like SalesTestOnline.
People No Longer Feel Challenged
Companies who’ve hired passive managers will find their top employees become less driven; they stop doing their best work because the results are underappreciated. They tend to appear bored, and in some cases start running on a short fuse due to their frustrations with their manager’s weak motivational style. Going to work starts to feel like a chore, and when workplace culture hangs by a loose thread, so does revenue and the ability to secure strong customer relationships.
When a manager isn’t engaged, the flow of the workplace suffers and stagnates; relationships to the work also start to fester. Alleviate hiring a supervisor ill-suited to your hard-working, communicative environment – one where all employees are invested in finding success for themselves and the company. Implement a personality test at some point in your hiring process to ensure the applicant you’re interested in does, in fact, embody a healthy level of assertiveness, emotional maturity, will be able to keep their team motivated. Productivity is lost when managers don’t seem to take interest in their role – don’t let this happen to your business.