Are managers more effective when they are loved or feared?
June 18, 2010 by Bob HillPosted in: In this week's e-newsletter - Sales & Marketing, Latest News & Views - Sales & Marketing, New Research, sales management
What type of impact does it have on sales and marketing staffers when they feel as if their managers are overbearing or controlling? A new study reveals the answer.
In the study, conducted by the University of Duke, subjects were given several tasks to perform. At the same time, there was a subliminal blip in their periphery vision that flashed the name of a significant authority figure every 60 milliseconds.
The names of the authority figures were different for each subject based on info they provided prior to the study.
Result: Every time the name of someone the subjects felt was cruel or overbearing flashed, productivity stalled. On the other hand, every time the name of an authority figure they respected or liked flashed, productivity increased.
Source: “Why Controlling Bosses Have Unproductive Employees,” by Andrew O’Connell, Harvard Business Review Blog, 5/25/10.
Do you agree with the findings of this study — than an overbearing manager can hurt employee productivity? Share your opinions in the Comments Box below.
The Sales and Marketing Update delivers the latest Sales and Marketing news once a week to the inboxes of over 200,000 Sales and Marketing professionals.
Click here to sign up and start your FREE subscription to The Sale and Marketing Update!
Tags: Duke, manager, productivity, study
June 23rd, 2010 at 10:58 am
So…what would you suggest if our employees are not capable to control or make progress
with their responsabilities…should we leave them with no comment?
June 23rd, 2010 at 11:48 am
Make your people better or get better people!. Ironically the US Army has studied leadership better than anyone for 200+ years. They have several manuals to guide their junior leaders on how to become more effective leaders. They have found that the authoritative leadership style only works in high stress combat situations. The democratic style works best in low stress situations. So a combination of both styles can work in most situations. This is difficult to master and like anything in life, requires practice and thought. I do believe it is much more important to be a Leader than a Manager. Employees will follow instructions from managers, but they will SERVE their leaders because they know their leader cares for them. Don’t just be a Manager! If you can lead them with caring and high expectations, they will do anything to ensure they do not let you down. By the wqy, you can’t fake caring, you have to actually CARE!
June 23rd, 2010 at 12:30 pm
When I work with my staff, I go ahead, as manager, to do everything from answering phones when we’re busy, to making the coffee and getting paper for the fax and printer. If someone is not available to help a customer, I take the call or go to the counter. I’d like to think that showing I’ll do anything I ask them to do helps them to be more productive in our vast-paced, deadline-oriented work environment.
June 23rd, 2010 at 7:02 pm
Bravo Robin! Another great military trait. Lead by Example. I bet you’re an awesome Boss. I also bet your company and department are successful.
June 24th, 2010 at 1:40 pm
I agree with Matt that it’s really leadership that counts. You can hold employees accountable for results more by being a mentor and coach than by being simply a rude jerk (which really shows the lack of self confidence the manager has). When I have to correct an employee I first note the things they did really well (THAT’s what I want to reinforce). Then I show them where they went wrong AND then give them coaching and encouragement to change the behavior and correct the mistake or judgement error. It ALL centers around a genuine care for the employee and a desire to help them achieve the career goals they want. Do that, and watch productivity soar.
Do jerks and rear-enders produce results? Sure but short term only.
June 29th, 2010 at 12:31 pm
I agree with Robin. I believe in leading by example. I don’t expect anyone in my department to do something I wouldn’t first do myself. I also believe in whatever you need to do to get the job done, and I practice this everyday as I expect my department to do the same. Our customers often thank us for the extra effort.
June 29th, 2010 at 1:42 pm
I do believe there should always be a good working relationship , Leading by example and always giving constructive critisism to better the individual , I have learned that a heathly sales rep will always perform when he/she is content with all . Most important always have 1 on 1 side bar to discuss issues good and bad never put people on the spot in a open forum. But there should always be a bit of fear the boss is the boss !! If we all do what is expected there will be no grey area good luck to all mgr’s & Mentor’s trainer’s etc Mr Tony Jackson
June 29th, 2010 at 1:53 pm
I agree with this study wholeheartedly.
Back in the 80′s, I was in charge of Customer Service and Account Management at Revlon.
At that time, Revlon was still known as a “task” oriented company and most managers would constantly yell at their employees and manage through intimidation.
I am not cut from the same thread and always treated my employees with respect and they knew I would never ask them to do anything that I would not do myself.
Whereas most employees used to bicker about their bosses and do the minimum amount of work possible, my people would constantly go above the call of duty. It was a pleasant environment and the time that I spent making it this way was well offset by the level of productively.
June 29th, 2010 at 2:02 pm
Wow, Matt! You really get it. I’ve been in management for about a hundred years and I still run into people who think that intimidation has a place in leadership. It doesn’t. Matt’s point about making your people better or get better people has always been my mantra. If you hire well and trust your people, all you need to do is stay out of their way and get them the tools they need to succeed. If you hire people that you don’t trust or people that don’t have the skills to get the job done, neither you nor they will ever succeed.
June 29th, 2010 at 2:03 pm
For twenty years I built custom homes, the crews reacted under care and tutelage most of the time however the occasional verbal whippping seemed to help in many situations. ” Get the shovel out of your a** and dig the hole” for example cut my costs and the workers could easily be replaced if disatisfied. Now I have a real estate company. Good agents need a gentler touch and constant coaching. My style has to match the circumstance.
June 29th, 2010 at 2:04 pm
Yes; lead by example. If something is NOT too trivial for the boss to do, maybe it isn’t so trivial after all. Show them the importance of doing the small stuff right and with a smile. If you know, and teach, and practice, and rely on the basics, they will save your butt every time.
I expect input from every member of my Team; and I LISTEN to that input. Then I make the decision, based as much on that input as possible. I learned a long time ago that there is more than one right way to do almost eveyrthing. I don’t mind losing a battle here and there (on purpose even) IF it grows the confidence of a member of my Team; as long as I don’t lose the war.
And I spread the kudos and praise around. It is indeed surprising what you can accomplish IF you don’t care who gets the credit.
June 29th, 2010 at 2:09 pm
Neither loved nor feared but respected. A manager can’t be the staff’s best friend as then they won’t believe in your ability, fear will provide a short term burst but in the long term you will lose the best (people don’t change jobs they change managers). The best managers get respect, not by fear or by trying to be everyone buddy but by leading, by showing a good example and by the knowledge that they have about the job in front of them and their staff. If your people don’t respect you then you are never going to get the best from them.
June 29th, 2010 at 3:40 pm
I have just recently left a Directors position where the president of the company was an ultra micro manager. I had a weekly to do list of 40-30 items that went to the level of call someone. He would text me at all times being very negative on the text if I did not get one of the item completed, yelling at mangers in management meetings. Yelling at me in front of managers, yell at me and say I did not care about the company even when I was putting 16-18 hrs a day into the company. When I was successful on a task that he yelled at me about last week he would say I am trying look good and kiss up to someone. I was the complete opposite of him. I manage much the way you all have discussed here. I remember the president yelling at me because I clean the conference room. He said I should have my employees do clean, while they where all working on getting quotes out and getting sales. I do not think of my self as better then them just more experienced. That is why I am the director and they report to me. If they can clean the conference room then I should also. It made directing very difficult because he wanted me to micro manage my people, which is directly against my nature. So, now I am out of work but very happy about not having to deal with this manager. I will be much more careful of the next position I choose. I thought it would be good for you all to hear the effects of a bad manager. Take Care!