"People don't leave jobs, they leave managers..."
I heard this quote a while ago and I it has never left me in all the jobs I've had.
I've had many jobs, from the Military, sales, retail, restaurant, project managing, and construction.
Now, the question is, why did I leave these jobs?
It's not like they were bad jobs, many of them were great, but the main factor was the Managers in the end.
It amazes me just how managers don't see this.
I'm an extremely hard worker and I'll go above and beyond for my employer, but if I'm not treated fair by that employer, then why I'm the world would I ever want to go out of my way for them.
If you treat your people like they are such an asset to your team, they'll be far more motivated to come in on the weekends, do the extra hours needed, or whatever you need them for.
Managers and employees need to be a unified team.
Employees should be able to go to their managers when they are feeling over worked or maybe not having the best time.
Managers working them just as hard in hopes to get more production out of them is going to backfire on them.
You could have the best team in the world, with all the greatest skills needed to achieve the goals your company wants.
However, what happens when you take your Ferrari and try to go down the freeway in first gear only?
You redline the engine too hard and it will blow up in your face.
What happens when your check engine light comes on and your first response is to push the gas even harder?
The problems will arise much faster and soon what should have been an easy feat for a Ferrari, now a 1987 Ford Tempo is crossing the finish line before the Ferrari.
You have to take care of that Ferrari if you want to win the races.
You have to know when to hit the brakes, change the oil, change the tires.
Why do you think race cars go into the pit?
Because to win the race, they know they have to take care of the vehicle that's going to take them to the finish line.
No one wins NASCAR, Formula 1, or MotoGP by never stopping in the pits.
If you are a manager and reading this, learn this.
Learn your vehicle.
Learn when it is not accelerating as good as you want it to, that you know what to fix.
Learn when it is not cornering as well as it was 10 laps ago.
If you learn how to take care of your winning vehicle, that vehicle will perform for you each and every time.
Your people should be able to come to you.
A workplace is an Ecosystem and it has to run smoothly.
For me, I'm the kind of person who likes to be challenged, loves to learn and also likes to be creative.
I had a boss one time who kept giving me these simple jobs, which would have been great for the newer guys to learn.
But for me, it was mind numbing.
I could do these things with my eyes closed and it bored me.
Once I get bored in a job.... I'm done.
You keep throwing challenges at me, and allow me to keep learning, I'll keep going full force.
I love it.
But at the same time, I also have to be able to pull back when I need to.
Sometimes we need to chill out from the hard brain work and frustrating learning curves.
One time I had a boss, who I was working 60+ hours a week for and almost every Saturday.
The one Saturday he offered (keyword OFFERED) me to work on an upcoming Saturday.
I couldn't that weekend so I did not.
Boy did he let me know....
After that, I stopped going in 6 days a week. I stopped going workin late.
I went from 60+ hours to the minimum 40.
I didn't need to work that much but I chose to.
But, if I wasn't going to be recognized for it, I wasn't going to do it.
Or another time, I worked for a company for almost six months straight.
Never once did I call in sick and very rarely was I ever late and also never came in hungover.
I can't say the same for many others who would call in sick for being hungover.
I had come in many days not feeling 100%.
Then one evening I had a terrible flu and fever, I was overheating like crazy but cold at the same time.
In the morning I had to use the toilet so bad but the few meters to the toilet felt like a mile because I felt like absolute shit.
I kept thinking I was going to be fine enough for work.
But as the morning came, I was worse and worse.
So I called in, only to be told I had to come into work.
Almost six months with the company and never once calling in sick, and this is how I get treated.....
That put such a sour taste in my mouth.
Yeah I went into work and production was down because I also had to come in the next day which production was shit again.
As a manager, you've got to learn, LESS IS MORE.
In another job I lost my promotion because I was not going to sign my next contract.
Then they proceeded to offer me my next contract afterwards.
How do you expect me to even consider singing another contract when you took away my promotion.
If they would have treated me like gold, by the end I would have thought, maybe this gig is pretty great.
However, I couldn't wait to get out of there.
Honestly, I just needed to vent a little bit.
Maybe you can relate, if you're not being treated what you are worth, it's only a job and move on.
Or if you are a manager, please take care of your people and they will go above and beyond for you.