Don't blame the manager! Little known reason for the great resignation

There’s a common saying that employees don’t leave companies; they leave managers. I don’t buy it.

Maybe I’m fortunate enough to work with great managers throughout my career. Or maybe, the saying is only valid for companies lacking stringent filters to prevent awful individuals from rising to positions of power. But, after switching four companies in the past four years, I can say one thing for sure: it’s the team members that convince other team members to leave.

There was a mass exodus of employees in almost all companies either before, during, or after my departure. Here’s what would usually happen: a disgruntled group would emerge a few months before the exit. None of them felt comfortable sharing their grievances with their managers. So they turned to each other for support and formed WhatsApps groups to vent their frustrations. Some were brave enough to share their wisdom with new hires.

Comradery grew stronger while a sense of ownership became non-existent. Instead, the feeling of “us against them” prevailed. Eventually, that atmosphere of distrust would deliver a death blow to employee morale, causing most team members to leave.

It’s not just employee churn that companies should worry about. In the age of WFH, when employees feel disenfranchised, they check out, and your team’s productivity suffers.

Slacking always felt like I was stealing from the company; however, in a dispiriting work culture, it didn’t ring as many alarms as it should have. Now, if I slack, it feels like I am stealing from my hardworking & driven colleagues, so the feeling of guilt and remorse is more potent.

So advice for employers & employees:

• Create a safe environment for employees to share their feedback and concerns.
• Run anonymous employee surveys.
• Instead of sharing your frustrations solely with your colleagues, talk about them with your manager/HR.
• Don’t forget; your sulking is contagious.