Why employees see their managers as perfectionists
Many employees feel they can't please their manager no matter what they do. I wanted to find out why, and what companies can do about it.
The short version
Managers who mostly point out mistakes get seen as impossible to please. And once an employee sees their manager that way, they stop taking risks. They focus on looking good and avoiding blame, instead of doing their best work.
The problem
A lot of employees say their manager is impossible to please. No matter what they do, it's never good enough. The manager is always pointing out what went wrong, never what went right.
This is a real problem for companies. Employees who feel this way share fewer ideas, take fewer risks, and are more likely to hide mistakes. Some even start bending the rules to look good.
The question I wanted to answer was simple. Why do employees see their managers this way? Is it the manager? Is it the employee? And whatever it is, can the company do something about it?
What I did
I surveyed 469 employees from across the United States. Each person filled out three short surveys over one week.
The first survey asked about how their manager gives feedback. Is the feedback helpful? Supportive? Does the manager mostly point out mistakes, or do they also tell you when you do well?
The second survey asked how they see their manager. Do they think their manager has unrealistic standards? Do they feel they can never please them?
The third survey asked what they care about at work. Do they take on hard tasks to learn? Do they try to look good in front of others? Do they avoid anything that could make them look bad?
What I found
Finding 01
How a manager gives feedback shapes how their employees see them.
Managers who mostly point out mistakes were seen as impossible to please. Managers who gave helpful, supportive feedback were not. Same managers, same employees, but a totally different impression based on how feedback was delivered.
Finding 02
When employees see their manager this way, they stop taking risks.
Employees who saw their manager as impossible to please became more worried about looking bad. They focused on proving themselves and avoiding mistakes, instead of trying new things. They played it safe. This is exactly the opposite of what most companies want.
What companies should do
The good news is that this is fixable. You can't change a manager's personality, but you can change how they give feedback. That's trainable.
Train your managers to give feedback that is specific, supportive, and balanced. Not just pointing out mistakes. Also pointing out what's working. Employees notice the difference, and it changes how they see the manager.
Also, watch for teams where employees say feedback is mostly negative. These teams are at risk of low creativity, hidden mistakes, and people quitting, even if other numbers look fine.
Materials
- Full research paper (PDF) Manuscript
- Mplus and SAS analysis code GitHub