The manager that you’re working under is extremely important to you. They basically have the power to dictate how your day goes. Since we live in a society in which work is such a big part of our lives, how we feel about it has a huge impact on how we’re feeling from one day to the next. If you have a manager who’s subpar, you’ll feel the ripple effects in every part of your life.
Ken Coleman knows this well. Coleman is an author and expert on career and finances who regularly co-hosts The Ramsey Show. In a TikTok video, he argued, “Your manager has more impact on your mental health than anybody else in your life … If you want a better life, work for a better manager.” This is, of course, easier said than done. Still, Coleman shared three behaviors that signal a manager is likely to alienate their best employees. If you recognize any of these behaviors, it might be time to take action.
When you’re working with someone, especially in a manager-employee relationship, it’s essential to have an open flow of communication and to be able to go to each other for anything that’s needed. On the other hand, some managers choose to ignore employees altogether. This helps absolutely no one, including the organization you’re working for.
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Michelle Gibbings wrote about this topic for Harvard Business Review. She mentioned the book “Workplace Ostracism,” written by Cong Liu and Jie Ma. According to Gibbings, this kind of workplace ostracism, in which employees are ignored by their managers “can lead to anger, depression, anxiety and emotional exhaustion among those who experience it.”
Your manager ignoring you can have detrimental effects on your mental health and make your workplace feel like a hostile environment. It’s a sure sign you should look for other opportunities.
Being ignored is one thing, but being disrespected is quite another. This kind of open hostility is evidence that your manager truly does not care about you or your feelings. Having mutual respect for the people you’re working with is a sign of trust and care. Without this, you can’t depend on your co-workers, including your manager, the way that you need to.
On this subject, Gibbings said, “Further research shows that being treated with respect is more important to most employees than recognition, appreciation, receiving feedback and even learning and development opportunities.” Employees who felt respected said that they had increased well-being, trust, job satisfaction, and focus.
Being disrespected by your manager will cause your health and happiness with your job to plummet. Nobody deserves to go through that. If you are, it’s okay to search for something new.
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Sometimes managers are satisfied to just watch you do your thing at work and give you the space you need to do your job effectively. Others feel the need to be involved in every little detail of what you do. These micromanagers will make you feel like you can’t get the things done that you need to and will leave you questioning your capabilities.
Writing for Fast Company, Mita Mallick explained that she experienced this pitfall herself when she first became a manager. She said that many people admit to not being ready to lead or not receiving the necessary training to do so when they first move into a managerial position. “I was overly focused on details that didn’t matter but that I thought offered me some semblance of control,” she confessed.
To avoid this, Mallick recommended not acting as a “helicopter manager” and giving your team space instead. This space can go a long way when employees are wondering if they can trust and depend on a manager.
While there are quite a few bad managers in the world, there are plenty of good ones too. When searching for a job, make getting to know the person who would be your direct manager a priority, if possible. This will allow you to know if they will be a good fit, and if they will truly care about you, your work, and your well-being.
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Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
