Where Have All The Honest Managers Gone?

Is honesty missing from management today?environment is more important than pay and that
Does honesty have any impact on morale,"employees were more likely to leave if involved
productivity, employee turnover? Find out thein an abusive relationship than if dissatisfied with
latest research results and how a manager canpay.
apply these results on a day to day basis. I wellMy own research also throws up two other
remember as a young bank clerk many yearsfactors of note:
ago, sitting at my desk one morning. Around me- People join a company because of the
were the sounds of hustle and bustle of a busyexcitement or enticement of an interesting job.
office - people were sipping their coffee (in those- People stay in a company because of the values
days it was instant!) opening the mail (ah, for thethey share with their fellow workers (assuming of
days before email!) and telling of the events ofcourse, that they have good management).
last evening or their trip to work that morning. AsSo, where does that leave today's managers?
a morning person, it was my best time of theAnd, most importantly, what does it suggest for
day when I was at my most positive, creativecompanies who want to boost morale, increase
and effective best, so I had my head down andproductivity and decrease staff turnover?I
bum up. Time later for relaxing. Suddenly, the airsuggest there are three answers to this question
was split with an earth shattering yell. My usuallyon which every employer should focus in the
very quiet, reserved manager, had come out ofrelationship with his or her workers, whether he
his office, red in the face and yelling "Who didor she be the CEO or a new supervisor.
this?" Everyone stopped dead. When he1. Make sure pay and conditions are appropriate
recovered enough to tell us what the "this" was, Ifor the job and industry; and that they are fair
discovered to my horror that it was obviouslyand equitable. This removes one of the stumbling
something that I had done that had upset him.blocks to effective employee morale and
Apparently, I had made a blunder that wouldsatisfaction.
impact one of our best customers most2. Ensure that the job provides the employee
unfavourably. I very tentatively, put my hand upwith the ability to gain:
"Mm, mm, mm, me, Sir", I managed to stammer.- a sense of real achievement for the work that
"Into my office, now!" he replied.they do- recognition for what they achieve -
By the time we had both sat down in his office,regular "thank you's" and notes of appreciation go
he had recovered his composure somewhat. Toa long way- responsibility and even increased
my great surprise, he started the conversationresponsibility for what they do - make sure they
with "Bob, I really appreciate your honesty inare able to make decisions regarding their area of
admitting to this mistake. I am very disappointedresponsibility without having to "upwardly
that it has happened, but with some luck, we candelegate"- from a job that has real interest and
probably correct it. Thank you for owning up tomeaning for them- advancement and
your mistake so readily".development, either by way of career
That experience for me was bitter sweet andprogression, professional or personal development.
obviously long lasting. It certainly had a majorRemember, people join a company because of
impact on my later mode of operating when Ithe excitement of the job. It is up us as
became a manager. On the one hand, I wasmanagers to do whatever we can to keep that
mortified to have made such a stupid mistake yetexcitement level high.
on the other hand, I had really felt good and3. Above all, be honest in what you say and do. A
upbeat about the way it had been handled. Itrue manager's mantra should be "Do as I do",
thought of that experience as I read an article innot "Do as I say". People leave a company
the Herald Tribune this week (Jan 3, 2007) titledbecause of poor leadership and management. I
"2 of 5 bosses don't keep their word". The articlehave found that people will accept mistakes if we
reported on a soon to be released study in Theare open about them. They will not accept cover
Leadership Quarterly that found that by and large,ups. The foundation for effective leadership and
many bosses today are dishonest with and aboutmanagement is honesty. These are qualities that
their workers. The study specifically pointed outeveryone values.
some damming evidence reported by workersSo, where have all the honest managers gone? I
about the honesty of their bosses:have no "amazing* research to provide the
- 39% said their supervisors had failed to keepanswers (although it would make an interesting
promises.study). However, I will suggest that:
- 37% said their supervisors had failed to give- Honesty, particularly in western society, is in
credit when due.decline generally due to the emphasis on
- 31% said their supervisors had given them theindividualism not community. We have become a
"silent treatment" in the past year."Me too" society, where material and personal gain
- 27% said their supervisors had made negativeare valued above the good of the community.
comments about them to other employees orEvery day one reads in the press or hears on the
managers.TV some new "revelation" about a cover up, lack
- 24% said their supervisors had invaded theirof integrity, or just plain dishonesty that has led
privacy.to yet another major commercial or international
- 23% said their supervisors had blamed others todisaster.
cover up mistakes or to minimise embarrassment.- Organisations, particularly since the late 80's,
Florida State University, the authors of the report,have spent an inordinate amount of time and
suggest that such dishonesty creates problemsresources on boosting the job "satisfiers" (as
for companies such as poor morale, lowerFrederick Herzberg called them) - pay and
production and higher turnover. These resultsconditions at the expense of the true
confirm my own research in interviews and focus"motivators" - achievement, recognition,
groups with managers and their employees overresponsibility, meaningful and interesting work, and
the last twenty years. I too found that the majorgrowth and advancement. The result? When
reason why people leave an organisation ismaterial gain becomes the all consuming and overt
because of poor management and leadership.goal pursued by organisations (such as maximum
People don't leave a company, they leave theirshareholder returns and exorbitant senior
boss!What may surprise some readers is that themanager benefits) over intrinsic basic human
Florida State study also confirmed many earliermotivators, managers will do almost anything to
studies about the relationship between pay and"cover their bums" so that their extrinsic rewards
turnover. It found that a good workingare maintained.