The Difference Between a Bad Manager, Good Manager, and Great Manager

As a recruiter, I have seen many different types of management practices and the effects on the teams they lead. The type of manager can often determine the company’s retention rate as management practices have a direct correlation with employee satisfaction. There are three types of management: a bad manager, good manager, and great manager.

“Bad managers tell employees what to do, good managers explain why they need to do it, but great managers involve people in decision making and improvement.” – Mark Graban

If you are building your management skills, it is important to become aware of your management habits and work towards becoming a great manager.

Traits of a Bad Manager

A bad manager tells employees what to do without explaining why. A plan has already been created and the employee simply follows the steps to complete the project. The employee is ultimately a pawn.

When a company is operated by a bad manager, employees rarely have passion behind their work. Why would they? Their entire job is following orders. There is no room for creativity.

For example, a Document Control Manager might be told that they have to transfer documents into a new system. The system has a learning curve and to the Document Control Manager, it seems like the old system did exactly the same task. A bad manager does not tell the employee why the office is switching programs, just to do it.

Traits of a Good Leader

A good manager gives orders but also explains why they are asking the employees to perform the task.

In terms of the Document Control Manager, the Quality Director would explain why the company is switching to a new program. While the program has a steep learning curve, the Document Control Manager understands that the new system will be helping the company.

Traits of a Great Manager

A great manager is hard to come by. Often, people avoid becoming a great manager because they feel like they are giving up control. In reality, the more you involve your employees with the decisions, the more they will feel dedicated to the company’s mission and want to stay with the company long-term. It also greatly improves the employee’s engagement in their job and the projects and greatly increases the likelihood of them going the extra mile when needed.

A great manager engages employees with decision making. They seek feedback, new ideas, and involve employees in brainstorming sessions and allow them to have some ownership in their part of the project.

The Quality Director would explain to the Document Control Manager why the company needs to switch systems, such as cost or accessibility for the people involved in creation the documents. The Quality Director would then ask the Document Control Manager to attempt the trial period and provide feedback. If the program does not seem efficient, the Document Control Manager and Quality Director will try to find a new program together.

If you are a manager, take the time to reflect on your work habit. Becoming a great manager can lead to employee happiness, retention, and company growth, not to mention that more engaged and happy employees are more productive and easier to manage.