Today I’m shamelessly stealing a Facebook post from my friend, Angela Peterson, a mom and children’s educator extraordinaire. She shares from her recent studies: “‎Raths identified eight emotional needs that people strive to satisfy. These are the need for love, achievement, belonging, self-respect, freedom from guilt, freedom from fear, economic security, and self-understanding,” (J. Eby, Teaching in the Elementary School).”

What’s true for elementary school children is true for adults as well. And it speaks volumes to the types of work environments where employees thrive.

When conducting associate satisfaction surveys, some themes that often appear at all levels of the organization when it comes to important traits in a supervisor are: Supervisor shows faith in my judgement, Supervisor is interested in my input, Supervisor cares about my concerns and satisfaction, I know what is expected of me. 

Micro-managers rarely want to admit that’s what they are, or they feel justified in their management style because, “my team is green,” or, “If I want something done properly, I have to do it myself!”  However, no employee wants to or is able to perform at his or her best if they constantly feel under the microscope or if their every action is questioned. Those feelings are in direct opposition of, “the need for love, achievement, belonging, self-respect, freedom from guilt, freedom from fear, economic security, and self-understanding.”

Now, let’s be real. I’m not saying we need to implement “A Hug A Day Keeps the Pink Slips Away” policy. However, if there is high turnover in your staff, if you are constantly having to verbally correct or re-do your employees’ work, or your teams are consistently under-performing, it may be time to take a step back and look at your own leadership… or lack thereof. It’s difficult to succeed if you feel your boss flat out expects you fail.

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