Comments on: Not Just the Boss http://questarblog.com/2009/12/08/not-just-the-boss/ Mon, 23 Aug 2010 18:56:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Questar http://questarblog.com/2009/12/08/not-just-the-boss/#comment-149 Questar Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:13:29 +0000 http://questarblog.com/?p=478#comment-149 Thanks David. You make a very good point. I wonder if "the new normal," post-recession world will see a decrease in those large pay gaps. Thanks for sharing your insight! Thanks David. You make a very good point. I wonder if “the new normal,” post-recession world will see a decrease in those large pay gaps. Thanks for sharing your insight!

]]> By: David Bowles http://questarblog.com/2009/12/08/not-just-the-boss/#comment-146 David Bowles Fri, 19 Mar 2010 20:00:18 +0000 http://questarblog.com/?p=478#comment-146 Anna this is very interesting! I think the reason its both senior and local management is that local management does not exist in a vacuum. They were selected in the first place by someone senior to them based on overt or covert values inherent in the company culture, and whether they "fit" those; their ongoing behavior is guided also by that culture. I also think that if your data are reflected in a widespread way, i.e. that there is a shift to senior management being more important in engagement, issues like the overwhelmingly large gap in pay between the average US CEO and workers (around 300:1, copmpared to 25:1 or less in Europe) will even more seriously undermine any attempts to pretend that "we are all in this together" and resulting morale/engagement. See my post on this at: http://davidbowles.wordpress.com/2010/03/15/executive-excess-eroding-employee-morale-and-engagement-at-work/ best to you David David Bowles, Ph.D. co-author, Employee Morale: Driving Performance in Challenging Times (Macmillan, Nov 2009) www.moraleatwork.com Anna this is very interesting! I think the reason its both senior and local management is that local management does not exist in a vacuum. They were selected in the first place by someone senior to them based on overt or covert values inherent in the company culture, and whether they “fit” those; their ongoing behavior is guided also by that culture.

I also think that if your data are reflected in a widespread way, i.e. that there is a shift to senior management being more important in engagement, issues like the overwhelmingly large gap in pay between the average US CEO and workers (around 300:1, copmpared to 25:1 or less in Europe) will even more seriously undermine any attempts to pretend that “we are all in this together” and resulting morale/engagement. See my post on this at:
http://davidbowles.wordpress.com/2010/03/15/executive-excess-eroding-employee-morale-and-engagement-at-work/

best to you

David

David Bowles, Ph.D.
co-author, Employee Morale: Driving Performance in Challenging Times (Macmillan, Nov 2009)
http://www.moraleatwork.com

]]> By: Questar http://questarblog.com/2009/12/08/not-just-the-boss/#comment-29 Questar Thu, 10 Dec 2009 20:34:30 +0000 http://questarblog.com/?p=478#comment-29 Good point. "The boss" could include the "boss' boss" as well. And it is the immediate manager that often conveys information about the company's values, direction, and strategy. I thought the points in the Gallup article itself were very good. My most negative reaction was to the title. At Questar, we have seen a real shift over the years in the data we gather for our clients. The immediate manager used to be more important in driving engagement. Today belief in senior leadership and alignment with company values are much more important. Maybe it's the constant reorganization in some of these companies. (Why would an employee leave because of their boss? They're likely to have a new boss in a couple of months. Or maybe it's seeing some of the big companies fail.) Thanks for your comment! Good point. “The boss” could include the “boss’ boss” as well. And it is the immediate manager that often conveys information about the company’s values, direction, and strategy. I thought the points in the Gallup article itself were very good. My most negative reaction was to the title.

At Questar, we have seen a real shift over the years in the data we gather for our clients. The immediate manager used to be more important in driving engagement. Today belief in senior leadership and alignment with company values are much more important. Maybe it’s the constant reorganization in some of these companies. (Why would an employee leave because of their boss? They’re likely to have a new boss in a couple of months. Or maybe it’s seeing some of the big companies fail.)

Thanks for your comment!

]]> By: Eric http://questarblog.com/2009/12/08/not-just-the-boss/#comment-28 Eric Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:45:50 +0000 http://questarblog.com/?p=478#comment-28 I agree with you that having trust in senior leadership comprises a critical element in employee satisfaction; and with the reasons you've cited for this being so. I'm not certain that your point is very different from the one presented in the Gallup article. If 'boss' is only seen to identify a middle manager in the equation then sure, but in a larger view that boss could be a VP or a Chief Officer who is setting the tone for the managers and supervisors who report to them. Or, to use your example, the senior executive who is, in whatever way, not inspiring trust among those that they lead - that is the boss that is the source of the friction that the employees are reacting to. I agree with you that having trust in senior leadership comprises a critical element in employee satisfaction; and with the reasons you’ve cited for this being so.

I’m not certain that your point is very different from the one presented in the Gallup article. If ‘boss’ is only seen to identify a middle manager in the equation then sure, but in a larger view that boss could be a VP or a Chief Officer who is setting the tone for the managers and supervisors who report to them.

Or, to use your example, the senior executive who is, in whatever way, not inspiring trust among those that they lead – that is the boss that is the source of the friction that the employees are reacting to.

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