'I'm out of here!' — Or at least, that's what some brave employees say when their manager comes up with the next ‘best’ micromanaging thing to say. It's almost like managers don't get how they're hurting the company. They think that ‘nobody wants to work these days’ but they couldn't be further from the truth. See, people do want to work these days… They just don't want to work for you . Maybe if you'd be nicer and take your employees into consideration, they would. But that's too hard, right?…

Agency is important in the workplace; people typically need to feel as if they have responsibility over a task in order to derive satisfaction from doing it. This is one of the most basic facts that someone managing a team should be aware of. Sure, it's important that you know what's going on with your team, but that doesn't extend to the level of having comprehensive direct access to every last bit of their personal workplace communications. The point is that you have a certain level of trust…

Each day that passes you are one step closer to opening that door with a sticky note slapped on it that reads 'Quit'. Maybe one of your coworkers is a Karen, and you can't stand working on one more project with them. Perhaps your job has no benefits, or your salary sucks. It's possible your boss happens to be the king or queen of micromanaging. There are so many different reasons that employees choose to quit… Most of the time, it's not because they lack work ethic, although that's what compani…

Usually, it's wise to have multiple persons capable of maintaining the continuity of the important areas of your organization. This means not having a single employee who knows essential company processes, secrets, codes, and passwords that can't otherwise be found, learned, or replicated by someone else. If you happen to have one of these workers in your organization or someone who is otherwise essential to the operation of your business, you will do well to treat them well. It would certainly…

It's difficult to picture your life any different than it is in this exact moment… and that's not talking simple wishful-thinking. It's easy to say “I wish things were better” or “I'm grateful and lucky for what I have” or “I'm glad things aren't worse." But that's not the same as being able to actually see yourself—

Managing is something that is best done in a careful and calculated manner with lots of planning and moving pieces over a measured period of time; not with emotionally fueled outbursts and snap decisions intended to assert your authority or to beat your subordinates into submission. Yet, still, there are plenty of people (and plenty of managers) out there who have something to prove, a chip on their shoulder, or just lack emotional maturity. This creates even more situations where workers are t…

These days we all think that everyone's out to get us and—to be fair, well… we're not always wrong and some people are. There are plenty of entitled and selfish people in this world, who won't hesitate to twist any situation to their benefit and gain, carefully manipulating their way into getting the upper hand—no matter the circumstances. And yet, it's still important to remember that there are still honest folk out there; folk who want to do the right thing for the simple good and honest fact…

Everyone's got a bone to pick with someone these days and it's very rare for that picking to be necessitated for a wholesome reason. A reason such as trying to politely pay your craftsman more than the originally agreed-upon price due to your fondness of their work, only to have them, in turn, politely refuse. So, it was refreshing to see this story describing exactly that, a wholesome little tale in a sea of grudges, mistreatments, and misunderstandings. This poster sets the stage for their st…

Coworkers can be a lot of things: a compatriot, a confidant, a thorn in your side, a shoulder to cry on, a best friend—even a worst enemy. One thing they certainly aren't ever going to be is your boss—not without a promotion at least. And, still, throughout your working career, you'll come up against many a power-hungry colleague who thinks that they have the authority and experience to order you around. Letting you know what's what and making demands of you…. but, as bossy as this person might…

It's always satisfying when someone in a position of power sets an ultimatum, trying to coerce their subordinate into doing as they wish, only to have the subordinate call them on their bluff, exposing that the superior really never had any actual power at all. This, of course, plays out in small ways in workplaces every day, with authority often being revealed as nothing but a facade. When these workers at a manufacturing plant were supposed to be granted a weekend of reprieve from all of the…

Relocating for work is a tough choice to make. On the one hand, the opportunities on offer could open doors and lead to opportunities that would set you up for the rest of your life. On the other hand, you'd be leaving your life, as you know it, behind. There's no telling whether or not what you're giving up will actually be worth it or how things will even turn out on the other side. All this counts on the fact that you like your current job that's being relocated and that you trust the people…

If you demand rigidity of your employees' schedules, you can't then go and expect flexibility from them when you want it. Rigidity is a knife that cuts both ways and—as in any relationship—you shouldn't expect more from it than you're contributing to it. Like with love, trust is a game of give and take. Unfortunately, this is a lesson that so many managers need to learn the hard way through giving an order for strict adherence to rigid working hours , before experiencing exactly what happens wh…

The process of booking leave exists for one reason and one reason only: So that managers can maintain some control over staffing levels ensure the continuity of the business and make sure that everyone doesn't all go and take off at the same time. The thing is, this takes—well… managing. You, the manage-er, have to be able to manage your workers' leave requests and ensure that the business stays running while your workers get the time off that they need (and are entitled to) so that a little th…

One of the biggest red flags an employer could have is being disrespectful of their employees' time off. When an employee takes time off, it usually signifies that they could not work at that time, and have other matters to attend to. If an employer disregards that time and insists their employees would accommodate the work schedule needs no matter what, then something is extremely off. The employee in this Reddit story was dealing with the same problem with his boss. The employee was constantl…

Respect begets respect—and flexibility begets flexibility. It's no surprise that as in the old adage of ‘The Golden Rule' along with so many other maxims, if we treat others with esteem they'll be far more likely to do the same. In the context of the modern workplace, this comes into play with a surprising frequency. Say, if a member of the team you're managing needs to leave early one day for an appointment or to take care of a personal errand, not making an issue of this means that they're go…

Focusing intently on petty mistakes and slights is a surefire way to make sure you miss the big picture. As a leader, this is a fantastic way to make your workers feel like they're being micromanaged and have no agency, potentially derailing the entire organization along with the workers' sinking morale. Sure, if someone isn't pulling their weight it makes sense to step in, but when your team member is late back from lunch one time after coming in sometimes hours early, you'd do well to cut the…