Why Are There So Many Bad Managers?

Author Denise Champagne explains how a simple shift in mindset can have a profound effect on manager behaviors.

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Jan 09, 2020, 08:31 ET

NAPLES, Fla., Jan. 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Bad managers kill motivation, stifle growth and create toxic environments that make people want to quit their jobs. That's why companies spend billions of dollars annually on management training and incentives. Given this enormous investment, it seems there should be plenty of great managers in the workplace. However, that's not the case. So, where is the disconnect?

Manage Like Your Momma: Inside the Minds of Great Managers

According to Denise Champagne, a global leadership consultant and former executive, "Most management training focuses on what to do rather than how to think. This is akin to the old adage about giving someone a fish, versus teaching them how to fish."

For more than two decades, Champagne worked with leaders around the world and found that some were consistently better than others. While the training and experience of the best managers varied greatly, their mindset was quite similar: They believed they were responsible for the well-being of their team members. Champagne says, "The nurturing mindset of great managers is a lot like a good parent." She has used this insight to successfully coach hundreds of leaders, and it is the subject of her new book, Manage Like Your Momma: Inside the Minds of Great Managers.

According to the author, "Managers who think like a parent are more apt to build healthy, trusting relationships that have a greater chance of withstanding potential challenges or setbacks. They are also more inclined to help their team members grow, make tough calls when necessary, and address performance deficiencies in a timely fashion."

For decades, companies have done management training the same way and expected different results. Perhaps, as Champagne suggests, it's time to focus on mindset instead of just behaviors.

Manage Like Your Momma is available in paperback for $11.99 at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. It is also available for $9.99 on most e-readers, including Kindle, Nook, iBookstore, Google Play and Kobo.

About the author:
Denise Champagne has a M.A. in industrial organizational psychology and worked for Fortune 500 companies before becoming a consultant. She's been cited in numerous human resource publications and frequently speaks at seminars and conferences around the world. She is available for media interviews and can be reached at [email protected]. For more information, visit her website: www.denisechampagne.com.