Good for Business

I have left a job because of a bad manager.

Alarmingly, that puts me in the majority, according to Brian Gottlieb. He writes in his new book Beyond the Hammer that 60% of adults have resigned, quit, or peaced-out simply to get away from a manager.

In my case, I lasted about a year and a half working for this individual. I wish them well, but it was tough. 

The company itself was well-respected, had offices around the world, offered competitive compensation, and generous benefits. I had some fun there, too, (and an office with a view) but that wasn’t enough. As the saying goes, people don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses. 

Luckily, I’ve mostly had fantastic managers. Bosses I trusted, learned from, and who made me feel valued and heard.

Those leadership qualities are present in the home improvement space, as well. The CEOs, founders, and industry leaders I spoke with for my article “Great Workplaces Do Exist” know that it’s not just about offering benefits, it’s about establishing programs, processes, and policies that empower employees and make their companies among the best places to work.

Why that matters: “There are just so many business benefits from having a great place to work for,” says Kim Peters, executive vice president of global recognition, research, and strategic partnerships at Fortune. Her organization conducts an annual best workplace survey, and its 2024 data revealed that 90% of employees at companies recognized as best places to work say they willingly put in extra time and effort and 88% rate their satisfaction so high that they’re planning to stay at the company for the long-term.

Among the anonymous comments left by employees at remodeling and home improvement companies that ranked highly on Fortune’s best workplaces in construction list: “I am blown away by how much [Power Home Remodeling] cares about its people. I have worked for a number of companies that are not this way, and I could never imagine leaving here.” And, “Home Genius Exteriors has a great culture that is based on helping lift everyone up to be the best possible. There is so much potential to build a career here.”

If you want employees to say these types of things about your company, read the article to see if there are great ideas you can put in place.

Thank you

I want to give a shout out to a great boss I had and three things, in particular, that he did that went above and beyond his managerial role and that stay with me to this day.

1. He was a wine collector and would organize after-work tastings in the conference room for the junior editors. He’d instruct us on the different varietals, growing regions, and good (and bad) years for grapes, and how we absolutely need not spend a fortune to get a good bottle. All these years later I try to stay under $15 when I go wine shopping. Although this wasn’t, strictly speaking, related to my job it was a fun teambuilding exercise.

2. He also was a foodie and would show his appreciation for a job well done by taking us out to lunch at some of the nicest local restaurants The places were ones we typically couldn’t afford on our junior-level salaries, and these lunch-and-learns were both educational and influential.

3. He didn’t hesitate to help me when, after I had left the company and was no longer his employee, I reached out for advice on an editorial project I was overseeing. He asked tough questions that helped me revise my strategy and provided valuable feedback that enabled me to be better at my job.