While it's very easy to find the things that managers can do to frustrate their subordinates, from how to handle an easily frustrated manager, to what are the most annoying things managers do and an endless list of ways to go about "surviving" a bad boss; it takes a few more clicks to find out what frustrates a manager.
After countless hours of research, interviews and observations I was able to come up with 3 things that frustrate managers the most. The worst part of it all, as a manager you are bound to experience each at least once in your career.
The three most frustrating things managers experience are; decisions made by upper management without taking in consideration your input, the bad apple who spoils the barrel, and having a direct report make more money than you do. Depending on what's important for you, one may have a bigger effect on you than the other.
For example, millennials are known for their ambition to grow professionally faster, and with the most monetary reward possible (Barbuto, & Gottfreson, 2016) therefore for a manager in this generation it might be more frustrating to have a direct report who makes more money than him than having to deal with the negative person who's constantly affecting the morale.
However, that's not to say millennials, or anyone for that matter, don't get frustrated with the other issues!
In fact, having upper management make decisions without taking your input into consideration is a very common frustration among managers. Having upper management make decisions that will affect yours and your staff's every day life without consulting you can not only frustrate you, but it also puts you in a tough position having to relay the message of the new change to your staff. In a study conducted by Mohr, & Wolfram (2010) a positive correlation was found between managers who felt low support from their superiors and their levels of irritation. Although, common sense dictates that when decisions are made, those affected by it should have the first voice on the process of decision making, we all know the saying; 'common sense is the least common of the senses.' Many senior managers still make decisions without incorporating staff feedback and usually the middle managers are the ones left to deal with the aftermath, especially when you are having to 'sell' the decision to your team as a good one for the organization when in reality you are very frustrated over it.
While you may think that as a boss you will be making more money than those reporting to you, and trust me, you're not alone in thinking this, as many people share the sentiment, I'm here to tell you from personal experience my friend, that is not correct! In fact, it happens more often than you'd care to think. While the reasons for that may vary by organization and field, a possible reason is the external market value of your skills. What this means is that you possess a special group of skills that facilitated they way for you to reach your current positions, but the same is true for your team members. Depeding on the demand of those skills in your field, you may end up making less than they do. And trust me, signing the performance evaluation for an employee who is making more money than you are is at the top of the most frustrating things as a manager!
And last but not least, another frustrating thing managers have to deal with is the negative staff member who no matter what you say or do, will always have something negative to say about it. Fred Lee, in his book; If Disney Ran your Hospital; calls them the woodpeckers (2004). They are known as woodpeckers because while their pecking may initially seem innocent, it will continue on until at one point it draws a hole in your ship that can threaten to sink it. The frustrating part is as we all know the Department of Labor frowns upon the discharge of an employee for being negative. The quest for collecting the necessary data, and following the appropriate disciplinary process for these individuals can be very frustrating, especially if they perform well otherwise. However, the consequences of their negativity can be very debilitating for your team's morale
Go ahead tell me what else frustrates you!
references
Barbuto, J. E., & Gottfredson, R. K. (2016). Human Capital, the Millennial’s Reign, and the Need For Servant Leadership. Journal of Leadership Studies, 10(2), 59–63. https://doi-org.proxy1.ncu.edu/10.1002/jls.21474
Lee, F. (2004) If Disney Ran your Hospital. Bozeman, Vt by Second River Healthcare Press.
Mohr, G., & Wolfram, H.-J. (2010). Stress among managers: The importance of dynamic tasks, predictability, and social support in unpredictable times. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 15(2), 167–179. https://doi-org.proxy1.ncu.edu/10.1037/a0018892
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