Work can and should work much better. That’s according to Blaire Palmer, executive coach and author of a new book entitled What’s Wrong with Work?. In the second of her regular features, she explains how poor leadership affects our motivation.

About one quarter of people say they tolerate or actively dislike their boss. Let’s hope they weren’t thinking of you when they answered that survey question.

The number one reason people cite for leaving their job is their manager. Staff turnover, as you know, is very costly. It costs as much as £6,000-£9,000 to replace an employee, so a leader who commands loyalty saves their business a great deal of money. Employees are also more likely to exert extra effort when they feel their direct manager cares about them. And customer service tends to be better when people feel positively towards their boss.

If you manage people there are some simple but important steps you can take to improve the impact of your leadership:

1. Be yourself – people can sense when others are inauthentic and they lose trust and respect for you fast.
2. Walk the talk – demonstrate the behaviour you want to see in others. People will take their lead from what you do, not what you say.
3. Understand your people – not all of us are driven by the same motivations as you. By understanding each individual on your team you can communicate in a way that has meaning for them. If someone comes to work for the social interaction they won’t be as bothered about their bonus as about the Christmas party.
4. Think “we”, not “I” – selfishness is not an admired leadership characteristic. Ask yourself “Who is this for?” The answer should be “It’s for us” rather than “It’s good for me”.
5. Make decisions – listen to other people and take their counsel but ultimately the leader must make the final call.

If you want to improve the relationship you have with your boss, there are also some steps you can take –

1. Understand the context It may seem to you that your manager makes random or selfish decisions. But if you put yourself in their shoes you may realise they were caught between a rock and a hard place. You may not agree with the final decision but you may be more sympathetic if you appreciate the background.
2. Identify the purpose behind your boss’s requests If you believe your boss’s ideas won’t get the best result for the business, offer alternatives. Your boss may appreciate your ideas about better, faster, cheaper ways to get to the same outcome.
3. Help your manager understand you Your manager isn’t a mind-reader. He doesn’t know what you enjoy unless you tell him. He may not adapt to this information but at least he will know!
4. Adopt a leadership mindset yourself If you want to take on a project there is nothing stopping you. Use your initiative and demonstrate to your boss that you want to contribute.
5. It’s business The rules of work are different to the rules of other relationships. Your boss isn’t your friend, your parent or your teacher. To avoid your work relationships looking like parent-child relationships adopt a professional, adult mindset.

Blaire Palmer’s new book What’s Wrong with Work? The five frustrations of work and how to fix them for good, is published by John Wiley & sons, £12.99. To take part in the debate about work visit Blaire’s blog www.whatswrongwithwork.co.ukorwww.tamingtigers.com