I just read a blog from Indeed.com (http://blog.indeed.com/2016/04/07/top-10-cities-for-job-satisfaction/) that ranks cities with the best job satisfaction based on data that they collect. Surprisingly (at least to me), the #1 worst city was Denver! I’ve lived here most of my life and to hear that Denver has the lowest job satisfaction of any city in the United States is troubling.

But as I thought about it, I can start to understand why. I’ve worked for a great company here, and I’ve worked for a truly terrible company. And the great one slowly, over time, moved to be one of the bad ones.

What did the great one have (and begin to lose) that the terrible one did not? The management team at all levels (with very few exceptions) was interested in and supported all of the employees. New ideas were encouraged and shared, credit was given where credit was due, and people were allowed to have fun at work. There was an atmosphere of respect for the skills that each of us brought to the table. Was this the way every supervisor acted? Of course not, but those supervisors were the exception, not the norm and many did not last long in that role.

When new management came in that was focused on the budget and not the people, those attitudes began to permeate throughout the ranks. Most of the best senior leaders left to other companies. Slowly, but surely, the atmosphere of the company changed. New ideas were not welcome and people did not have fun anymore. Worst of all, the respect of the employee became almost nonexistent. The “good” managers now became the exception, not the norm.

So I jumped ship too! I didn’t know it at the time, but I went from the kettle into the fire. I thought I was moving to a more family oriented setting that would be a great place to be. It was like a family in one sense; one that had a dictatorial father who punished, never praised and believed that in order for us to win, others must lose. (I kid you not; that is an exact quote!) I was finally able to leave that toxic environment.

So what makes Denver so bad? Here is what Indeed.com said:

For some, the top result may be surprising. After all, last year Forbes magazine ranked Denver as the best city to live for its “diverse economy, highly educated labor force and outdoor recreational opportunities.” And yet Denver has a higher concentration of disgruntled workers than troubled Detroit or Providence, capital of a state which as recently as 2014 had the country’s worst job market.

In fact, not only did Denver rank last among workers for overall job satisfaction, it also ranked last for management, work/life balance and job security. 

Here is what you must remember: people primarily quit their boss, not their company. How people are led makes a huge difference in how they support and engage with the company they are a part of. People need respect, their ideas to be heard and acted on when possible, to be able to trust their leader and to know that they are valued.

I’ve talked to many leaders who believe all of what I’ve just stated is a waste of time and money. That is far from the truth. They simply don’t get the fact that if your employees are engaged at work, truly engaged, they are far more productive and bring forward far more ideas that help the organization to make more money or save more costs. Organizations with engaged employees are far more profitable than those without.

But how do you get there? The simple answer is that your managers (and maybe you) need to be trained in how to be a good leader. Good leaders are not born; they learn their craft and work hard to perfect it. Bad leaders think they know it all. They believe they’ve already perfected their craft. If they could be a fly on the wall when their employees talk about them, I think they’d be very surprised. But then again, they probably don’t care.

So what are you? Have you perfected your leadership skills? Is there nothing more you can do to improve yourself? If so, please go back and read about Denver.

But if you are someone who wants to improve yourself and your team, there are ways that can be done. My company (Colorado Leadership Institute – Crestcom) is one of the ways you can improve your skills as well as your management team’s skills. There are many other companies as well. It is my goal to help as many organizations as possible to have truly engaged employees; even if you don’t want to talk with me, please find someone who can help you help your team be the best they can be.

Let’s see if we can’t reverse this Indeed.com ranking in Denver!

If improving your management team’s skill set is important to you, let’s talk for 30 minutes and I’ll help you figure out what to do about it. To schedule a time to talk, call 720-515-8081 or email john.reeb@crestcom.com.