Emmys weren’t wrong, many people dream of having a boss like Ted Lasso
WASHINGTON – To hide my tears after encounters with one particular editor during my internship years, I would retreat to the restroom at the back of the newsroom.
Whenever I would see this editor approaching my desk, my stomach would knot up as I prepared for a discussion that would inevitably make me want to scream or swear. She was mean. She was harsh. Most importantly, her style of management didn’t inspire me to do better. It made me want to quit.
I hated every single interaction with this manager. I was miserable under her tutelage. She was the opposite in every way of the fictional character Ted Lasso, played by Jason Sudeikis in the Apple TV Plus television show that won an Emmy for outstanding comedy series. The show also landed Sudeikis an Emmy for outstanding lead actor.
The series received 20 Emmy nominations, all well deserved. But the show stands out not just for its acting and directing but also for what it depicts – a manager who strives to create an emotionally safe workplace.
Ted Lasso is an American football coach hired to run an English soccer team. Lasso’s charming coaching style and endless optimism win over the mediocre team and fans.
Sudeikis’s Lasso had me at his handwritten, slightly crooked “Believe” sign posted over his office door. His corny expressions and pep talks to the soccer players – even after a brutal loss - make you wish you had a boss like him.
“When it comes to locker rooms, I like ‘em just like my mother’s bathing suits. I only wanna see ‘em in one piece,” Lasso says in one episode as he tries to end a feud between two players.
Lasso’s personality is so sunny you need a sunglasses in his presence.
So, what’s this got to do with personal finance, you might ask?
Well, many people resign – sometimes without another job - because they just can’t take the abuse from their boss. Others retire too early and without the financial security they should have, concluding that staying is not worth the cost to their mental health.
Every year, U.S. businesses lose $1 trillion to voluntary turnover, according to a 2019 Gallup report.
“And the most astounding part is that most of this damage is self-inflicted,” the report said.
Conservatively, the cost of replacing a departing employee can range to two times the staffer’s annual salary.
If you want to fix the “Great Resignation” trend, get your managers to address why people are so discontent. It’s likely that the reason people want to resign is that they have a bad boss.
Workers want to be respected. They want to know they are valued. They shouldn’t be yelled at, belittled or taken for granted. And certainly not sent running to the bathroom in tears. If your management style deflates an employee, you are doing your job poorly. Instead, be like Ted Lasso.
Contact Michelle Singletary at michelle.singletary@washpost.com. Follow her on Twitter: @Singletarym.