The Human Cost of Dashboard Success
When Numbers Shine but People Shrink
Last weekend, I caught up with some old friends. Somewhere between the laughter and updates, the conversation drifted to work.
One of them leaned in and said, “On paper, our manager’s a star—delivers results, keeps stakeholders happy. But working under him? Exhausting.”
The others nodded. They spoke about how blame arrived faster than understanding, and he brushed aside feedback as “his style.” One friend added, “Sometimes he points to third-party criticism as if it’s gospel, while ignoring everything we consistently deliver in so many other areas.”
Another admitted they dreaded feedback sessions—not because they feared growth, but because he rarely acknowledged progress. “We deliver numbers,” they said, “but we’ve stopped feeling like people.”
That hit me hard. In my sessions as a facilitator, I often show how crucial two-way feedback is—but hearing this firsthand made it real in a completely different way. I could see the cost of one-way feedback: trust withers, voices go quiet, and people stop speaking up—not because they don’t care, but because they no longer feel safe. It’s the classic case—when numbers shine but people shrink.
Holding up a mirror
If a team dreads your feedback and you’ve never asked for theirs, it says something about the climate you have created. You may be managing performance, but you’re not enabling people. And isn’t that the real job? To help them grow, support their impact, and lift them rather than weigh them down?
As I listened, I wished their manager could see what was happening beneath the numbers. It would be a game-changer. Tools like the Korn Ferry Styles and Climate assessment act as mirrors—not because they’re official or impressive, but because they capture what people feel day to day. They reveal whether the air in the workplace is energising and safe or quietly draining. And once you see it, you can’t unsee it. For a deeper dive check out- https://www.kornferry.com/capabilities/leadership-professional-development/training-certification/leadership-styles-and-climate
Respect that Lasts
There’s an emptiness in being respected only because a title demands it. That kind of respect isn’t genuine—it’s endured. The respect that matters is earned through behaviour. How you treat people decides whether they’ll trust you, follow you, or stay engaged. People build respect quietly, through humility, consistency, and action.
In the end, every manager leaves behind a climate—whether they mean to or not. The only question is: would you want to work in the one you’ve created?
Jagdeep Kaur
I’m an HR professional and blogger with 18+ years in Leadership Development, Coaching, General HR, and Recruitment. What started in 2010 as my reflections on expat life in the Netherlands has now grown into TulipTalks: a platform for global stories, leadership journeys, and conversations with changemakers worldwide. My writings are a pure reflection of my personal interactions, thoughts, and experiences.