Mistakes Managers Make

Source: Partner Insights

The following includes excerpts, reproduced with permission, from an article by Dr. Rhonda Savage.

1. You come to work grumpy. Make a mental choice the moment you wake up in the morning to be a positive influence on your staff members.
2. You micromanage the staff. Attention to detail is a positive trait, but if you're correcting every little detail or do everything yourself, you'll hurt your performance and that of the team.
3. You are too “hands off” and don't hold employees accountable. Good leaders coach and mentor but don't micromanage or let things float along. You know the strengths and weaknesses of your people.
4. You complain about the bad economy and lack of cash flow. Your employees care about you and the company, but if you're burdening them with your woes, morale will go down. Don't share everything.
5. You bring your personal life to work. Regardless of what is happening in your personal life, it's important to keep that separate from your professional life.
6. You don't deal with problematic employees. If you don't deal with problematic staff, one or both of the following will happen:
   • The others will begin acting like them.
   • You'll lose the respect of the staff.
7. You are always out of the office. It's important that employees are able to count on you for assistance, guidance, and support. A manager who is not available for staff members will quickly lose their respect.
8. You overreact when we approach you with concerns or problems. Overreacting to an employee bringing an issue to your attention is a bad idea. It's important for the staff to know they can come to you with problems and keep you updated on the business.

For the complete article, read “The 8 Things Your Staff Hates About You.”

From Partner Insights, Aquila Global Advisors, LLC, January 2012, http://www.aquilaadvisors.com.