3 Things Things Managers and Leaders Should Never Do
… and what to do instead.
Sometimes managers and leaders with the very best of intentions can inadvertently make life harder for themselves through habits that they may not be aware of-or that they may even think are beneficial. Most managers and leaders are unaware of the impact that the following three things can have on their team and ultimately on their success in the role.
Stop scaring people.
As a manager, you should find appropriate people to vent with about your stress, discuss your uncertainties with, and even to gossip with-but under no circumstances should any of these people be on your team.
What to do instead: Be conscious about what information you want to share and why you are sharing it.
Stop trying to appear perfect.
There are two very important reasons why managers and leaders should admit it when they miss the boat, forget something, miscalculate, or screw up. The first reason why it is good to admit that you are flawed (surprise you’re human!) is that it makes others feel okay with being human themselves. The second reason why admitting to mistakes might work in a manager’s favor is that people as a whole tend to have very highly developed brains that let them know when something is not quite right. If a manager tries to hide their mistake, although the team may not consciously realize that the boss is covering something up, they may get a funny little feeling that creates a tiny bit of mistrust-and mistrust cannot ever lead to respect.
What to do instead: If you really want respect, admit your mistake quickly and then drop it.
Stop pushing so hard.
Have you ever heard that saying, “the beatings will continue until morale improves”? Sure, it is funny, but it is also reflective of a management habit that pervades our often stress-filled, numbers-focused business world. We really, really need the team to hit those targets, and when they don’t, it brings out the worst in us. If pushing was what they needed, then it would be working.
What to do instead: Set aside your frustration while brainstorming individually with each team member and identifying ways for them to focus on fewer areas overall, but with much more intensity.
