There is no instruction manual that you can follow to become the perfect manager. Despite your best efforts, you may inadvertently do more harm than good as you try to engage, inspire, and motivate your employees. However, if you can identify management mistakes, you can correct them before they get out of hand.
There are many mistakes that managers make without even knowing it, such as:
1. Listening with Your Ears (and Not with Your Eyes)
It's easy to hear what an employee has to say and respond accordingly. On the other hand, it's sometimes tough to read body language.
Pay close attention to an employee's facial expressions and behaviors as he or she communicates with you. In doing so, you can read an employee's body language and provide an appropriate response.
2. Micromanaging
You want to do everything possible to get the most out of your employees. But if you micromanage your workers, you risk alienating your team. In this scenario, your employees may start to tune you out, too.
To eliminate the temptation to micromanage, set aside time to explain a task to employees. Then, let employees ask questions and prepare for the task at hand. Once employees begin the task, be available to respond to their concerns and questions, but encourage them to complete the project on their own.
3. Becoming a "Yes" Manager
No one likes rejection, and it may seem virtually impossible to say no at times. Yet if you say yes to every request, you risk taking on too much work. You also put yourself in danger of accepting low-level tasks that prevent you from completing high-value ones.
Work smarter — not harder — by saying no to tasks based on your day-to-day schedule. Accept tasks that fall in line with your management responsibilities and delegate those that others can complete. With this approach, you can maximize your time, energy, and resources.
4. Treating Everyone the Same Way
Each employee is a unique contributor to your team and deserves your attention and respect. As such, you need to treat every employee as an individual to ensure that you can get the best performances across your team.
Spend time with each of your employees. This allows you to learn about your employees' strengths and weaknesses and find ways to put each worker in a position to succeed.
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