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Are you a manager or supervisor, or perhaps a business owner?
Here are some of the more common mistakes that managers make in dealing with their employees. The smart manager tries to avoid these mistakes, rather than learn from making them!
- Not Providing Feedback
According to 1,400 executives polled by The Ken Blanchard Companies, failing to provide feedback is the most common mistake that leaders make. When you don’t provide prompt feedback to your people, you’re depriving them of the opportunity to improve their performance. To avoid this mistake, learn how to provide regular feedback to your team.
If you’re like me, you hate confrontation, but a good manager has to be able to confront situations that need improvement. For example, if you have an employee who is making very bad impressions by their manner with customers, on the phone or in person, the longer you avoid giving feedback and helping that employee change, the more harm will be done to your organization.
Or course, equally important is to provide positive feedback.
- Not Making Time for Your Team
When you’re a manager or leader, it’s easy to get so wrapped up in your own workload that you don’t make yourself available to your team. Yes, your plate is full and it’s easy to rationalize why you don’t have time today for your people. But without being available when they need you, your employees will often flounder and waste time or make unnecessary mistakes.
It really comes down to being willing to listen, as Proverbs 18:13 reminds us: To answer before listening—that is folly and shame.
I think it’s a good idea to establish times in your day or week for regular meetings with key employees where they know you will listen and truly give them time to express their thoughts and ideas. You might consider having an established time when “your door is open” and anyone can talk with you. It will be time well spent.