Peter StarkEmployees want to work for a consistent and predictable leader. Let me clarify – they want to work for a predictably and consistently good leader. We all have our habits and routines, but some are more desirable than others. If you were guilty of all of these behaviors, chances are you wouldn’t be a manager in the first place. But, it is important to keep in mind the actions and habits that drive your employees up the wall and contribute to ineffective leadership all at the same time.
Micromanaging: No one admits to this one, but if you have a strong need to know all the details of every project your employees are working on, then you might be guilty of micromanaging. Whether or not it is your intention, micromanaging communicates to your employees that you don’t trust them to perform their jobs. It erodes team morale, demotivates your employees, and negatively impacts your productivity, and the overall productivity of your team. Nothing will drive a talented and driven employee crazier than a manager who insists on knowing every single detail of every single project, or tells them exactly how to do every aspect of their job.
Not acting on feedback: Not asking for or being open to feedback is bad. Asking for feedback, but not acting on it, however, is worse. No leader or organization is perfect, and feedback is crucial to continued growth and improvement. When team members provide feedback to a manager, but don’t see the feedback acted on, they stop providing feedback. Why should they bother? Failing to act on feedback communicates to your team members that you don’t really care about their concerns and that their input is not valued.
Taking credit: Unfair and arrogant managers are great at using the words “I,” “me,” and “my,” when things go right, even if they had very little to do with the project or result in question. Nothing is more frustrating than pouring your time, energy and skills into a successful project, and watching someone else claim credit for it. When you claim credit for the hard work of your team members, you lose the trust and respect of the people that are contributing to your overall success as a leader.
Passing blame: If you’re guilty of taking credit when things go right, there’s a good chance that you are equally guilty of passing blame when things go wrong. Managers guilty of this are talented at finding scapegoats for every mistake. Accountability begins with you, and it is your job as a leader to take responsibility for fixing problems and mistakes on your team, whether or not you personally created the problem.
Ignoring the non-performers: Failing to hold everyone equally accountable to high performance standards is one sure fire way to demotivate and frustrate your most engaged employees. If you are already giving 110% effort, but are forced to pick up the slack for those only giving 50%, there’s no reason for you to continue giving your all while others cruise along for the ride. Joe Kraus, founder of Excite.com, sums it up perfectly: “Nothing demotivates people like the equal treatment of unequals. When you hire a bozo and treat him the same as a rock star, it deflates the rock star.”
Not respecting work/life boundaries: In our hyperconnected world, we think little of habitually checking our inboxes on our phone during a commercial break, or dashing off a quick email after dinner. Many of us have abandoned the pursuit of work/life balance in favor of work/life integration. Though sending emails outside of regular business hours may work great for you and your schedule, your employees may not be as thrilled if they feel pressured to respond to your emails late at night or during the weekend.
Unpredictable/indecisive: Your actions, behaviors and emotions are what guide your team on a daily basis. If you have a habit of constantly changing your mind or the direction of projects, it is extremely difficult for team members to confidently make decisions that are in alignment with your decision making process. Inconsistency leads to confusion, and communicates a lack of confidence in your trajectory.
Shoot the messenger: This is one of the quickest ways to destroy trust and open communication on your team. Bad news is a business reality, and employees need to be able to relay all news, whether it’s good or bad. If you shoot the messenger one too many times, not only will that messenger not come back, but everyone else will do their absolute best to keep negative information from you in the future.
Not listening: Listening involves not only hearing the speaker’s words, but also understanding the message and its importance to the speaker. When you cut off a team member mid-sentence, take a phone call in the middle of a conversation, or are too busy responding to emails to give the speaker your undivided attention, you are clearly communicating that you don’t care very much about what they have to say.
Your day-to-day actions become your habits, and your habits are what ultimately make or break you as a leader. Are you guilty of any these habits? Bad habits get harder and harder to correct the longer they are left unchecked, so commit to breaking those habits right now. Employees understand that you will make mistakes, and occasional bad habits will most likely be forgiven. But if you are consistently displaying the behaviors above, you will quickly erode the relationships with your team members that make you a leader in the first place.
What frustrating leadership habits have you encountered in the workplace? Share them in the comments below!
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