7 Common Mistakes Bosses Make
No matter how good your intentions
and no matter how much breadth of experience you possess as an entrepreneur,
company owner, executive, or manager, if you’re the boss, then you’re going to
make mistakes. It’s a normal part of life--both on and off the job.
There are two basic kinds of
mistakes.
However, there are two different
kinds of mistakes. Some mistakes are one-time-only events; you quickly recognize
the mistake, learn from it, and never make it again. For example, say you have
Company X build your new website, and they fail to deliver after months of
half-promises, missed deadlines, and wasted money. You pull the plug and
promise never to deal with the company ever again. Because you work quickly to
correct the mistake, you’re actually being a good leader.
The other kind of mistake is far
more dangerous to the health of your company. It’s when you don’t recognize the mistake. such
chronic mistakes become ingrained into your own personal management style, and
they cause problems for your employees, your company, and ultimately for your
customers and your bottom line. They also make you a "bad"
boss--never a good thing. According
to research into bad bosses (yes--there are bad-boss researchers!), bad bosses cost
the U.S. economy $360 billion a year in lost productivity, and 65 percent of
employees say they would take a new boss over a pay raise.
Watch
out for these 7 common bad-boss mistakes.
Here's a list of some of the most common chronic mistakes
that bosses make. Take a close look at each item and think about your own
behavior--and of the behavior of your coworkers and employees. Is anyone making
the same mistake over and over? Are you?
1:
Failing to communicate.
Information is the power that enables your employees to
do their jobs quickly and correctly. The more complete and accurate the
information that employees get from you, and the more quickly they get it, the
better they'll perform and the better they'll be at serving your customers.
2:
Going for the quick fix over the lasting solution.
Quick fixes are
satisfying, but they don't last. Pause and take the time to get to the root of
the problem and then develop lasting strategies that solve it. Doing anything
less isn’t really solving the problem--it’s just kicking the can down the road.
3:
Failing to delegate.
No
manager can do everything him- or herself, and you shouldn’t try. Doing
everything by yourself is not the most effective use of your time and talent,
and it’s a waste of your employees’ potential. By
delegating work to employees, you multiply the amount of work you can do
many times over and you make your business much more effective.
4: Not setting goals with employees.
Don’t leave your employees
in the dark. It’s up to you as a boss to develop realistic, attainable goals
with your employees that guide them in their efforts to achieve your
organization’s vision.
5. Resisting change instead of leading change.
Resisting change a
tremendous waste of time and energy in these days of an ever-shifting global
business environment. And resisting change gives your competitors the
advantage. Learn to anticipate and lead change in your industry, and leverage
it to your advantage.
6. Not recognizing employees' achievements.
You
can do many things to recognize your employees that take little time to accomplish, are easy to implement,
and cost little or no money--a quick personal or written thanks, for example,
will make someone's day.
7: Taking
it all too seriously.
Make sure that your work
environment is a place that your employees want to come to every morning.
Maintain a sense of humor and foster a workplace that's pleasant, and even fun,
for everyone.
Do you recognize any of these
mistakes in your own management style? Commit to correct them and you'll become
a more effective boss. Just make sure you follow through on your commitment.
BY Peter Economy http://www.inc.com/peter-economy/7-common-mistakes-bosses-make.html?cid=em01014week46a
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