We’ve all had bad managers. You know the ones—they inspire the stories you tell at happy hour and are the ghosts that haunt your every career move. Although you swear you’ll never be like them, how sure are you that their toxic ways aren’t tarnishing your own management skills? Sometimes we fall back on bad habits. What’s important is to put a stop to them immediately.
If you are a manager and looking for what mistakes to avoid, or an employee wondering if their manager is being a bit too much or not acting in the right way, read on to find out the most common mistakes employers and managers make. If you can learn about these here, rather than through experience, you’ll save yourself a lot of trouble!
Not fixing problems with the office
A lot of leaders should be able to see a problem, and delegate to be able to fix it. A lot of managers are able to do this in business terms, but when it comes to fixing the place that their employees actually work, it seems to become a bit of an effort. Toilets will break, sinks will overflow, light switches won’t work, the AC will start blowing out cold air in the winter. These are all problems that every office goes through at one time or another, it is up to the managers and office managers to fix these problems so that their employees can work in a safe and comfortable environment, make sure you do not ignore these problems as a manager and take control, companies like National Business Communications are able to help you sort out all of your telecommunications and utilities to make sure it isn’t too hard.
You’re all business, 24/7
If, between the hours of 9 to 5, you are on the clock, meaning you’re always the boss, not a friend, or co-worker or a sympathetic ear, then you’re not doing it right. Managers need to be adaptable to their situations and weigh up what type of boss they need to be on a daily basis. If you judge a situation wrong and act like a boss instead of lending a helping hand, you can easily alienate your employees and be seen in a bad light. It doesn’t take a lot of effort to ask how someone’s day is going, what plans they have for the weekend or how their family is doing. But this small gesture can make a huge difference in the eyes of your employees.
Lacking boundaries
Some managers tend to forget all about the professional boundaries that are in place. The second a managers becomes way too friendly with employees, the chain of command begins to crumble and boundaries become distorted. Managers can compromise their own integrity by becoming too friendly with employees. A healthy, mutual respect should be the goal of both managers and employees. Approachability is key, but not at the expense of professionalism.
Misunderstanding motivation
Do you know what truly motivates your team? Chances are, it’s not just money. Many managers make the mistake of assuming that their team is solely doing their job so that they can get paid at the end of the month. However, it’s unlikely that this will be the only thing that motivates them. For example, people seeking a greater work/life balance might be motivated by telecommuting days or flexible working. Others will be motivated by factors such as achievement, extra responsibility, praise, or a sense of camaraderie.
