This article wasn\u2019t easy to write. The mistakes you see listed below? I\u2019ve either made them myself, or have worked under those who have.<\/p>\n
Becoming a manager is the secret dream of many ambitious white-collar employees. But in my opinion, just because you can do it, doesn\u2019t mean you should.<\/p>\n
With management comes a certain amount of power. Unfortunately, some people enjoy the power too much. They abuse it or, worse, they use it to promote themselves rather than their people.<\/p>\n
Successful management means mentoring and guiding each member of your team to make the most meaningful and constructive contribution to the company\u2019s success.<\/p>\n
If I could change the American work culture in one fell swoop, I would change the way companies train their managers. And come annual review time, I\u2019d skew the weight of Team Management to account for at least 70% of their total performance score.<\/p>\n
In fact, I don\u2019t think I would grade managers on their accomplishments, but rather on the management mistakes they didn\u2019t make. Like these:<\/p>\n
I like a boss who\u2019s friendly. But not too. I need to work for someone whom I can respect and learn from. Someone who will defend my team with authority and make those tough, unpopular decisions.<\/p>\n
If my boss is too nice, works too hard to be \u201cone of the gang,\u201d he or she is going to lose respect and get taken advantage of\u2014 by employees, colleagues, and leaders throughout the company. It\u2019s just a fact of life.<\/p>\n
Sure, it\u2019s great that you are friendly with your staff. It\u2019s necessary. But, you do need to find the balance right between being fun and being the boss.<\/p>\n
All successful managers should learn how to delegate. If you are having difficulty letting go of work that could be delegated to others, it could be because you’re afraid of stepping up, and into, your new leadership role.<\/p>\n
That’s ok \u2014 it’s totally normal to go through this phase!Give yourself a little time to adjust.<\/p>\n
However, if you continue to gravitate to, refuse to let go of, or nitpick over the lower-level tasks at hand, you do yourself a disservice and you send a message to your staff: I don\u2019t trust you to do it the right way.<\/p>\n
Practice letting go and delegating. You’ll find it’s as much an exercise for your team as it is for you. You’ll also find that it’s worth it.<\/p>\n
American workers appreciate money. Making good money is important. But, every good and conscientious employee needs to hear that they are valued<\/a>. And not just with a paycheck.<\/p>\n While giving positive feedback is such a simple task, it can be the hardest for managers and companies to do. If this is an area you think you could work on, start with a simple email to each member of your team, \u201cI just want you to know you\u2019re doing a great job and that your work is appreciated,” and discover what a difference it makes.<\/p>\n With management comes the responsibility of being a role model<\/a>.<\/p>\n You may feel like letting off steam with your employees: Cracking wise about upper management or expressing your disdain for the CEO\u2019s recent reorganization proposal.<\/p>\n But you can\u2019t. You undermine your credibility and lose the respect of others. You\u2019ve got to stay in character.<\/p>\n Successful leaders \u201cwalk the walk.\u201d They set boundaries, they act professional, they stay positive and avoid mud-slinging. By demonstrating consistent professionalism, you become a role model and inspiration for your team.<\/p>\n This seems to happen more often with big companies than with the smaller ones. When one team member\u2019s responsibilities bleed into another\u2019s you end up with duplicated work, wIf you want to maintain morale and keep a sharp focus on productivity, set clear roles and responsibilities for each member on your team. And enforce them with consistency.<\/p>\n4. Not leading by example<\/h2>\n
5. Failure to define roles<\/h2>\n
\nWhen you blur the lines between people\u2019s roles, you create anarchy and scope creep.<\/p>\n6. Inability to confront<\/h2>\n