Often, companies – small and large! – will throw fledgling managers into positions of authority without giving them any real training or mentorship. The results can sometimes be surprisingly good but more often than not the result is disappointment for the manager, his subordinates and management. Here is where they usually go wrong:
1. Failing to Take the Broad View – New managers are often straddled with more authority than they are comfortable with. Through no fault of their own, this simple fact means that they lack the appropriate values, sensitivity and awareness of how the business world works. Instead of leading, they coerce – or worse, order, their subordinates. In the end, no one nor the company is better for the experience.
2. Being Uncommunicative – In a similar vein, many new managers think that barking orders is the way to “get things done.” It can be but this method takes a lot more effort than getting employees to buy into your vision and clueing them in to where you are headed. Simply put, understanding that communication is a two-way street is a critical skill for any manager. You have to listen as much, or more, as you speak.
3. Foregoing Objectivity – Pressure leads managers to make all sorts of mistakes. One of the most egregious is losing their objectivity about a situation or a particular employee. In fact, this failing is one of the fastest ways for a manger to lose a job. Managers must be trained and coached to make reasoned decisions no matter whatever else is going on.
4. Not Building the Team – No man is an island. Forgetting this ineluctable fact is an excellent way to create lots of work for oneself as a manager and head off down the inevitable path of failure. Managers must, must, be trained to cultivate an attitude of teamwork. Else they are doomed to any of a number of failures.
5. Deciding… and Then Asking for Input – It is blindingly obvious to any experienced manager that asking for input about an already predetermined decision is disastrous on many levels. Not only do you ignore some seriously good opinions but you denigrate your staff in the process. Yes, you are the decision maker, but give your folks the courtesy of letting you know what they think.
6. Ignoring Any Obvious Problems – If a manager recognizes that a problem exists within his purview, you can be sure that the rest of the staff is also well apprised. And… pretending that it doesn’t exist is worst of all. Not only does the manager not resolve the actual issue at hand but they are seen as being weak and ineffectual – the death knell for anyone in a leadership position.
7. Making Friends with Subordinates – A measured amount of civility is certainly called for and supportive as at-work relationships are to be encouraged. Fraternizing outside of work however, can be counterproductive and may breed enmity amongst those who are not part of the “inner circle.” In short, the consummate manager finds his friends amongst his peers or outside of work entirely.
8. Forgetting the Client – The rigors and pressure of everyday business activities can cloud the mind of an inexperienced manager. Instead of focusing on the end result – that is, satisfying the customer – the business day becomes a juggling act of completing tasks that meet some company goal. This focus is not only demoralizing but largely counterproductive as it only produces a check mark on some company metric and ignores truly tangible results.
A Final Thought
It takes time and effort to find and properly train managers especially if you are short-staffed. Consider the use of an HRIS to formalize and track training. Software available today can schedule, track and evaluate a manager’s training progress. It can deliver and maintain modules which can then be archived with back up documentation. Updates can be added easily into the curriculum as needed and reports can be developed to communicate status on the individuals as well as the overall state of company training. You can even add formalized testing to evaluate your employees and to help determine the next course of action.