At a loss as to why your management style is still failing after reading the previous article on poor management behaviors? Here are five additional key areas where bad bosses make it more difficult for themselves and their subordinates:
1. Ignoring Problem Behaviors – A poor manager will often ignore an insubordinate employee, employees in conflict, or simply an uncomfortable situation because they are not personally involved. They just hope that the problem will work itself out. Unfortunately, this strategy is severely flawed as their reluctance to deal with problem behavior damages employee morale, encourages poor customer service and even opens up the company to potential legal action. A good manager, on the other hand, will set objective behavioral standards and ensure compliance through mentoring and coaching. If these processes don’t succeed, the manager will then take the appropriate disciplinary actions.
2. Getting Too Close – As mentioned in our previous article, it is essential to develop a cordial working relationship with your team for maximum team productivity. The mistake that many poor managers make is allowing one or two relationships to develop beyond the professional stage. To the contrary, a manager must maintain an objective stance with their subordinates and avoid the usual gossip, outside socializing and commiserating so common in peer relationships.
3. Communicating Poorly – Managers are the focus of many communication efforts within an organization. In fact, one of their primary responsibilities is to disseminate this information thoroughly and quickly. Nevertheless, poor managers hoard information as if it is treasure. Oddly enough, this inability to share information in a timely manner is counterproductive as the information will actually allow the employees to make more informed decisions.
4. Engaging in Favoritism – Managers are constantly scrutinized by their subordinates for signs of unequal treatment. Some employees crave it for themselves while others look to use it as an excuse for their own shortcomings. In any case, a poor manager who indulges in this behavior severely undermines his own credibility and his effectiveness at managing his employees. Instead, a manger must avoid creating an “inner circle” of peer employees who are used as surrogate managers within the actual authority. The other employees will simply infer that they are not as valued by management and productivity will suffer.
5. Avoiding Culpability – Accepting responsibility for failures as well as successes is part of a manager’s job. Choosing to foist the blame onto subordinates – unsuspecting or otherwise – is unethical and will only garner you a reputation as untrustworthy. Also – don’t fool yourself. Upper management knows who they tasked with accomplishing the goal. You only look foolish by pointing fingers. Instead, act with dignity and place yourself between your subordinates and the blame. It may seem like a career blow in the short term but it will garner much respect over the course of time.
There you have it. Five more bad behaviors to avoid as a boss. Staying away from them may not make you the best manager in the world but it will certainly get you started in the right direction.