Sometimes it is easy to believe you are a great manager because rarely are your employees going to tell you differently, at least to your face. What common mistakes might you be making that keep you from being “all that you can be”
Treating your employees like your friends. You spend a lot of time with your employees so sharing too much about your personal life is tempting. It is, however, hard to coach an employee one moment and then complain about your spouse later in the day. Just like parents need to stay a parent and not be their children’s bestie the same is true here. It doesn’t mean you can’t take an interest in their lives or talk about your weekend, just don’t cross the line to personal confidante. After all, the rest of the team will know the individual that has entered your inner circle and will feel you have favorites.
Treating your employees exactly the same. Yes, you want to be fair and in that regard, treat them the same. However, when it comes to coaching and recognition you need to understand how they are inspired to motivate themselves and what form recognition should come in. Some employees like public accolades while another might prefer to have you recognize them one on one or perhaps drop off a quick gift card. Do you know what they prefer? You need to ask.
Being a “duck and cover” manager. If you are too busy except to point out issues/mistakes…typically in public, you are a duck and cover manager. What that means is that the team tries hard to avoid you because it might be their turn to be called out. Instead of a collaborative environment employees will ensure they bring nothing to your attention to avoid interactions. You might feel too busy to ensure you are reinforcing both positive and negative behavior but I would encourage you that coaching your team and creating that collaborative environment is the cornerstone to everything else.
Is it time to review your management style?