An organization’s progress or regress depends heavily on leadership. Leonidas proved that a good team was not one that came in great numbers but one that had great leadership. How does an organization in the corporate jungle make sure it has great leadership? The very least it could do is to avoid leadership mistakes. Here are leadership’s usual suspects:
1. Withholding feedback
If an employee lacks somewhere, tell him or her that, in as many words. Do not put it off until later. It could cost you dearly. Feedback on performance, the good, the bad and the ugly should be given as soon as possible. Do not mince words when you give feedback.
Have regular feedback processes. Urge employees to do this routinely.
2. Not being visible to the team
A manager has a lot of things on his head. He has to handle pressure from above and a lot of managers do not think of spending quality time with their team. The team should always be the primary focus of a leader. Only when you spend time with your team, your team mates would feel comfortable around you and let you know of what is going on. If they have a glitch, they would feel comfortable letting you know about that.
Make time for your team; make sure there is a team meet organized every week or as frequently as possible, to avoid this mistake.
3. Not striking a balance between laissez faire and micromanagement
Know what your team is up to. Have constant updates from them; give them feedback on their work. But also, try not to micromanage. It is a skill that comes with experience. Hone the skill. If you micromanage, your team is left feeling incompetent. If you are totally hands off, the team might work and deliver something the client is unhappy with. So, strike a balance.
4. Liaising with the team beyond necessary
It is every manager’s wish to be seen as friendly by the team. But if you are too friendly with the team, some issues crop up. Tough times mean that you have to reshuffle, downsize and restructure your team. People might try to take advantage of your friendship in such a situation. You will be tempted to take advantage of people you are not your friends. Fine tune the balance between friendship and leadership.
5. Not being lucid in communication
It is an unproductive day at work when the leader does not mention the task clearly. You cannot expect your team to deliver your vision when you have not let them know exactly what your vision is. Let people know what you want. Get updates from them. Make sure the updates are in accordance with your goal. Do not mince words when giving feedback. Also mention how important each task is. This helps them prioritize their deliverables.
6. Thinking that money motivates everyone, every time
Come to terms with the truth. A monetary compensation is not the end goal of an employee. True that money holds a great charm, greater than most others. But think of what your team seeks. People might want to have a better work-life balance. Dads and mums of young children might want flexible work timings. Such people would also like to work from home on some days. People might be thrilled to bits when you ‘award’ them with extra responsibilities, praise etc.
7. Messing up with recruitment
Recruiting the right guy to do your job is again, something that comes with experience. When there is a need in the team, you have to find the right fit. But do not hurry with the recruitment and fill the position with someone subpar. It can prove disastrous to the project. Training a resource in a much needed skill and then onboarding him to the project in hand would take time. So, in a crunch situation, it makes sense to hire a certified guy with a proven track record.
You should be picky when it comes to recruitment. Pair the new recruit with an efficient mentor for on the job training.
8. Not being professional
Set an example for your team mates. If you walk in half an hour after a team meeting starts, it sends out a very bad message to the team. By being unprofessional, you encourage them to become slack. If the team is in a crisis situation, stay back and help them. Rise to the need. The team should look up to you.
If you flout rules, can you expect your team to do any better?
9. Not trusting the team with tasks
Some leaders don’t delegate, they do not trust other people with key jobs. You might think you are saving your interests in being solely responsible for the important aspects of the project. But this can cost you dear. It causes bottlenecks and deadlocks. If you feel the team needs training to handle something, groom them. Give them pet projects that can hone this skill. And then delegate real tasks when you are satisfied with their results.
10. Not having a clear idea of your role
When you become a manager, your responsibilities are different from what they were earlier. Come to terms with that. You work AND you manage the work of others. So, this requires new skills. If you feel you are lacking in such aspects, try to allocate time to equip yourself with these skills. Pay heed to your manager and his feedback to improve on your skills.