Top 5 Management Mistakes

By Asad Zaidi

Like everyone else, managers also make a lot of mistakes. Making mistakes is everyone’s right. However, learning from one’s own mistakes and learning from others’ mistakes is essential. Here is a list of the top 5 management mistakes that managers need to avoid…

1- Failure to Prioritize

Making every task a priority is a big mistake. Prioritizing effectively and focusing on a few tasks allows the manager to create more impact for the time spent. Research has shown that most managers focus on easy-to-do things first to avoid pressure and stress. But it is vital to have a laser-like focus on the issues that matter the most and sort these out first.

2- Applying Inflexible Policies

There is no such thing as a company policy that can serve all situations all the time. Company policy should be seen as a guide, not the last word on the matter. It is best to be flexible and apply common sense when it comes to dealing with staff and particularly when dealing with customers. No customer wants to hear the supplier telling them “oh sorry I can’t help you; it’s company policy“.

3- Hesitating to Share Information

No one is advocating sharing sensitive or confidential information as that would be tantamount to stupidity. But many managers think that sharing information should be restricted to as little information as possible. This is dead wrong. Managers need to err on the side of communicating and sharing information as much as possible. This builds trust and credibility. It is always better to over-communicate than to under-communicate.

Another way to think about this is to be more “direct” and upfront rather than being “cagey” in the way one communicates. I have always found – with few exceptions – that being direct is much better than all those “sandwich” approaches where you say something positive, something quite the opposite and then positive again.

4- Micro-Managing

Micro-managing is a sure-fire way of discouraging employees. Giving the team members a significant degree of latitude in the way they work and the decisions they make is empowering and motivating. Delegating without constant oversight whenever possible is also good for overall productivity of the team.

5- Not Accepting Overall Responsibility

The reality is that most managers when confronted by their own bosses on lack of team performance will allocate blame to their subordinates. It is part of the territory when one is a manager to accept overall responsibility for failure. It is this ability to accept responsibility that creates trust and respect.

About

Please visit the site entitled Management Development Insights at http://mdi.com.pk/management. This contains hundreds of concise articles and insights for busy executives. You can subscribe to these by entering your email in the text box on the top right.