Mistakes Managers Make and How To Avoid Them

Becoming a manager means you’ve mastered the art of dealing with people and now you’re an expert, right? Because the answer is obviously no, it’s important to remember mistakes are inevitable. As a manager, your actions are often under higher scrutiny because of your level of influence in the workplace.

Instead of approaching your managerial role and feeling you’re above reproach, think about the common mistakes managers make listed below as well as how you can avoid them:

1. Making a decision first, asking later

While it’s your role to make the final call, your team won’t appreciate if you’re always telling them the next step without asking for input. Sometimes it is all on you, but often you have the chance to talk to your employees and gauge their opinion.

Advice: Next time you have a decision to make, talk to your team first and make them feel included.

2. Being friends with your subordinates

Forming a relationship with your team is essential, but friendship can cross boundaries. Not only can you get caught up in gossip, often these too-close relationships can lead to accusations of favoritism. It can be difficult to draw the line, especially if a friendship existed before the promotion, but ignoring the line can hurt your team.

Advice: Know when you need to excuse yourself from conversations and work on being involved with them, but not overly personal. If you want to be a manager and have many close friends in your department, consider working toward a department shift to avoid complications.

3. Avoiding feedback

Good or bad, feedback is important to your team. If they’re doing something well, encouraging them can further motivate them. If they need some constructive feedback, avoiding it may cause them to continue to make the same errors. A productive team requires input from a manager.

Advice: It can be awkward at first, be remember feedback is a part of your position as a manager. Shadow other managers for examples and training in how to properly talk to your employees.

4. Talking, not listening

Once you become a manager, you might forget that while your voice is important, it isn’t the only one. Two-way communication represents respect on a team and makes everyone feel more valued because instead of addressing them with only your thoughts, you’re taking time to learn from the people who do the work every day.

Advice: Listen! Never consider your thoughts more important and remember a good idea can come from anywhere.

Ready to be a manager?

If you’re ready to find that next great promotion, LaJoy Group is here to set you on the right path. We work with job placement in fields like manufacturing, management, IT and more. Let us find your dream job today.

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