5 Mistakes Every New Manager Should Avoid
Every new manager is bound to make some mistakes but there are some that should really be avoided. Making these mistakes will do the opposite of fostering the productive work environment that you are seeking. Here are the 5 mistakes that every new manager should avoid. Focusing On The Negative You may think it is smart to focus on problems in order to fix them but this isn’t the way to go. You want to focus on fixing problems but you want to spend just as much time focusing on what’s working well. If all you do is share what is being done incorrectly or what can be done better then your employees will soon feel like they cannot do anything right and they will eventually stop trying. Pretending To Know Everything Every new manager has something to prove and you might want to pretend that you know everything to show that you deserve to be the one in charge. This is not the way to go. You want to admit you don’t know everything. You can take the time to learn more from other managers and from your own employees so that you learn more about the business and so that your employees feel like they can contribute more. Trying To Be The Only Voice Often new managers are so focused on getting things done that they start to believe that they should be the only voice unless they are asking someone for something. This is just wrong. You should set aside time to listen to what everyone has to say without interruptions or judgments so that they feel heard. After you have taken the time to hear what your employees have to say and understood it then you can respond. Micromanaging Micromanaging is a common mistake when you want everything to get done and get done right. The problem with micromanaging is that you have too much to do trying to oversee every little detail and employees feel like you think they are incompetent if you think you need to control everything they do. If your employees are incompetent then get new ones. Otherwise you want to clearly express what you expect from your employees and trust then to do their jobs. Let them know that you are always there to help but trust them to do what they are there to do. Not Supporting Employees New managers often make the mistake of trying to show that they are in control of employees instead of supporting them. Employees need your encouragement and need to feel appreciated for the work that they do. This is what gets them to work harder, to do more, and to do better quality work. If you support your employees then you will see the best in them. If you make work into a contest with you against them then they will be against you and you won’t be able to blame them for it. If you want to see the best in people then you treat them like they are already the improved versions of themselves that you want them to be. Tom R. Rheinecker has dedicated many hours to researching and writing about the many masters in healthcare management online programs that students can enroll in.