Mistakes are part of every manager’s journey towards growth and success.
However, this doesn’t mean that you need to commit them all firsthand to become a good organisational leader! As a manager, you simply don’t have the luxury to keep making errors that are detrimental to your company’s employees, resources, customers and overall profitability.
Fortunately, you can always learn and improve through other people’s
experiences.
In this article, we will explore some common mistakes by top
management, including the ways you can prevent committing these common pitfalls yourself.
What are top management mistakes to avoid?
Nobody is perfect and managers are no exception. Nevertheless, being aware of these mistakes can guide you towards the right path of leadership and help you take corrective actions where necessary.
7 common mistakes top management should avoid:
- Forgetting to set clear goals and expectations
Without clear goals and expectations, it’s difficult for managers to measure performance. There’s also a tendency for employees to feel lost and less motivated if they are not aware of their purpose in the organisation.
How to avoid this management mistake
Make it a priority to set SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound) goals and deliverables for your team. You can also put your vision, mission and core values somewhere that’s always visible to keep employees guided and committed. - Micromanaging and not delegating responsibility
A lot of managers are hesitant to delegate because they feel they are the only ones who can do the job effectively. Unfortunately, this prevents them from doing more important tasks that can push the growth of the business. Micromanaging, on the other hand, can hinder employee creativity and accountability.
How to avoid this management mistake
You can provide guidelines and work standards, so you can assign responsibilities but still maintain quality output. Also, conduct training courses to show staff how to do tasks the way you want them to. By empowering your employees to take more responsibility, you will also be able to eliminate bottlenecks and encourage more employees to be participative. - Resisting change
Some managers are unaccepting of any change to a routine. Whether it’s a process, technology or a system, they tend to stick with what’s conventional because it’s something they’re already used to. However, this kind of mindset limits the organisation’s opportunities to grow and thrive in the ever-evolving landscape.
How to avoid this management mistake
Be open to fresh ideas, developments and innovations, especially if they will make your business operations more effective and efficient. You can perform research, do a risk assessment, consult experts or ask for your employees’ perspectives to ensure excellent results from new initiatives. - Failing to acknowledge employees’ hard work
Managers can become so busy finishing projects, catching up with their tasks and increasing the business’ bottom line that they sometimes forget to pay attention to their employees. They fail to reward them for their contributions to the business, leading staff to lose motivation, morale and loyalty.
How to avoid this management mistake
Find time to recognise employees’ efforts and hard work. You can send personalised notes, give tokens of appreciation or treat the team to lunch. It can also be as simple as personally thanking them or giving shout-outs during meetings. - Setting a bad example
Managers have power and authority over their team, but it doesn’t give them a free pass to break rules and act carelessly. If managers don’t act correctly, they can’t expect employees to either.
How to avoid this management mistake
A research report showed that 58% of employees are willing to stay at a lower-paying job if it would mean working for a great boss. This proves that, as a manager, your actions, words and attitude all have a huge impact on your employees. So, if you want them to stay and perform well, you should walk the talk and nurture a good culture! - Lacking communication with the team
According to Garter’s research, poor communication is the cause of 70% of corporate errors. Without effective communication, employees won’t be able to pass critical information to employees. Staff would also have a hard time sharing their suggestions and feedback with the management, too.
How to avoid this management mistake
As a manager, you must be proactive in reaching out and communicating with employees. You can meet them face-to-face, as a group or talk to them online using technology. Also, with the use of suggestion boxes and employee surveys, you can get more honest opinions from your employees.
Fortunately, there are solutions such as VibeCatch’s QWL and custom polls that can help you easily gather employee insights and gain a better understanding of your team. - Not incorporating feedback
Some managers conduct employee surveys and polls for formality purposes only. They don’t then use the insights gained to improve the business, which then disappoints workers and discourages them from giving more relevant feedback and suggestions next time. It also leaves an impression that their opinions don’t matter much to the organisation.
How to avoid this management mistake
It’s best to utilise the results of employee surveys and polls to determine areas of improvement, enhance working conditions and better support employees. You can start by informing your people regarding the results of the surveys, and then explain the action steps you’ll take to address employees’ issues and concerns.
What’s your plan to prevent these mistakes from happening?
Understanding these common management mistakes and knowing what it takes to avoid them are clear indications that you’re on your way to being an excellent manager.
But whatever your strategy is to avoid such pitfalls, always remember to communicate effectively and openly with the people who know your business just as well as you do – that is, your employees.
At VibeCatch, we offer the ideal approach to proactively listen to your employees, foster good relationships and work better together as a team.
How does VibeCatch help managers?
In the digital age, data is king, and regularly measuring your employee engagement and wellbeing levels can help you and your organisation achieve success.
At VibeCatch, we’ve built a powerful platform that enables you to collect valuable insights through active, scientific-based listening and learning of your internal workforce.
We harness the power of open communication and employee feedback, so you can empower your people to stay committed to working together with you.
VibeCatch is an HR platform based on 15 years of proven research, offering you the opportunity to make a difference and understand the impact that your working environment has on your staff.
Through VibeCatch’s QWL Polls, Pulse Polls and 360 Feedback Polls, you can uncover hidden opportunities, correct issues and address areas of improvement for both employees and management within your organisation.
Speak to our team today to see a live demo.
