Do you measure how effective you are as a manager? What methods have you implemented to make your team work well with you? Does your team like to work for you?
As a manager, you are measured on how well your team performs. Regardless of your style, the results will speak for themselves.
Does your management style include any of the points mentioned below? If yes, beware – you are about to be tagged a ‘bad manager.’
Doing it all alone
Do you keep all the important tasks to yourself and never delegate them? Do you feel insecure that allowing someone else to do the job would make you less important in the team? Good managers understand the importance of assigning tasks. They delegate work to the best team member and use that time to do something equally or more important.
Being vague
Do you expect your team members to guess what’s in your mind and deliver? Good managers always communicate explicitly about what they want and how it can be achieved. They provide clear instructions and highly specific feedback. They take fast and prompt decisions so no time is wasted.
Pretending to know everything
Do you kill discussions that revolve around something that you are not aware of? Are you afraid to hire someone who is more talented and knowledgeable than you? Do you only take in and support team members with less expertise? Good managers always want intelligent and experienced people in the team. Their expertise lies in managing people with better skills and not in competing with them.
Overlooking underachievers
Do you ignore team members who have not scored enough? Good managers invest much of their time in developing the skills of non-performers and uplifting them. Training and mentoring sessions are initiated to provide best possible support . If those team members still don’t pull up their socks, the managers would release them so that they can find better positions elsewhere.
Saying “I want RESULTS!”
Do you focus a lot more on numbers than your people? Do you force your team to show results ‘at any cost’? Do you use your reports only to nag where they lag? Good managers use their analysis and reports to applaud for positive changes . They encourage and provide training on areas that require improvement.
Prying on team members
Do you spy on the emails or social networking profiles of your team members? Do you always look for signs of breach of trust? Good managers would know that spying would only make the team members more elusive and lead them to be more tight-lipped. Instead smart managers influence their team members and lead by setting examples.
Encouraging competition
Do you encourage competition amongst your team members? Good managers will never divide the team as this would lead to internal conflicts that will loosen the unity. It would also spoil the work environment.
Hogging the glory
Do you take all the credit when your team performs well? Do you blame the team whenever something goes wrong? Good managers always point to their team during success and take responsibility during failure.
This article is inspired by Geoffrey James’ 11 Habits of Highly Ineffective Managers .