For over 6 years, I’ve combed through research and different brand consultations to discover the top mistakes managers frequently make to suck the life out of the team. Here are my 3 the most important findings.
Mistake 1: Micromanaging
In micromanaged work environments, people reporting an absence in:
- the expression of creativity or the free flow of ideas,
- open and transparent group discussion or input into a decision,
- team motivation.
Granted, micromanagers are human like all of us. Some of them are really hard-working professionals and I want to believe that all of them have good intentions. What they lack is the conscious day-to-day understanding of what it takes to motivate people and work in the team. It looks like they live in another paradigm altogether. In the end, micromanagers operate their way because it’s about power, and power is about control. I often see them as a lone wolfs. The truth is they are unable to control everything and even when they think they are – they are NOT.
Mistake 2: Rude and disrespectful treatment
According to ResumeLab research on what makes someone a terrible manager, it was found that an alarming 72% of the surveyed population was treated in a rude and disrespectful manner by a toxic manager and 90% didn’t like that kind of treatment (who does?!). Nearly 70% of respondents were criticized in front of their peers. The worst in that is the fact that the toxic manager blames others for his failures, which is just unfair. Can’t count how many times I experienced that – and I’m not that old.
Mistake 3: Having the final say
The toxic manager operates on the assumption that, because he is THE boss and in charge, he has to have the last word on EVERYTHING. Bullshit! I would say this is a person riding on the wheels of low emotional intelligence. He plays the person who knows the best, but they couldn’t be further from the truth.
If the manager doesn’t solicit the opinions of others and not listen to the collective voice of the team in pursuing a particular strategy or vision, people don’t feel cared for, respected or valued. Consequently, trust erodes and morale goes in the tank.
Oh, and those managers shouting “I’m the boss” or “Who do you think you are”. Did you know this kind of people?
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See you in the next post,
Patrycja Franczak
