Major Mistakes Management Makes

Today I'm going to cover a bit of a controversial topic. We're going to discuss not only the difference between leadership and management, but review common office mistakes managers make that lead to increased employee turnover in your company. I did a minor in a department called "Applied human sciences", while majoring in psychology. 

Not all managers are good leaders and not all leaders are managers. In an ideal world, leadership and management would go hand in hand. Have you ever met an MBA who has little capacity to actually implement, execute and innovate? Leadership is best demonstrated as a combination of personality type, EQ and IQ. What's more is many mangers lack fundamental training. They may lack the sensitivity, values and rapport building skills to effectively inspire people from diverse backgrounds.

 Warren Bennis 25 years ago said:

• The manager administers; the leader innovates.
• The manager is a copy, the leader is an original.
• The manager maintains; the leader develops.

MANGER                                                LEADER

System and Structure                    People

Control                                          Inspires trust

Short-term view                            Long-term perspective

How and When                             What & Why

Eye on bottom line                        Eye on Horizon

Imitates                                         Originates

Status Quo                                   Challenges

Good follower                                Good pioneer

Does things right                           Does the right thing

What Bennis called leadership, does not sound too different from what millennials expect from managers in 2015, more of a focus on empowerment, meaning authenticity and inspiration. Old school baby boomer "management" or supervision, won't work on our generation because we've been socialized differently.

In fact, in more traditional environments, people with leadership attributes may actually be penalized and be prone to lose their jobs. While in a company that is more progressive, their natural leadership qualities would be valued, fostered and mentored. 

Also Industrial & organizational psychology has evolved, while some companies still live in the past. If your company has high turnover rates, it might be a sign that your corporate environment does not inspire leadership, but rather makes your employees and social capital dis-identify with your company, i.e. they come to not respect your leadership style and will look for better opportunities elsewhere.

Common Mistakes of Management

The following is a sure fire guide on how to alienate employees. If you or your employees can identify these trends in your company, your organization may have serious industrial & organizational psychological deficits in the quality of managers and leadership.

Your company may have dysfunctional team practices and show a lack of organizational maturity. Don't forget your company is also competing against other companies to attraction and retain the best talent & people. Perhaps your company has a core of "owners" and another tier of "temporary" workers, so you don't invest in them since you believe they will simply be gone in a few years time. 

      Interpersonal Failures

• Fail to get to know employees as people
• Do not have regular meetings with those they supervise
• Make decisions without asking for the input of employees
• Fail to listen to and help employees feel their opinions are valued (lack of two way communication transparency)
• Ignore or don't respond to emails from their employees

            Do not Empower Employees

• Do not have enterprise level teamwork building programs
• Hire employees that do not have a high social fit quotient (SFQ) with the people that make up the company
• Fail to trust new employees, resulting in micromanaging or avoiding/isolating specific employees
• Not treating all employees equally
• Throw employees under the bus, and set up employees they do not like for failure
• Managers talk about their employees in front of them or within hearing range, adding to resentment and a feeling of lack of respect

            Do not Inspire Employees

• Focus on money rather than people
• Fail to differentiate their brand and USP
• Do not properly compensate employees financially
• Organizations don't select managers for managing people, but by some other arbitrary criteria (e.g. "big boys club" mentality)
• Believe in the customer experience, without believing in the learning of their employees

     Do not Supervise Employees

• Fail to provide clear direction
• Do not balance praise with constructive criticism
• Do what they know rather than know what they do
• Poor direct supervisor communication: either too much micro-managing or too much autonomy
• Employees don't have access to senior management, vision or company direction (e.g. no cross department brain storming sessions)
• Fail to solicit feedback and utilize the full extent of the intelligence and skills of employees
• Reprimanding employees in the presence of others (social-shaming)
• Speak ill of past employees or fire employees inappropriately
• Supervise employees all in the same way, not customizing their approach to the person
• Aren't' clear about career progression within the company
• Do not find meaningful new ways that allow employees to contribute

What are the most common management behaviors you have witnessed in your career that contribute to employee dissatisfaction and job turnover?