Managers make mistakes. Oh yes, I know this may come as a complete shock to some managers, but it is true nevertheless - the perfect manager exists only in his (or her) own mind. Which means, of course, that even good managers will drop the ball on occasion. The thing is, there are mistakes and then there are mistakes. For example a manager might make a decision that costs the company a few hundred bucks, whereas a truly ghastly mistake might bankrupt the company. An extreme contrast, but you get the idea – not all mistakes are created equal.
So, mistakes can be evaluated in terms of magnitude – from minor (or trivial) all the way up to the proverbial “heads will roll” – but it is important to understand that mistakes can also be damaging in terms of leadership impact. There are, in fact, some mistakes that are guaranteed to derail a manager’s effectiveness; mistakes that undermine a manager’s ability to lead his or her employees. And if your employees don’t trust your leadership, not only will performance suffer, but talented employees will start looking for the door.
Let’s take a look at four mistakes that are sure to sink your battleship:
1. Being Unclear
Too many managers fail to define a clear vision or direction for their team, or to establish clear expectations for performance or behavior. The problem is that a lack of clarity creates doubt or confusion or apathy, which lead directly to employee performance issues.
When Alan Mulally became CEO of Ford, he realized that the company desperately needed a clear and concise message if it was to return to its glory days of the early 90s. That message? “Improve Focus. Simplify Operations.” The company spun off Jaguar, Land Rover, and Aston Martin. It reduced its number of chassis platforms from twenty to eight. It slashed the number of nameplates to ninety-seven to twenty-five. In 2009, without the benefit of federal bail-out money, Ford posted a $2.8 billion profit.
Nobody runs their best race if the finish line isn’t clear.
2. Being Indecisive
In the movie U-571, Matthew McConaughey plays the role of an officer on an American submarine in World War II. During the movie, McConaughey’s character (Tyler) is forced to assume command of the boat when his captain is killed. Later in the film, when faced with a crucial decision, Tyler openly declares that he doesn’t know what to do. Chief Gunner Klough (played by Harvy Keitel) scolds Tyler in private: “A captain always knows what to do, whether he does or not.”
Employees are willing to overlook managerial mistakes, assuming they aren’t commonplace or a result of incompetence. What they won’t overlook is indecision. Leaders must exude confidence or they will eventually lose credibility. This doesn’t mean that a manager must know everything, or make decisions without consultation or input from others. It just means that a good boss, after consideration of all factors and input, will make a firm decision based on sound rationale. To do otherwise is to lose the confidence of those that follow his/her lead.
People don’t line up behind someone who isn’t sure.
3. Being Unappreciative
It is simply amazing what people can do – especially employees – when they feel appreciated. Despite this rather obvious fact (it was William James who said in the late 19th century that “the deepest craving in human nature is the craving to be appreciated”), most managers fail to pay adequate attention to employees and their contributions in the workplace. In most cases, excellence is rarely celebrated or rewarded, and poor performance is often tolerated or excused.
In this environment, the message to employees is that managers are selfish or simply don’t care. Unfortunately, there are few things in the workplace that will send talented employees scurrying for new opportunities quicker than self-serving or unappreciative managers.
Appreciation is the sincerest form of flattery – not imitation.
4. Being Unresponsive
Employees expect their managers to be available. When they need support, they expect those leaders to provide that support. They reasonably expect that their managers will coach them, give them feedback, even help them advance their careers. Unfortunately, too few managers respond to these expectations, and this failure creates a slow but steady erosion of their leadership capital. Instead, managers are typically focused on the technical aspects of their jobs, and seemingly have little time to devote to employee support and development.
When Douglas Conant took over as CEO of Campbell’s, his first order of business was to create a management team focused on employee engagement, which stems directly from responding to employees. In a recent Gallup Management journal article, Conant explained his approach to the workplace:
I strongly believe that you can’t win in the marketplace unless you win first in the workplace… You can’t ask employees to achieve extraordinary results if they’re not fully engaged. That’s why we focus a great deal on getting the workplace right so that people are engaged and proactive… You can’t ask employees to achieve extraordinary results if they’re not fully engaged. That’s why we focus a great deal on getting the workplace right so that people are engaged and proactive.
Respond to your employees and they will return the favor.
Conclusion
As a manager, you can reasonably expect to make a few mistakes, but you want to steer clear of the common mistakes that compromise your leadership capacity. Which means, of course, that when you make mistakes, you need to come clean with your employees – and learn the lessons those mistakes teach you. In the final analysis, Conant also believes that humility is the cornerstone of management success:
I’m not afraid of making mistakes. The one thing you must have in this work is humility. You have to talk about mistakes and then talk about what you have learned and how to move forward. You acknowledge missteps right away, you deal with them, and you move ahead. If you don’t bring a lot of humility to this work, you lose credibility.
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Good stuff!!!! LOVED the quote from Conant: you can’t win in the marketplace unless you win first in the workplace…
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