10 Things Scary Managers Do
In the Spirit of Halloween we are looking at the spooky side of leadership. Managing comes with its own challenges and responsibilities. If you do not manage your employees well, there can be some scary side effects... So let's examine what those might look like! Here are ten things scary managers do.
1. They don’t communicate the vision
Communication is a skill that leaders and managers must master. The difficulty is that they frequently fail to do so. As a result, employees are left puzzled, disappointed, and even frustrated because their supervisors aren't as clear as they should be when setting expectations for them. This leads to employees' inability to accomplish their jobs successfully without management's guidance.
2. They treat their folks like (only) extra pairs of hands
When they do that, they ignore their talents, gifts, experiences, intuitions, and applications to create a better result. You can see how limiting if the managers treat their employees like an extra pair of hands and that they’re the only brain that’s fueling them. There’s no innovation, collaboration, or creativity.3. They don’t demonstrate trust
Micromanaging employees ensures no learning takes place since it isn’t okay to fail even on the tiniest things. They may not give them opportunities. As a result, employees felt demotivated, frustrated, terrified of making mistakes. Trust is an essential part of leadership. Trust the talents of your team members and their ability to do their jobs.4. They criticize in public
We've all been there. You're working hard, you have a meeting with your boss, and they criticize everything about what you do. It's embarrassing to be singled out like that in front of the entire team. Of course, it can be tough to work for someone who doesn't appreciate everything you do or give feedback constructively. These situations can make people feel like they don't belong or are not good enough at their job. Great leaders praise in public, not attack in public. We want to build the confidence of employees, help them solve their problems, and motivate them.
In previous podcasts, we have talked about the importance of psychological safety. Psychological safety is built by people sharing their challenges. That is the number one factor in creating high performing teams. We need to make sure people feel safe, they can talk about the challenges they have, and they are not afraid to share ideas in public.5. They overly foster independence
Managers overly promote individuality and independence, as a result, there are no rooms for collaboration and leverage. We do want to encourage employees to take initiative, but there should be a balance between team collaboration and independence. The best solution is to set up a team so that everyone can pursue individual achievement and accomplishment through teamwork. In this way, they can back each other up.6. They don’t help their staff prioritize
They say it’s all-important, “get it all done”. That creates stress, overwork, and burnout. It also shows that the manager isn’t knowledgeable about what is the priority. Their job is to distribute the work and be able to explain what needs to be done. They prioritize the strategic and important. I encourage employees to volunteer their ideas on what the priorities are, and why they think so. Strong leaders do not say “it’s all-important. ‘The most effective people know how to say no’.7. They take credit for your work
Imagine preparing and doing all the work for a presentation. It went well, and your manager takes credit for your work. How would you feel? These are some things that happen in the workplace. These insecure managers don't give recognition to their employees. They don't support their team on growing to the next level of leadership.A great leader puts the team first. He gives support whenever needed. He motivates them with their development and gives credit for every job well done.
8. They alienate their staff
They alienate their team by acting aloof, unapproachable, and don't provide effective feedback. Managers who constantly complain about how bad their team is will alienate their employees and will lose them in the long run.9. They neglect to develop a relationship
Managers that neglect to form a connection with the team will find that employees will only as much as they are cared for as people. A great leader will take time out of their day to get to know each individual employee on their team. They need to know how the work environment affects them personally. The great manager applies situational leadership that every employee feels comfortable and productive within the office space.10. They put things in your evaluation that are a surprise
No one wants to be surprised in their evaluation. Poor managers put things on employee’s evaluations that were never discussed, and therefore never improved. This becomes an unfair statement of performance as part of a permanent record. The yearly evaluation should be a summary of dozens of conversations and consistent performance for the year.Managers are in charge of directing their staff through projects, tasks, and goals, but there is a big difference between leading and managing. Certain obligations come along with each role. A great leader will guide his or her team members towards their success and will build a healthy work environment.
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Until next week – take good care