www.1001TopWords.com |
Managers? Biggest Blunders
Nobody's perfect, including the boss. Managers, we polled recently, acknowledged making a number of mistakes, from not recognizing staff accomplishments to inadequate communication to poor hiring decisions. Here is a sampling. Withholding praise was a problem cited by many: Letting poor performance go unchecked: Not hiring the right staff: Not pay attention to what's going on with staff: False assumptions often led to trouble: Although management mistakes can be a learning experience, some lessons come at a hefty price. "I delegated some work on a project and never checked to see if it was completed. A year later, I discovered it had never been done, and it cost the company about a million dollars." Still, while errors can be painful, it's best to acknowledge them and move on. "Early in my career, I didn't admit my mistakes, and it was very damaging. I have since changed my ways." Over time, however, most supervisors learn from their mistakes and are able to improve their managerial performance. Marcia Zidle, the 'people smarts' coach, works with business leaders to quickly solve their people management headaches so they can concentrate on their #1 job to grow and increase profits. She offers free help through Leadership Briefing, a weekly e-newsletter with practical tips on leadership style, employee motivation, recruitment and retention and relationship management. Subscribe by going tohttp://leadershiphooks.com/ and get the bonus report "61 Leadership Time Savers and Life Savers". Marcia is the author of the What Really Works Handbooks resources for managers on the front line and the Power-by-the-Hour programs fast, convenient, real life, affordable courses for leadership and staff development. She is available for media interviews, conference presentations and panel discussions on the hottest issues affecting the workplace today. Contact Marcia at 800-971-7619.
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Steps to Build ISO 9001 Compliant Program Implementing an ISO 9001 system represents a major effort. However, all of that effort can represent a significant shift for a business - from quantity to quality. And this could make sure your business gets the desired results. Meaningful Diversity: Creating Cultures of Inclusion In the fitness room the other day, I caught a glimpse of a movie trailer on television. A father spoke very open-heartedly with his son about his work as a fireman. He acknowledged the fear that welled up in him when he looked into a small, dark room filled with life-threatening heat and flames, and described the instinct to run in the opposite direction. The Crisis of Modernity Since the beginning of the industrial era our world has been facing what some historians call an ongoing "crisis of modernity". As fast as we adjust to new circumstances, the circumstances change again, and, the rate of change seems to be multiplying exponentially. Of all the demands imposed by twenty first century leadership, perhaps the toughest is the ability to not only manage change but to instigate it, control it and to be it's master. Dealing with the ever increasing rate of change may be the leader's most potentially overwhelming task. Today's Change Agent is an agressive forward thinker. Developing Your Mission "The best Leader is one who knows how to pick good people to do what he or she wants done and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it." - Heidi Richards - Innovation Management - idea selection and valuation issues Innovation is different and distinct from creativity in that it is idea selection, development and commercialisation as opposed to creativity, which is problem identification and idea generation. The core issue with innovation management is, therefore, how to select those ideas that are most likely to succeed? Choices in Appointing International Managers Globalization is requiring companies to make important choices about how to deploy international managers. The costs of making the wrong choice are heavy both economically and in the emotional and physical toll it can take on employees and the impact it can have on the overseas branch. The Art of Motivation and Need Fulfillment Industrial/clinical psychology and applied psychiatry have made tremendous strides in understanding human behavior. New discoveries and applications toward understanding human behavior are being announced with increasing frequency in these inexact sciences. Still, it is possible to become reasonably proficient in the art of motivating others. While this skill is indeed complex, the average supervisor, through a comprehensive understanding of motivational elements (the dynamics of motivation, motivators, and motivational techniques), can become an effective leader of others in the workplace. With patience and applied practice, this skill can be obtained within a relatively short time span. Organize your Office- Seven Solutions 1. Create a filing system with broad categories such as "Insurance" and then break those categories down further into sub-categories (i.e., car, life, medical), alphabetizing them along the way. Devote one file drawer to each category (if possible) and use a different color for each category. Unveiling the Value of Your Expertise All of us have knowledge, expertise, and experience that others can benefit from. This is one of the reasons we play some of the roles in life that we play: leader, trainer, teacher, coach, mentor, and more. We all can contribute to other's success with our expertise. Unfortunately, some things keep us from doing this as successfully as we could. Business Intelligence & Data Warehousing in a Business Perspective Business Intelligence Guidelines For Conducting A Good Meeting Okay, so you've figured out what kind of meeting is needed, you've planned well and you have all the right materials. How about the meeting itself? How can you be sure the meeting you've so carefully planned and prepared actually comes off as expected? Communicating In Chaotic Environments How do you, or would you, communicate in a chaotic environment? Solving the Problem Solving Problem The meeting started like a hundred others before. There were five people sitting around the conference table, like they always did, trying to solve a problem that had popped up in the last few weeks. If you could watch and listen from another room you wouldn't find major arguments or conflicts. These people had worked together before and from all outward appearances were pretty effective as a team. Succession Planning? ... Not on My Watch! At first blush, it would appear there is no shortage of Succession Planning Advocates convinced in theory, the importance and benefits of corporate Succession Planning. In practice, however, real succession planning - or the overt lack thereof - runs juxtaposed to principle. The important question then is, "Why?" Christmas Carol Coaching - Help to Get Ahead at Holiday Time! I've always been fascinated by situations where art imitates real life and right here is a perfect example, which links Christmas and business & personal development. Smart Staffing Practices: Don?t Confuse Activity with Results Does your hiring process consist of proven practices or just a hodgepodge of activities that get into gear when someone says, "I need more people" or "Sally has left and we need someone to take her place NOW?" Morale Boosters: Feed the Troops First When economic conditions turn tough or when the heavy work load seems never-ending, leaders tend to forget the "basics"?building commitment beyond the paycheck. It's the small things everyday that can bring down morale and it's the small things everyday that can raise performance. A holiday party or picnic once or twice a year probably won't do it. Rather, it's a leader's sincere recognition that employees are assets to be valued, not tools to be used up and discarded. Here are quick ways too boost morale. Poly Bags and Pallet Shrouds - Just Get it Right One Thing You Cant Hide One of the most important of all motivators at work is consideration. Employees report that the best managers they ever had were people who cared about them as people and as friends. These managers took the time to ask them questions about their lives, and to listen patiently while they talked about the dilemmas and problems and situations in their families. The more that the employees felt that the boss liked them and respected them, the more empowered and motivated they felt. Get Meeting off To a Great Start When asked what part of their job they find a major time waster, many will answer loud and clear... MEETINGS. In a recent survey of business leaders, ninety percent of the respondents attributed the failure of meetings to a lack of advanced planning and organization. And, over three-fourths, indicated that they received no formal training on how to conduct a meeting. The following four strategies can help improve the quality of your meetings. |
© Athifea Distribution LLC - 2013 |