The three big management traps and how to avoid them

Do you try to be everyone’s best friend at work? Are you taking on too much, never delegating and working late into the evening? Do you often find that email is the main way you communicate with your team?

If you answered yes to any of these questions then perhaps it’s time to give yourself an appraisal as you could be in danger of slipping into one of the ‘Three Big Management Traps.’

Whether you’ve been in a management role for years, are newly promoted or have come in fresh to a new company, there are some classic traits and behavioural patterns that all managers should be wary of. Garry Marsh is Director of THM, the Business Training People, and is an expert in management training. Here, he explains how to avoid ‘The Three Big Management Traps.’

The Care Worker

The Care Worker is a type of manager we’ve all encountered, the type that’s trying to be everyone’s best friend. “But what’s wrong with that?” many decent people might ask. Well, if you’re trying too hard to be your team’s best friend then you run the risk of being seen as a soft touch. A big giveaway to this problem is when you frequently find yourself torn between your team and your company objectives.

What Defines The Care Worker?

Thinks of employees as friends
May have been promoted from within the team
Often becomes too involved in team members’ personal issues
Spends a lot of time in one-to-ones and people meetings
May not achieve all business goals but achieves excellent employee satisfaction
Some team members, peers, and managers may take advantage
Gets drawn in to resolving arguments between others
Feels torn between their commitments to people and their company objectives

Sound familiar? If so, there’s no question that you’re popular and in touch with how people really feel about their work and team, but it is also likely you find it hard to deliver tough messages to your team and may even carry poor performers for too long.

You probably get stressed when you get caught between people and the company and may be in danger of failing to meet business targets and goals because of this.

How to improve

Remember who you work for: the business pays your salary, not your team, so keep the goals and targets of the company as your priority. It may be difficult but you need to let go of the idea that you can all be friends - create a professional separation and explain why.

Encourage your team members to help each other fix issues and start refusing to get involved in people issues, except where they are serious and may have a business impact. It is vital to separate facts from emotions and deal with the facts. Above all, learn to say no and be assertive.

The Superhero

The Superhero is working long hours and then, in typical alter ego fashion, complaining about the work load. It sounds great to be able to help everyone around you, but just how long can you go on sacrificing yourself to save the responsibilities of others in your business? If you feel that you’re constantly coming to the rescue of your team, then perhaps it’s time to let go a bit.

What Defines the Superhero?

Always has a full calendar and huge inbox
Works long hours, often including weekends
Frequently misses lunch
Sends and responds to late e-mails and calls
Arrives late for meetings (as the last one overran)
Complains about workload but does not see how to change it
Is an expert in their part of the business
Rarely delegates as they don’t feel they can trust anybody else to do it right
Tries to employ people less smart than themselves

Sound like your average day? Then be careful, because although you’re clearly invaluable to your business, always available and hard working – you may not be working as effectively as you think you are and are in danger of burning out.

What’s more, it is likely you put pressure on others to behave in the same way as you, working longer hours and taking on increasing workloads, negatively impacting their morale.

How to improve

Firstly, you must learn to recognise that you’re unwillingness to delegate is holding you back. Start learning to trust other team members and make sure you hire smart people you have confidence in. Stop working excessively late and at weekends and be honest in teaching people how to deal with you.

Remember that it is often 20 per cent of your effort that generates 80 per cent of your results, so really focus on this 20 per cent where you can really contribute. Challenge everything in your calendar – cut, reduce, or delegate and get off all the e-mail distribution lists that you really don’t need to be on. Accept that you can’t always know everything and you don’t need to either.

Finally, if you’re not willing to take steps to change then, at the very least, you really must stop complaining about them!

The (not for) Prophet

This is possibly the most dangerous of all the management types. While often highly efficient in the way they go about things, The (Not for) Prophet) often has very little personal connection with their team, making decisions without consulting their employees and lacking in emotional intelligence.

What Defines the (Not for) Prophet?

A tendency to think that as a manager they are more important than other members of staff
Frequently dispenses orders and wisdom
Often has little or no interaction with team members
Uses email as the main or sole communication method
Little interest in or rapport with people in the team
Typically very strongly IQ driven – in many cases they may have been the best scientist, sales person, or accountant in their department but now that the business has grown they’ve been promoted with little experience or training in people management
Low emotional intelligence, often lacking in skills such as influencing, persuasion and motivation
Not perceived as approachable or open to feedback or input from the team – in some cases believing that only managers come up with new ideas
In extreme cases they can have a reputation as an autocratic decision maker
A tendency to be unforgiving of mistakes or failure to hit goals

Too close for comfort? Then be careful because, although you might be great at getting things done and achieving excellent short-term success, the working environment around you may be being driven by fear, with staff often hiding their mistakes and poor performance.

What’s more, all your short-term efforts are in danger of being wiped out by long-term problems, like high staff turnover. Ultimately, if you don’t get a grip on this style of management your staff will feel unable to contribute new and creative ideas or offer constructive feedback.

How to improve

If you’ve got a little of the (Not for) Prophet in you, it’s likely you feel isolated, possibly even unprepared for the role of managing and all that it encompasses. Take time to learn more about emotional intelligence and don’t lose sight of your overall business goals.

Improving your emotional performance is a sure fire way to increase business results through a better understanding of how to maximise the effectiveness and productivity of your team. So talk about the decision process with team members and be prepared to genuinely listen – don’t simply assume you have to have all the answers.

Consider bringing in a deputy with stronger people skills in order to connect with the team and reduce turnover. And, remember that a good manager is comfortable surrounding themselves with strong employees – indeed this is what often helps enhance their reputation as a good manager.

The Management Mirror

So what’s your management style? Just how many statements above did you identify with? On occasion, in times of stress, or without proper training it’s all too easy to end up identifying with one of the three personalities above – we’ve all seen colleagues do it and, if we’re really honest with ourselves, I’m sure we can all admit to a few lapses into the occasional bad management habit too.

Whatever your style, it’s important to stop every now and then, hold up a mirror to yourself and evaluate your management techniques, recognising any issues you may have and taking positive steps to address them.

For more top tips from Garry Marsh and THM, The Business Training People, please visit www.thmbiz.co.uk

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