Knowing what not to do can be as good as knowing what to do.
Don’t reply to emails
Just because you have a crazy schedule and everyone wants something from you doesn’t mean that you can ignore people’s emails. You can’t blame someone for not doing their job when their efficiency is dependent on your response. Treat your colleagues as though it were you sending that email.
Cancel meetings at the last minute
When people have meetings they have accepted then they will plan their day around this. When you cancel last minute you are saying that their time isn’t important. Cancelling meetings last minute happens sometimes but it is always better to try your very best to honour your commitments.
Yell at colleagues in front of peers
If someone has done something wrong you will soon lose your employees respect and commitment if you demean them in front of their colleagues. This is not how to deal with a tough situation. Take some time to cool down and then call the person aside where you can mutually discuss the issue.
Change your mind all the time
There is not a lot worse than working for a bi-polar boss. When you don’t know where someone stands it makes it very difficult to produce good and consistent work for them. It is not fair to those who you work with to change your mind all the time. A good leader is kind and also decisive. This enables a company to go forward and change, whereas indecisiveness holds everything back.
Be vague about your expectations
If you are not clear with your employees as to what you expect of them, then they will not be empowered to achieve these things. Responsibility and clear expectations are linked closely together. Sit down with the people you work with and clarify any areas where you have mismatched expectations of one another. It may be a hard conversation but it will make all the difference.
Micromanage
The people you lead are capable and looking for chances to step up. If you micromanage them you are less able to do your job well and they are less able to do their jobs well. Life is not about doing everything yourself, life is about sharing knowledge and doing things together as a team. Teamwork requires trust, and micromanaging is not based on the concept of trust.
Talk more than you listen
It’s easy to think, “I’m the boss,” listen to me. The boss who thinks like this will miss out on key information because he or she are too stuck in their own heads to find the valuable perspective from outside parties. Listen to your colleagues. Provide them with opportunities to speak openly and share what is going on in their hearts.
Never praise them
If you never encourage your colleagues then you will never get the best out of them. We all need encouragement. We need someone outside of us to say, “hey there – this is what you have done well. And this is what you haven’t done well”. Encouragement is simple that – putting courage into people.
Be moody
It’s not fair to take out moods on the people who work for you. If you are struggling with things which are making you moody then you need to assess these things and deal with them in the best way possible so that you can come to work and do your job with excellence. Nobody likes receiving the hard side of someone’s bad mood.
There you go. Any red flags raised in your mind? Treat the people you work with respect and they’ll treat you with respect. Don’t be a horrible boss. Be a nice boss and you’ll reap the rewards. Guaranteed!