In this post, we’ll review five common mistakes that managers make, and tips to improve your employee management skills moving forward.
1. Not Delegating Tasks
As a business owner, you likely have many responsibilities to tend to. It’s important than you focus on the most important tasks, rather than trying to complete mundane work that could easily be handled by employees. For example, you could delegate scheduling, administrative, or marketing tasks to members of your staff.
Many business owners struggle with delegating work to their employees, because they want to have control of their business’s future. Although it’s understandable that you want to make your business a success, you should hire individuals that you can trust, and assign them tasks that they can handle. Not only will this show your employees that you believe in them, but it will also allow you to focus on work that only you can complete as a business owner.
2. Micromanaging Employees
It can be tempting to micromanage your employees by checking on them frequently or getting involved in their day-to-day work, but you’ll likely make them feel smothered. Plus, if employees are micromanaged, they might dread coming to work, and could start applying for jobs elsewhere.
Instead of micromanaging your employees, give them space to work independently. Of course, you should monitor your employees work to some degree, but it isn’t necessary to watch them every second of the day!
3. Not Promoting Work/Life Balance
When employees are happy, they’re more likely to be productive and dedicated to their job. One way to ensure that employees are satisfied is to promote a healthy work/life balance. It’s important to remember that your employees have personal lives outside of the office, and if you aren’t respectful of this, it will decrease productivity or cause them to apply for jobs elsewhere.
We suggest creating policies that include generous vacation time, flexible work hours, and stipends for gym memberships, just to name a few examples. By putting emphasis on work/life balance, you can show your employees that you care about them, and this will likely in-turn motivate them to work harder while in the office.
4. Neglecting Communication
If you want to create a healthy, collaborative work environment, you should put an emphasis on open communication. Schedule one-on-one meetings, in which your employees can ask questions, communicate concerns about their role or teams, and share any other thoughts they have about your company. Although you might be tempted to wait until it’s time for annual performance reviews, this won’t foster relationships or allow you to solve problems quickly and effectively.
While the life of a business owner is a busy one, taking the time to listen to employees shows that you appreciate their commitment to your company and are willing to take their feedback into consideration.
5. Not Making Expectations Clear
While communication in general is important to employee relationships, one area stands out. To be effective in their roles, employees need to know what’s expected of them. Without outlining tasks and setting both team and individual goals, you can’t expect your employees to succeed. After all, they aren’t mind readers!
On the flip side, being too strict with job guidelines will prevent employees from flexing their creative muscles. Although you should provide clear guidelines, encourage employees to come up with innovative ideas for your company. Again, it’s important to show your staff that you trust them and want to get their input.
Conclusion: Focus on Becoming a Better Manager
Every business owner will make mistakes, but it’s imperative that you reflect on how you can improve your employee management skills. Learning from those mistakes and consistently making improvements to the way you manage employees will help your business to thrive.
What changes have you made to your management style, and how did these adjustments positively affect your staff? Share your advice with us in the comment section below!
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
