You spend a lot of time recruiting and training your employees. But are you driving them crazy without even realizing it? It’s possible, says human resources consultant Roberta Matuson. Just as very few people would tell you if you have bad breath, employees are generally unwilling to point out your mistakes in the style of lead teams. So self-assess yourself and find out if you have the 4 habits of the lousy boss.
Negative behaviors of a lousy boss
1. Say one thing and do another
If you caught someone’s eye this year because company profits are in the doldrums, don’t show up driving a new late-model car two weeks later. Even though you got a great deal or a prime interest rate, or it was a gift from your wife, you’re not acting the way you ask others to.
as boss or entrepreneurYou are a role model. And to drive certain behaviors, you must be the first to comply with them. For example, if you ask your team to be punctual, don’t show up at 10 when the check-in time is 9. This type of attitude makes your employees lose respect and trust.
2. Being super stingy
It’s one thing to have a method of purchasing supplies in a way that lowers costs, and quite another to refuse to invest in the equipment or training your employees need to be effective. If your printer is covered in duct tape or your servers constantly go down because you have a bad IT provider, you need to review how you spend money in your company.
3. Micromanaging
This point is very important. If you hired talented people with the intention of having them work for you and trained them properly, then let them do their job. Correct performance issues by giving them better training. But if the results and efficiency are acceptable, you should leave them alone to do their job.
Micromanaging demoralizes your employees and reduces their initiative to come up with new ideas and ways of working because they know you are always on their necks, waiting to correct them. The next time you’re tempted to tell someone “you’re doing it wrong,” ask yourself if it’s really necessary. If it isn’t, take a deep breath and move on.
4. Expect everyone to be like you
You didn’t hire clones. And that’s a good thing because different people come up with new ideas for your business – but only if you let them. You might think that an open environment is great for collaboration, but some employees might work better in a more private setting.
You might love working on Sundays when the phone isn’t ringing, but your assistant probably wants the weekends off. Respect the different personalities and preferences in your employees and understand what it is they need to do their best.