Nothing crushes morale and brings productivity to a halt faster than these common manager mistakes.
- Breaking a promise. Regardless of the circumstances, you should never make a promise without being sure that you can deliver. When employees are promised something (e.g., a raise, flexible work schedule) and it doesn’t pan out, trust takes a huge hit — and it’s difficult to ever fully get it back. Employees that feel ripped off also tend to give less than 100%.
- Leaving people out of the loop. This mistake is often unintentional, but the consequences can still be extreme. Not cluing employees in to what’s going on sends the message that their opinions don’t matter — and they’ll often react accordingly.
- Failing to recognize people’s efforts. If you’ve noticed that Barry has been putting in extra hours to get a project completed, let him know you appreciate the effort. Recognition doesn’t have to involve a full-scale celebration or a huge reward, most people just need to know that you’ve noticed all the hard work they’ve put in.