A manager is the most important factor in bringing out a worker’s best performance. Good managers don’t manage projects, they manage people, and they get high performance out of their people. Organizations can use Manager Performance Assessments to identify some common qualities of low performing managers:
Taking credit for employees’ ideas or work
There’s nothing more frustrating than a manager taking credit for an employee’s ideas or work.
Doesn’t give employees recognition
Employee recognition leads to engaged employees, happier workplaces, lower turnover and productivity. Lack of recognition leads to the opposite outcomes. Constructive criticism is needed to helping employees grow, but praise and recognition are critical for maintaining enthusiasm and morale.
Control Freaks
Control freaks won’t allow employees to make decisions. Their obsession with control causes decreased productivity. Control creates distrust between team members. Control freaks are quick to put blame on others. They’ll throw someone under the bus to save face. When employees have to get approval or sign-off on every single thing they do, it slows down the workflow.
Egotism
When someone’s ego is more important than the employees, the project, or the goal, things bog down quickly. This usually happens when a manager is more interested in looking good than getting the work done.
Poor communication
When the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing, it causes all sorts of problems like duplicate work, missed opportunities and missed deadlines. Communication is absolutely key to effective management.
Unreasonable expectations
Nothing feels worse than the sinking feeling of knowing that you will never reach your goals, no matter how hard you work. Goals that are a stretch are good, but goals that are way out of reach are depressing and demoralizing. Unrealistic goals won’t make employees work harder, but they will make them want to give up or quit.
Stubbornness
When managers have a my way or the highway approach, employees become dissatisfied and disengaged. The effective manager is open to new ideas, new approaches and new ways of doing things.
Mood Swings
Does your manager experience mood swings at work? Bringing too many mood swings into the workplace can have a negative effect. Does he or she suddenly become irritable or isolated for no apparent reason? Moodiness can display as someone who is a pessimistic, glass half empty, no idea is a good idea kind of person. Mood swings will reduce creativity. If the manager is upbeat, and exhibits enthusiasm on a consistent basis, then employees usually follow suit.