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To say that managing a business is difficult would be the understatement of the century. That’s because it involves more than just the day to day operations— it involves managing people in all their diverse glory.
There’s no one size fits all solution for business management, as every office is different, but there are clear things to avoid.
In this article we’ll discuss the 7 deadly sins of business management.
Micro-management
The word alone conjures nightmares for employees. But most people who are guilty of this aren’t even aware. That’s because micro-management masks itself as efficiency. “I just want to make sure everything’s running the right way.” In reality, micro-managing is a lack of trust in your employees. You hired them to do a job, now let them do it. Be available if they need your help and check in on them periodically. Don’t hover.
Favoritism
You can’t help but have favorite employees, but that favoritism shouldn’t manifest in how you treat everyone else. Be sure you’re giving praise where praise is due and equal opportunity for advancement. This means even if you like Employee A better than Employee B, if Employee B is more qualified than Employee A, give the promotion to Employee B.
Negativity
As the boss, you set the tone for the office. If you’re constantly in a mood, short with people and overall a negative, unapproachable person, you’re going to create a negative office environment. Your employees shouldn’t cower or get nervous when you come into the office. They should look forward to your visits.
Pride
Admitting when you’re wrong and owning your mistakes is difficult whether you’re the owner or the employee. It takes integrity and integrity takes strength. So, in reality, when you refuse to own your mistakes or apologize, you’re showing weakness. You’re a fallible, imperfect human being subject to error just like your employees. Understand this and nip pride in the bud.
Disorderliness
If you’re constantly late, a frequent no-show, run rambling, never-ending meetings…your guilty of disorderliness. This affects everything from employee morale to brand image to your bottom line. If you struggle with staying organized, either hire someone to manage the day-to-day affairs or learn some organization skills.
Criticalness
Being overly critical is another huge NO when it comes to business management. Yes, your employees will make mistakes and they should be addressed, but don’t always look for what’s wrong. Look at all the good your employees do and give praise. And when you do offer criticism, be sure it’s constructive. The objective isn’t to tear someone down but to address the problem help them find a solution.
Impracticality
Having unrealistic expectations can ruin an office. This means setting realistic sales goals, so your employees aren’t killing themselves. It means giving adequate break times so your employees can recharge and reasonable business hours so they can get home to their families. And last but not least, it means setting practical due dates for projects. Your employees aren’t robots—they have limitations.
That’s all
Chances are you’re guilty of one or two things on this list. Recognize it for what it is and make the change. And do away with the notion that you can be the perfect manager—there’s no such thing. Your education is never over. Not everyone is cut out for the job, but you were born for this.
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