As business leaders and managers of people, we are always walking that tight rope of keep the trains running on time and maintaining a happy/engaged workforce. I read a recent post by Dr. Travis Bradberry entitled "Bad Manager Mistakes That Make Good People Quit" that got me thinking more about this topic. The post is definitely worth the read, but I figured I would offer a few comments of my own highlighting some of the key points from Bradberry’s writings.

I spend too much of my time going from meeting to meeting (we are trying out a “No Meeting Wednesday” concept in our office, which I am liking so far, more on that in a later post) and that leaves little “down time” to just interact with the team. I suspect that this is something that many of us deal with daily. I think that this limited time lends itself to us jumping quickly into problem-solving mode, which typically results in (hopefully well-meaning) suggestions/corrections for the associate to help them. While this is often necessary and that interaction can prove valuable in that person’s development, we are not always providing the recognition that the associates desire and deserve. Make a mental note, or better yet write it down somewhere, when there are kudos in order for someone on your team. It doesn’t have to only be the signing of a large client or the implementation of a new system that deserves recognition, search out the smaller accomplishments as well. Recognizing high performers helps to keep them engaged and can serve as a model for the entire team to follow.

One of the big mistakes identified in the article was a failure to develop people’s skills. This is a tough one because a) the associate must be willing to put in the extra effort to develop and b) the leader has to help each associate along that development trajectory that will vary from associate to associate. I believe that trust is a key factor in the development of our associates. We need to trust them to do their jobs, we need to trust them to think outside of the box, and we need to trust that they are willing to receive our feedback and act on it.

I have always found that getting team members involved in projects is a great way to get them out of their comfort zone and allow them to exercise some of those skills that they may not be using in their “regular” work. We also should listen to their ideas (process changes, system upgrades, etc.). Remember, leadership doesn’t have a monopoly on good ideas; those can and should come from all levels of the organization. Capitalizing on those ideas also helps with developing our associates, challenging them intellectually and helps them pursue their passions. (Those are three more on Bradberry’s list.)

My challenge to you this time is to not make those bad manager mistakes. Communicate with your team, be visible and trust them. Your team deserves the best leader and if you can provide that to them you will get the extra effort, efficiency and service that will make the organizational successful.

Onward and Upward