7 Managerial Blindspots: Insights I wish I'd Shared at My Exit Interview!
What NOT to Do as a Manager
Let’s face it, managing people is a complex dance. Gallup, the gold standard in workplace research, identifies two crucial leadership styles:
Visionaries (who look outward – outside company – looking at new trends, competitor analysis, and new product innovation) and
People Developers (inward leaders who are motivated by the growth and development of the people.)
Here’s the rub: most leadership development programs try to cram both styles into one box. They tell you to be a visionary while also micromanaging your team’s every move (spoiler alert: it doesn’t work).
The truth is, excelling at both is a herculean feat. There simply aren’t enough hours in the day to be a strategic mastermind and a personalised coach for every team member while trying to complete your long-overdue tasks.
We will be transparent: Even the best managers make mistakes.
Most managers – have learned really bad habits from their managers. Did you know only about 10% of managers are considered great managers? It makes sense given that 70% of employee engagement variance all depends on the manager.
The key to becoming a great leader is recognizing and rectifying these missteps.
Here, we’ll go over the seven common leadership mistakes that a manager makes and provide actionable advice to help you overcome them.
1. Failing to Empower: Micromanaging
Micromanaging isn’t just about handing out tasks and keeping a hawk’s eye on every move. It’s the helicopter-parent approach to leadership, hovering so close you clip their wings.
A great leader empowers their team, not smothers them. You set the goal, provide the resources (and maybe a pep talk!), and then step back and let them shine.
Think about it: Do your employees feel comfortable asking questions, or do they just keep their heads down, hoping you won’t notice a misstep?
Here’s the not-so-secret secret: According to Trinity Solution’s survey on employees facing micromanagement, 69% of the respondents said that they had considered quitting. 36% of those individuals did. Ouch.
So next time you feel the urge to micromanage, ask yourself:
- Am I delegating clearly, or leaving them swimming in ambiguity?
- Are my deadlines realistic, or am I setting them up for failure?
- Most importantly, am I empowering them to make decisions and own their work?
Trust your team. Give them the space to soar. You might be surprised at what they achieve.
“People who feel micromanaged tend to do one of two things. They quit (or transfer) so they can work for a manager who gives them room to do their jobs—or they check their brains at the door because they know you’re going to over-control how they do things.”
We are taking this line from The Muse’s.
How to Avoid It:
- Delegate tasks clearly,
- Set realistic deadlines, and empower your team members to make decisions.
- Schedule regular check-ins but avoid constant hovering.
2. Ignoring Team Input: One-Way Conversations
Picture this: You launch into a passionate speech, outlining the next big project. Everyone nods, and takes notes… but crickets. You know that feeling, right?
Here’s the thing: Leadership isn’t a solo act. It’s a symphony where everyone’s voice matters.
Think about it: Your team members have unique experiences, and fresh perspectives, and maybe even spot a potential roadblock you missed. By shutting down dialogue, you’re shutting out a goldmine of creativity and problem-solving power.
A Forbes article throws down the stats: Companies with highly engaged employees (think: two-way street communication!) see a 23% profit jump. Not too shabby, right?
What do you think is the number Number 1 Manager Skill?
The ability to have Meaningful Conversations. (More on this on another blog)
So, ditch the monologue and embrace the dialogue. Here’s how:
- Create a safe space for feedback. Let your team know their voices are valued, not judged.
- Hold regular meetings, but make them interactive. Ask open-ended questions, actively listen, and encourage brainstorming.
Remember, true leaders listen as intently as they speak. When you show your team you value their input, they’ll return the favor – by listening to you, and giving their all to the shared goals.
Ask yourself:
- Am I fostering an environment where people feel comfortable speaking up, even if it means disagreeing?
- Do my meetings feel more like lectures or collaborative discussions?
- Am I actively soliciting input from all team members, not just the usual suspects?
By reflecting on these questions, you can ensure your communication style is an open door, not a closed circuit.
You need to listen, you need to be empathetic.
And that’s when your employees would start listening to you (because you listen to them.)
How to Avoid It:
- Encourage open communication by fostering a safe space for feedback.
- Hold regular team meetings and actively solicit employee input.
3. Lacking Leadership: Not Leading by Example
Employees look to their managers for guidance and inspiration. If you don’t embody the values and work ethic you expect from your team, it undermines your authority and sends a mixed message.
We humans are like sheep. We love to follow someone who can show us where the grass is greener.
These are a few things you need to keep in mind to be a better manager:
- Showing up on time YOURSELF.
- Meeting & Beating Deadlines.
- Immediately answering emails and other correspondence
- Showing warmth and respect toward coworkers
- Establishing healthy work-life balance practices, such as turning off work on the weekends and evenings
How to Avoid It:
- Be the role model you want your team to emulate.
- Arrive on time, demonstrate a strong work ethic, and
- Be willing to go the extra mile.
Here are some questions to ask yourself:
- Do my actions align with the values I preach? Am I on time, professional, and dedicated, just as I expect my team to be?
- Would I be proud if my team mirrored my work habits? If the answer’s no, it’s time to re-evaluate your own approach.
- Am I leading by example, or leading by lecture? Remember, inspiration is contagious. Be the kind of leader you’d want to follow.
4. Neglecting Engagement: Failing to Motivate Employees.
After analyzing over 14 different sites of manager mistakes, we can say:
The best way to develop a manager is to develop what’s best in the manager.
Why? Because you convey that you don’t have the time or energy to get to know each employee’s unique flaws and peculiarities when you treat them all the same. Their distinct working style is unimportant to you.
Here’s the thing: People are like snowflakes – no two are exactly alike. They have unique strengths, quirks (the good kind!), and preferred work styles. A one-size-fits-all approach throws those out the window, basically telling your team, “Meh, your individuality doesn’t matter.”
A one-size-fits-all leadership style neglects the unique strengths and development needs of each team member. A study by FORBES Companies with high levels of employee engagement are 23% more profitable than companies with low engagement
How to Avoid It:
- Get to know your team members on an individual level.
- Identify their strengths and tailor your management approach to maximise their contributions.
- Be empathetic.
Ask Yourself:
- Do I take the time to understand each team member’s strengths and weaknesses?
- Am I flexible in my approach, allowing individuals to work in a way that optimises their talents?
- Or am I clinging to a one-size-fits-all strategy that’s sucking the creativity out of the room?
5. Undervaluing Talent: Not Recognizing Individual Strengths
This gives:
A sense of purpose and ownership,
Higher productivity, and,
Increased satisfaction.
We have a dedicated Case Study on how we transformed Perx technologies team with our strength-based coaching. We focused on harnessing diverse strengths to go from 2 million to 40 million users. We also helped them bring 3.5 billion API calls, a new performance high.
Great managers understand that the traditional approach to developing people no longer fits into the present future of the workplace environment. Our needs have evolved as illustrated below.
How to Avoid It:
- Invest in your team’s professional development and identify opportunities for them to utilise their strengths.
- Recognise and reward individual accomplishments.
The impact of engagement cascades down. 70% of the variation in team engagement is determined solely by the manager. When managers prioritise engagement and coach their teams to strengths, they create a ripple effect of purpose, development, and positive performance.
We helped Sienna rediscover purpose & passion in work. Here’s the FREE case study.
Investing in your managers’ coaching skills is an investment in your entire organization’s success. Which brings us to the last point.
Ask Yourself:
Do I go beyond perks to identify each team member’s strengths?
Am I creating opportunities for them to use these strengths?
Do I celebrate accomplishments, fostering purpose and ownership?
6. Overlooking Strategy: Losing Sight of the Big Picture
Getting bogged down in daily tasks can make it difficult to see the forest for the trees. Effective managers maintain a clear vision of the team’s goals and keep their team focused on the bigger picture.
When dealing with a low-performing employee, a manager may ask, “What’s fun for you at work right now? And what’s not really that fun?”
Great managers see themselves as coaches, developing players to maximise their potential over the long term. They don’t lose sight of the higher goal.
How to Avoid It:
- Regularly communicate strategic goals to your team.
- Connect their individual tasks to the overall objective.
You are the leader. If you lose sight of the path, they would be lost as well.
Ask Yourself:
Do I clearly communicate the team’s big-picture goals?
Can my team members articulate how their work contributes to the overall objective?
Am I providing enough context to keep them motivated and engaged in the journey, not just the daily tasks?
7. Skipping Development: Not Investing in a Management Program
Many managers fall into the trap of believing their leadership skills are innate and require no further development. Strength-based coaching programs can provide valuable tools and techniques to help you become a more effective and inspiring leader.
“Less than 10% of the American workforce possesses the talent to be a great manager”
Here is the thing a lot of managers think that they will slowly learn everything and the fact is not many can bear the burden of time passing by, making the same mistakes that almost every other manager did.
Making original mistakes is something you should look forward to. To help you with the other practical mistakes that you might/are making, it’s super beneficial to enroll yourself in seminars, read books, and consume content on being a better manager.
Here’s what Adam Grant says
If you are a manager, I ask you this.
What kind of leader are you?
- A) A leader who is threatened by talent and wants to be the smartest person in the room OR
- B) A leader who is drawn to talent and surrounds themselves with people who make them smarter.
Our strengths-based approach to leadership focuses on growing talent – making everyone in the room smarter. This is what Great Leaders do differently.
We have helped over 3000+ people and have been doing this for over 2 decades.
Our Kintsugi Leadership, Shifting from Boss to Coach Program is designed to equip you with this cheat sheet – insights into the individual members of your team;
Giving you insights on how to:
- Meet their needs,
- Appreciate their values and contributions,
- Know how to navigate their blind spots, and
- Understand their motivations.
These insights enable you to apply an individualised approach to:
- Coaching your team,
- Aligning the right tasks, projects, and deliverables that have them lean more into their strengths zone; A combination of talents + skills + knowledge; Thus leading to an
- Increase in engagement, productivity & bottom line.
Our Strengthsify program helps you overcome these common management mistakes.
If this sounds like what you need right now to becoming a great manager who leads with strengths, get in touch today to begin your shift from Boss to Coach support@sartoriconnect.com.
