We like to think that those in leadership positions aspire to lead by inspiring and motivating their team.
Unfortunately, sometimes we lose sight of this goal.
If you are not constantly checking yourself you can easily stray and find yourself wearing the “Scary Boss Costume” long after Halloween has passed.
“Scary Bosses” can spook an entire office and will certainly increase turnover.
Avoid these common supervisor pitfalls by identifying if you are engaging in one of these common behaviors made by bosses and managers.
We will start with the supervisor cardinal sin. This one is guaranteed to scare your entire crew and is ill advised.
#1 – Reprimanding and firing an employee in front of the whole staff. This behavior is almost certain to crush your entire office morale.
The second one no one likes to admit but happens often. We call this one –
#2 – Playing favorites. When its obvious that a boss has one or a few favorite employees it sets a low morale in the entire office and can spook even the most motivated employee.
#3 – Then there’s the “I never make a mistake boss”. A boss that never admits when they are wrong and finds a way to shove the blame on an employee will send most employees running for the hills. This behavior creates high anxiety among subordinates as their good work can be demolished at anytime by a supervisor mistake.
#4 -The “wishy-washy” boss. Constant changes in direction are sure to increase anxiety and scare off your best employees.
#5 – “If you have nothing nice to say, then don’t say anything at all” strategy does not apply when you are a boss. Leaders need to find the time to give kind words of encouragement regularly. Bosses that never over a kind word can be just as scary to staff as the ones that scream at you during a team meeting.
If you find that you have fallen into one of these pitfalls don’t fret!
There is always time to change your leadership style and become the type of leader that inspires!
If you need assistance in decreasing turnover and in further developing your leadership strategies please drop us a line!
We are ready to help you become an iDEAL Leader!
