8 AUGUST 2023 WorldWide Drilling Resource® Reasons Managers Fail by Tim Connor Over the years, I’ve observed many managers in a variety of circumstances and situations - such as run meetings, coach employees, interview candidates, make decisions, and discipline employees. Let me be clear from the start, there are thousands of great managers out there who each day validate and praise their employees while creating a positive motivational climate that leads to empowered and productive people. They have learned if they want an effective, productive organization, it will only come from motivated, trained, and valued staff. Now the flip side. A failing manager will cause any number of critical issues, mistakes, or negative circumstances from poor morale and communication to lost customers, profits, and many more harmful outcomes. So why do managers fail? Here’s a partial list: Emotional insecurity - The need for constant validation, approval, or acceptance will often cause a manager to make poor decisions, avoid conflict, procrastinate, waffle, and communicate without clarity or consistency. Out of control ego - The ego wants to control, manipulate, or look good. This will cause a manager to give little or no praise, recognition, or appreciation and always try to look good. They will take credit when things work, and point their finger elsewhere when things go badly. Poor people skills - Management is about managing things and leading people. Poor management people skills is the number one reason employees leave a business. People quit managers, not jobs. Poor people skills can range from constant invalidation to hibernation and everything in between. Arrogance - Superiority, overconfidence, self-importance, condescension, patronizing, or haughtiness. The inability to admit mistakes or poor decisions. Any sound familiar? Lack of integrity - I won’t elaborate on this one. Either managers do what’s right because it’s the right thing to do, or they don’t. Inconsistency - Decisions based on last month’s profits or sales. Employees who are hired just because you have an opening. Products which are still in inventory that have outlived their value or potential. Poor employees who are kept because they are family members or close to retirement. Rules that depend on who breaks them. Core values that change with the wind or the latest fad. Ignorance - People who are just ignorant; managers who just don’t get it. Lack of focus - Or focusing on the wrong things. Okay, so the economy is terrible right now - deal with it, get over it, get creative. Focus on what you can do or is working - not everything that’s wrong. Yes, fix what’s broken, but don’t let what’s broken keep your eye off the target. Unclear personal goals - Not knowing where you want your life and career to be next month, next year, or five years from now. Do you have the courage and will to measure yourself or members of your management team against the above criteria to see how you or they fare? In His service, Tim Tim Connor may be contacted via e-mail to michele@ worldwidedrillingresource.com “Wisdom ofttimes consists of knowing what to do next.” ~Herbert Hoover
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