Management Mistakes to Avoid.

By Faye Murray

As managers and leaders, you set out each day to do a good job. You want success for your business and you recognise that as the leader and the person who makes the decisions you have to get it right.

One of the key management mistakes that I would like to address first is thinking you are perfect. From time to time, you are going to exercise poor judgment that will not reflect well on you and your business. That is a fact. However, the biggest mistake is not being strong enough to admit you have made a mistake and learn from it.

What are the most common management mistakes I see in our industry?

These mistakes are so common that they often go unnoticed. They happen frequently for many reasons and they can become a habit so easily. Remember that a habit can easily become the benchmark because “that is what I always do”.

Be honest and see how many you can cross off this list as not being one of your management mistakes:

• Talking down to team members

• Putting paperwork before people

• Getting annoyed too quickly

• Making excuses

• Poor organisation

• Being late

• Lack of encouragement and support

• Failure to change

Let’s look at each one and turn the potential negative mistakes into management strengths.

Talking down to team members

Unfortunately, I do see this on occasion and it is a crazy thing to do because it just does not produce a positive response. I can’t accept that being busy or stressed as a manager is a reason or excuse for this. You must lose this from your management style, but first you have to be big enough to acknowledge that this is a mistake you make. The acknowledgement will go a long way to helping you get this right.

Putting paper work before people

“I don’t have time to speak to you today, I am snowed under with business and paperwork” Your team is your most valuable asset and you must always set time aside to communicate with them, especially if they request it. No relationship will be a good one without regular two-way talk. I suggest to coaching clients that they set aside time for a coffee and chat with team members on a regular basis. This is quality time and they will value it.

Getting annoyed too quickly

A short fuse that blows constantly is a sure way to create a work environment that no one wants to be part of. This creates fear and uncertainty and you will most definitely find that if this is one of your traits that you will have a high turnover team. No one will stay around to be shouted at or hope that the boss will be in a good mood.

Making excuses

There is a great saying: ‘If you have to make an excuse you have already made a mistake. ‘I started off this article by saying that no one is perfect. When you make a mistake acknowledge it, admit it and then fix it. Don’t ever compound the mistake by trying to cover it up. When your team find out (and they will) their respect for you is destroyed.

Poor organisation

I can tell when someone is not a good manager when it comes to organisational skills. The signs stand out. They are all over the place. They don’t follow up and they forget important things. When you ask how are you, “Frantically busy” is usually their response. Creating a prioritised ‘to do list’ to start the day every day is a great idea. By putting down the important things that must be achieved and referring to that list, you will at least have a plan. Most managers who are poor with organisation are also usually poor at delegation.

Being late

This tends to link with poor organisation. Constantly being late is just plain rude and shows a lack of regard and respect for others. Everyone from time to time, often through no fault of their own, is late. That is when you must apologise to the person you have inconvenienced. If you recognise that being late is a habit you have formed, an interesting exercise would be to ask some people who would be honest with you. “I know I am always late; how does this make you feel?” You might be surprised at the answers.

Lack of encouragement and support

How can you expect to build a fun, loyal team without this? This is one of the exciting things about being a manager. There are so many ways to do this. A well-run salon will have in place a productivity-based goal system that is linked to an incentive scheme. In addition, there are everyday things that you can do to encourage and support. The little things make a big difference.

Failure to change

“We’ve always done it that way”. How boring is that? We are part of one of the most exciting industries that is constantly changing so you should be offering new and exciting things in your salon. When you do have something new, make a big noise about it. Sell it to your team with your enthusiasm. Sell it to your clients with your enthusiasm. New and different are exciting. When was the last time you did something for the first time? It should be almost every day.

This article was written by Faye Murray from Your Coach. For more information about business coaching and the Zoom training sessions Faye offers contact: 0409 342 653 faye@yourcoach.net.au & www.yourcoach. net.au