As a leader, it can sometimes be difficult to know why issues begin to pop up within your team. When the day-to-day doesn’t change drastically, but your team begins to struggle more, it may be worthwhile to take a look at your own behaviors in the workplace. What a manager does can have a profound impact upon the team’s mentality and habits. Below, I’ve listed a few common issues that could show up in any workplace, and which often occur due to mismanagement.
Negativity
In any office environment, negativity can spread like a plague. It only takes one negative comment for a group of people to get into a bad mood that can affect the work they do. Negativity can cause people to feel dissatisfied in their roles, leading them to not care about what they are doing. Some people, after becoming increasingly unhappy, may even sabotage work. Of course, this does not only affect internal operations; in customer-facing roles, this can lead to poor customer service that may drive away your business. Most of the time, these actions are unintentional and more like symptoms of negativity than deliberate choices.
Management acting negatively may be the catalyst for an entire mood breakdown within the team. Alternatively, management may have a more passive role. By simply not helping employees who are negative overcome their feelings, they are complicit. Therefore, if you notice any negativity in the workplace, make sure you are not perpetuating it.
Poor Time Management
Another issue is time management. When managers are consistently struggling to complete their work, it can often lead to meetings being pushed, which disrupts employees’ days. In addition, having poor time management can further debilitate employees who struggle themselves. It is crucial for a manager to find a way to improve in this area, so that they are not influencing their staff.
Rushed Work
Whether due to poor time management, procrastination, or simply a lack of attention to detail, rushed work can cause major issues within a workplace. Incorrect work can lead to serious problems that can affect the company in a major way, so it is essential for a leader to set a precedent that work should be correct before it is fast.
As a leader, all eyes are on you, which can be a good thing or a bad thing. If you notice problems beginning within your team, take some time to consider whether you have any part in them. In some cases, employees may need individual help. However, when a pattern emerges, take your own actions into account when determining the next steps.
