One of the most common questions asked in a business environment is what makes someone a person with a bad working habit.
Obviously is not universally agreed what is a “bad” working habit but these subtle deviations risk to ruin even the most effective persons. Yes, because you never know when they tend to step in: sometimes can happen that a drop in tension or a disillusion happening in the company throws on the desk one of this behaviors.
In my career as a manager I’ve been observing many times this happening and is crucial that you quickly intercept the appearance of this derailleurs.
Procrastination: when postponing is not only a matter of timing
This typically happens for a thousand of reasons and you can easily have a look around to find them but one is often forgot: fear of failing.
Especially this times when economy is shaking and workplaces are endangered, people are less willing to take their responsibilities or even to take action. People tend to procrastinate for nothing else that the fear of taking the wrong path. As a manager you should watch closely the person and quickly decide which kind of support is needed: guidance, reassurance, support? And once decided you should follow up inspiring confidence in the person. Remember: your task is not to solve the issue, but to grow the person so that acquire confidence.
Abuse of email
People do not normally remember that email is a media of communicating and like all media from “using” to “abusing” is a very short way.
One of the worst things I experience is people copying everyone in emails, with the result of having infinite lists of people where each one feels entitled to stay there and don’t act. A clear declaration of responsibilities and expectations is, in my experience, best way to act. As a manager you need to invest in your and your team capability to use email only when needed and defining correctly who is needed and who is not.
Confusing informal with disrespectful
I am sure everybody has experienced the sensation of a managerial relationship shifting from informal to lack of respect. This happens when people start confusing the freedom you as a manager give to them for an authorization of entering the “friend space”. It’s a little bit weird to say, in these connected and often informal times, but a little bit of distance between manager and team members is useful to achieve performance and maintain separated your role as a person from the one you have as a manager.
This doesn’t mean working like 50 years ago, but separating clearly when you are acting as a manager and when you are acting as a “colleague”.
Taking to much advantage from freedom
Is possible that people mix up the freedom they are allowed with the one they are willing to have. I am sure each of us had the opportunity to interact with someone that allowed to have some flexibility in timing for entering or exiting the office, suddenly decided to create his own work schedule without asking. As a manager you cannot simply witness this happening, but as soon as it is spotted this should be stopped.
Refusing to mix with rest of the team
A team is a group of people working together. Exactly a group, not single persons. Is fundamental to foster communication and inclusion so that people mix together, because the more are amalgamated, more the effect of efficiency deriving is amplified.
Always running late
Is not only procrastinating voluntarily that people move due dates: happens that they are really running late on a specific job. Is not simply yelling to complete it that things will revert to correct timing. As a manager you need to investigate the reasons for this happening: is because of work overload? Where instructions unclear? are there any parts of the work/project that were underestimated? Once identified the reason, decide the strategy you want to apply (clarify? sustain? push?) quickly put in place a recovery plan and follow up regularly. Then check the evolution in the following assignments to check if it is a one timer or a recurring problem.
Being rigid
Sometimes flexibility helps to be appreciated. Flexibility doesn’t mean doing everything, but doing everything needed to achieve team goals.
Acting as the “resident contrarian”
Is not always bad what people propose. If you spot a person always going the opposite direction, you as a manager need to take action immediately. Coaching the person is a good strategy, focusing on being open to other opinions.
Bad Mouthing the company
Could be the worst company in the world, but for the fact that pays (or has paid) your salary deserves respect. So don’t burn bridges and pay respect. And if you as manager spot this happening stop it immediately, even the hard way if needed, because if this is ignored risks to destroy morale and efficiency of your team
Politicking
Happens and will always happen. But this cannot be the priority. Don’t support focusing on office politics, but don’t obstacle this when happening: spend instead your efforts to revert priorities, putting under the spotlight the results rather than “corridor management”
What are your experiences on those? What would you add to the list?
