Every manager makes mistakes, but some errors have more serious consequences than others. Even if you’re an experienced manager, you can still fall into these common traps:
1. Hanging on too long. Don’t stick too long with a single idea, whether it’s working or not (especially the latter). Generate and experiment with as many ideas as you can keep track of, and your chances of success will be much greater.
2. Trying to be someone you’re not. Don’t waste time trying to turn yourself into Jack Welch or Meg Whitman. Develop a firm knowledge of your own strengths and play to those, instead of pretending that you can do everything.
3. Having unrealistic expectations. You need to be optimistic, but don’t let it overshadow reality. Be honest so you’re not fooling yourself (and your employees) into thinking the situation is rosier than it really is.
4. Attracting the wrong people. If the people who work for you aren’t doing their jobs, you may be hiring the wrong candidates. Reexamine your hiring process before you blame employees.
6. Delegating incorrectly. Sure, you’ve got to delegate some tasks, but make sure you’re not just dumping unrewarding work on your underlings, or assigning tasks they’re not fully trained for.
7. Not seeking support. You can’t do everything yourself. Find the right people and services to help you manage your daily personal and professional responsibilities so you can concentrate on the big picture.
8. Not moving on from failure. Everyone has a few failures in life. Your chances of eventual success are much better if you can pick yourself up and move on quickly once you’ve failed. Learn from the experience and keep going.
—Adapted from the Liraz Information Co. website