25 Clues that your managers need help

  1. Manager is chronically late with assigned work or in submitting reports.
  2. Does not deliver hard news well or give timely feedback. Often delays endlessly or delivers the tough message brutally.
  3. Needs to be seen as a “good guy” and says “YES” to almost every request. Many managers confuse being “nice” with earning respect with competence, development and credibility.
  4. Wants to be seen as a “reasonable” manager and does not help direct reports stretch their abilities with new assignments.
  5. Manager spends too much time defending, explaining, or justifying decisions to employees who repeatedly ask, delay, and balk.
  6. Their direct reports never propose new ideas or suggest appropriate risks to improve the business.
  7. Speaks to and about others with derogatory, demeaning, and insulting language and style.
  8. Tolerates, or participates in, gossip, ridiculing others, or in isolating certain employees.
  9. Shares private or confidential information.
  10. Blames others when things go wrong and is the first to take credit, whether deserved or not.
  11. Treats some direct reports better than others– plum assignments, private lunches, overlooking of mistakes.
  12. Does not teach direct reports or transfer skills but says, “it is faster and easier if I do it myself.”
  13. Holds other responsible for work without giving the authority or resources needed.
  14. Delays performance reviews until the last minute, then does them hurriedly and with no useful suggestions.
  15. The manager’s better direct reports leave the company while the weaker ones stay.
  16. Focuses on personal pet projects while failing to listen to others.
  17. Is emotionally brittle and takes criticism poorly either firing back angrily or taking personal offense and hiding.
  18. Wants to be seen as the capable “answer man” and does not ask for advice.
  19. Solves problems for people rather than encouraging them to float ideas themselves.
  20. Communicates in the least personal way available.
  21. Is a “nose to the grindstone” kind of person who doesn’t show care of the personal, social, emotional side of employees.
  22. Translates the C-suite position poorly by taking no ownership and saying that “they” want us to do _.
  23. Was happier as an independent contributor than now as a manager.
  24. Does not know the duties, or names of direct reports.
  25. Allows personal political or social views to come into work.
  26. Does not trust.

When you need to help your managers get better results, we are there. Call us:
www.talentdevelopmentworks.com
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