Managers come from different walks of life. Many experienced people managers have gained their wisdom through hard work and self-evaluation. They have also typically experienced much frustration along the way, have their own philosophies regarding how to manage a business and employees and have used approaches that appeared to make good sense at the time. With experience, it is easy to see the mistakes which could be avoided:

1. Putting company policies ahead of people. Policies are made to be followed, within reason. Some flexibility with employees, particularly in a small company, is important. An even bigger mistake is standing behind policies at the expense of losing loyal customers. If it is a matter of physical safety or security, policies must be upheld. However, in many other instances, there are reasonable solutions that will not alienate the customer or create a strained relationship with your employee(s). The smaller the organization, the larger the mistake this is.

2. Avoiding confrontation with employees and difficult conversations, thereby typically allowing a problem to get worse. Managers at times fail to hear what your employees have to say. Managers think they’re listening but not always hear what their employees are saying. You need to understand and listen to the concerns and needs of your employers and vice versa.

3. Managers who continually focus on negative, without recognizing the positive achievements or employee accomplishments “managers who want more”, end up with employees who are not motivated and often are looking for a more positive working environment, even in this current climate.

4. Assuming that their own values are common-sense and expecting others to behave in line with them. Communication is key to being a successful people manager. Employees need to know what is expected of them, communication needs to be clear and questions as they arise need to be answered.

5. Favoritism. Once a manager has obvious favorites, he or she loses credibility and the respect of the rest of the team.

6. Assuming that everyone’s big motivator is money, don’t assume what motivates you will also motivate members of your team.

7. Feeling the need to establish and maintain personal credibility by always providing the answers to questions. A good manager does not make the mistake of trying to solve everyone’s problems. Seeking help from individuals with expertise is a sign of strength not weakness. A good manager understands that their method is not the only way to get a job done

8. Assuming that the only consequences that affect behavior are disciplinary in nature. Carrot and Stick.

9. Treating everyone exactly the same, regardless of the situation and circumstance. Eg: Training sessions to staff that can already do it, or expecting staff to just work blindly on tasks they do not understand. Good managers takes the time to explain what the project is all about and what is expected of the team members (crystal clear), how the team’s work is incorporated into the plan. Remember if everyone buys into a project, the better the results will be.

10. Technology overload. The new breed of managers are more tech-savvy than they are comfortable handling and managing people. Embracing technology is a key to success in the modern office environment, but not at the risk of embracing people skills. Do not hide behind e-mails and other technology, listen to your staff.

11. A common mistake made by managers is to either delegate blame or simply not accept responsibility for that which happens under their guidance. Avoiding responsibility will eventually catch up with a manager and usually not bode well for his or her future. Being in charge means taking responsibility for whatever happens.

12. Focusing mostly on tasks or on people, instead of maintaining a balance between tasks, individuals and the team. Trying to be liked instead of gaining respect.

13. Treating others as you would like to be treated instead of treating others as OTHERS would like to be treated.

14. Never change. In a rapidly changing business environment, not being open to change can be a major mistake. While you may stick to tried-and-true methods in some areas, you should consider and weigh the value of change in others. Above all, be flexible.