4 Habits for Managers to Break

Experience can be very helpful in many ways when leading a workforce, but not changing with the times can make that experience obsolete quickly. Following are four ingrained managerial habits I see being used in my client organizations that need to be broken immediately.

Bad Habit #1: Going with what you know

Tried and true ideas don’t always re-create previous success in current climates. Look to the NBA; Phil Jackson’s triangle offense no longer is a success in the current climate of the NBA. Not long ago a great center was the key to success in pro basketball. Today the center position is the least valued of all positions on the court as the game has embraced speed and shots from beyond the 3-point arc.

The savviest managers know to adjust with the times and be agile enough to recognize when new talent and processes are needed.

Bad Habit #2: Always picking experience over youth, or vice versa

It is well known: Most managers select employees most like themselves. By predictably going in one direction most of the time, your team will end up with the same strengths and weaknesses and miss out on the best balance of talent that creates success.

Youth and experience both have benefits and concerns. Balance your team, balance your abilities, and ride your developing success.

Bad Habit #3: Turning your workhorse into the do-everything person

Have you ever wished the rest of your team was like the person you go to for everything? This person never fights back, always steps up when asked, and probably is being worked into the ground. Say what? It’s great to have a reliable person who gets things done exactly how you want, but it’s easy to rely on them too much.

We tend to overload those we rely on the most and the rest of the team may step back and let her take on the load. Make sure you aren’t the one causing them to wait on the “superstar” to do everything.

Bad Habit #4: Having predictable routines

The difference between a groove, a rut and a grave is only the depth. I have had a client who tells me how he was told to manage his business by his mentor back in 1975. Times have changed, and so have what it takes to be successful. In today’s business climate, agility is required for all businesses to stay fresh, current and able to maximize opportunities.

Step back and look at your managerial style. Are you relying on the tried and true (and maybe stale and less effective) methods you’ve been using for quite some time? It is probably time to upgrade your managerial skills for a new time, a new employee and a new business climate.