As a leader or manager you want to deliver great performance consistently. Of course you do and yet despite this you can, sometimes unconsciously adopt behaviours that negatively impact on performance.
Few actually consciously decide to adopt behaviours that impact negatively on performance. Yet in the drive to deliver, when you are faced with a whole lot of challenges and under pressure, it is easy to act in a way that is not the best.
The trouble is that you don’t get too many chances. People will, whether you like it or not make quick judgements. If they see you as a bit of a loose cannon they will respond in ways that stop you letting off steam.
So what leadership and management behaviours are often adopted that negatively impact on performance?
Having to be right would be the top of my list. When you are so insecure that you have to have the final word on everything, you tend not to listen or even be open to listening. Rather than having a focus on the result and others contribution to those results it becomes all about you.
Next on my list would be playing to your own agenda. If you are employed rather than being a owner of the organisation, you are paid to deliver certain outcomes for the organisation. When the focus is on you, eventually the organisation suffers and everyone else suffers.
Another issue that I notice is being too quick to dismiss others experiences. This can sometimes be an issue when you have people in leadership and management roles from different professional backgrounds. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that people who have different ways of looking at things is a threat. In reality it is an opportunity.
Next is that leaders and mangers are sometimes reluctant to listen. In my own experience this is one of the biggest issues. Listening is often one of those areas that just gets categorised under communication. Yet listening is one of those areas that few do as well as they could.
Maybe you listen but never act on anything you hear. When it comes to having engaged staff, there is a stark difference between the levels of engagement between those who listen and act and those who don’t.
Providing answers rather than helping others to figure out answers for themselves. We all do this at some point. It just seems so much quicker. It may well be in that particular instance. However, long term it is hugely problematic. It creates dependency. When we create dependency people don’t do anything without consultation. If you are not around things grind to a halt. Rather than facilitating delivery of performance you actually become part of the problem.
Failing to recognise that it’s team working that really delivers great results. You are likely to be good at what you do. Equally you have limited capacity. For that reason you have to engage, get the buy-in and support of others. Ultimately together everyone achieves more
The Bottom Line: Leaders and managers have a significant impact on the results that are achieved. Therefore, it’s vital that you adopt behaviours that enable rather than hinder performance.