Management Habits That Undermine Team Performance

I've worked with 1,000+ leaders over the last 3 years. Most make the same common mistakes. Except for the best ones. → They build on the lessons of others. → They build empowered teams. → They build lean systems. Because the best mistakes? Are the ones you avoid. Here are the 9 that trip managers up constantly. Drowning in Work → You're working 60+ hours and have no time for your team → Fix: Daily "Power Hour" - 60 mins of editing and delegating Staying in The Spotlight → You're still doing the work instead of enabling others to excel → Fix: Track time coaching delegating each week Ineffective Feedback → Your feedback creates defensiveness instead of growth → Fix: Use SBI method (Situation-Behavior-Impact) + clear next steps Missing Early Warning Signs → Problems explode because you spot them too late → Fix: Triangulate: review metrics, talk to one customer and one skip-level No Management System → Your days are chaotic and reactive instead of structured → Fix: Three non-negotiable: expectations, 1:1s, feedback Excluding Teams from Decisions → You make quick decisions alone that fail in execution → Fix: "Co-Author" rule - team proposes, you refine, everyone owns Tolerating Toxic Talent → High-performing a$$holes are driving away good team members → Fix: Monthly culture impact reviews alongside performance metrics Information Hoarding → Critical knowledge lives only in your head → Fix: Weekly lunch-and-learns plus Leadership Loom wrap-ups Reactive Calendar Management → Your calendar runs you instead of serving you → Fix: Time-block using 40-40-20 rule: team time, deep work, flexibility These mistakes are all too common. They're also 100% avoidable. Simple systems consistently outperform good intentions. What mistakes did I miss? Or what fix are you going to try? Please repost ♻️ to help other leaders and follow Dave Kline 🔔 for more.

"I don't expect perfection," you say, while simultaneously reaching for your red pen to mark up a document that's already on its 14th revision. Sound familiar? That gap between what we claim about our standards and how we actually behave might be the first clue that we've crossed from "high standards" territory into the land of impossible expectations—a place where great work goes to die and good people go to burn out. Now, I'm a devout "anti-perfectionist" but many of my #coaching clients are quite the opposite. And here are four signs that their standards (read: YOUR standards) might have crossed into problematic territory: 1. You find fault with nearly everything. When was the last time you wholeheartedly approved of someone's work without suggesting improvements? If you can't remember, your standards may be unreachable or unreasonable. 2. You're reluctant to #delegate. If you believe no one can do the job as well as you can, you're probably right—because you've set the bar at an impossible height. And even if YOU can clear that bar doesn't mean that everyone else can or should be able to. They have other strengths that you may not have. That's called #diversity. 3. Your team seems hesitant to share ideas. When people anticipate criticism rather than collaboration, they stop taking risks and #innovation suffers. 4. The impact on your colleagues is significant: decreased #morale, reduced creativity, and eventual disengagement. "Why bother trying when nothing is ever good enough?" becomes their inner voice -- and the unspoken team motto. And for you? Perpetual disappointment, increasing isolation, and #burnout. Also, you're exhausted. #Perfectionism is exhausting—for you and everyone around you. The path forward isn't lowering your standards—it's making them reasonable: 1. Define "good enough" clearly for each project. What specifically constitutes success rather than perfection? 2. Adopt a "growth standards" mindset. Instead of fixed perfection, focus on whether each project represents significant progress from the last one. 3. Ask yourself: "How much will this matter in a week? A month? A year?" Most imperfections won't. 4. Practice saying "This works well" without adding "but..." 5. Create a "standards check-in" with your team. Schedule a monthly conversation where everyone can openly discuss whether expectations feel challenging yet achievable. This accountability practice prevents standard-creep and builds #psychologicalsafety. 6. Reflect on projects that you were a part of that were successful without being perfect. Remind yourself that you and everyone around you survived! Remember, truly high standards should elevate people, not diminish them. The best #leaders don't just drive excellence—they make excellence achievable. What's one way you've balanced high standards with reasonable expectations? I'd love to hear your approach. #DEIB #perfectionism #accountability #leadership

"I have to micromanage because my team isn't performing." Wrong. Your team isn't performing because you're micromanaging. Here's the paradox I see everywhere: Leaders who don't trust: ↳ Create systems that require no thinking ↳ Teams that don't think ↳ Make mistakes that require more oversight ↳ More oversight ↳ Less ownership ↳ Worse performance It's a death spiral. The cure? Trust first. "But what if they mess up?" They will. And that's where learning happens. "But what if they fail?" They might. And that's where growth happens. "But what if I lose control?" You will. And that's where leadership happens. I've watched teams transform when leaders: → Set clear outcomes (not methods) → Ask "What do you think?" before giving answers → Let people own their mistakes AND solutions The result? People who think like owners. Not like employees. What's one decision you can let your team make this week? Follow me Angad S. for more leadership insights!

When we talk about bad leadership, we often discuss the BIG mistakes. Sometimes, we forget that the little things add up. Here's what to avoid. I had a supervisor who was not bad in the traditional sense. They were a good person, well-intended, etc. However, many subtle missteps added up over time. In the end, they lost the trust of everyone on the team (me included). Here are the little things this person did that added up (and why each diminished their credibility). ✔️ Arriving late to meetings (disrespect) ✔️ Interrupting others (rude) ✔️ Cancelling one-on-ones (neglect) ✔️ Missing details (carelessness) ✔️ A pessimistic outlook (downer) ✔️ Deadline and role ambiguity (confusion) ✔️ Multitasking during meetings (distraction) ✔️ Habitually saying how busy they were (self-centered) ✔️ Not passing along important information (disconnect) ✔️ Forgetting to say thank you (ungrateful) ✔️ Not responding to messages (unresponsive) When combined, even the smallest missteps can erode trust and credibility over time—often without you realizing it. The good news? Subtle shifts in your everyday behavior can significantly impact how your team perceives you. Take a moment to reflect on your leadership. Which small behaviors might be silently undermining your credibility? Please share a subtle habit that undermines leaders in your eyes. I would love to hear it in the comments below. *** ♻️ Re-post or share so others can learn to avoid these common missteps 🔔 Turn on notifications for my latest posts 🤓 Follow me at Scott J. Allen, Ph.D. for daily content on leadership 📌 Design by Bela Jevtovic

You may be your team’s biggest problem... 😨   There are some things we can do as leaders that we know for sure would undermine our success. Screaming obscenities at our team 😡, for example. But, there are other things we do every day, habits that we view as helpful even, that are counter productive. Buddhists call this concept a Near Enemy.   For successful leaders, there two very common Near Enemies:   Micromanaging your team 👥 Being the star of every meeting 🌟   Micromanagement erodes the trust between you and your team. And not all meetings are about you. If you don’t listen to your people, it shows them you don’t value their contributions 💔. If this goes on too long, it forces even the most engaged team members into passive observers 😞.   Identifying these behaviors can be tricky, since they so often resemble positive traits. One helpful way I’ve found to gather greater insight from my teams is to ask them for it. In my one on one’s, I use a simple format to frame the question: More/Less, Start/Stop. What can I do more of, what can I do less of? What can I start doing, and what can I stop doing that will help you? And, that will help our entire team reach its goals 🎯.   CAUTION: Do not ask this question unless you want to know the answer ⚠️. Your team will stop being vulnerable if you refuse to act on the useful feedback they shared 💬.   How do you check in with your team to ensure you’re meeting their needs? 🤔   #leadership #management #teambuilding #growthmindset #personalgrowth

Why do well-intentioned managers become team morale assassins? The answer is surprisingly simple: "unconscious habits". In my recent Fast Company article on team dynamics, I unveiled the "Priority Pause" - a critical leadership intervention that can transform workplace culture and a concept I coach people managers on. You can read more about it below. In the meantime, lets unpack the unconscious habits and unintentional ways managers crush team spirit can suck that air out of a room, meet or employee. Top 5 Morale Destruction Tactics (Usually Unconscious): 1.) Constant, Un-prioritized Interruptions ↳ Managers who treat every task as a five-alarm fire create perpetual organizational anxiety. Your team isn't a 24/7 emergency response unit. 2.) Performative Overworking ↳ Sending emails at midnight, expecting instant responses, and glorifying burnout culture doesn't show dedication - it demonstrates leadership incompetence. 3.) Lack of Transparent Communication ↳ When leaders operate in information silos, teams feel disconnected and undervalued. Trust erodes faster than Arctic ice. 4.) Inconsistent Feedback Mechanisms ↳ Sporadic, unpredictable feedback creates an environment of perpetual uncertainty. Consistency is the backbone of psychological safety. 5.) Micromanagement Disguised as "Support" ↳ Hovering doesn't help. It suffocates creativity and signals a fundamental lack of trust in your team's capabilities. The Antidote? The "Priority Pause" Implement a 60-second reflection before every request: • Do you know if this is truly urgent? • What's the interruption cost to my team? • Can this wait for our daily huddle/1-1? Leadership isn't about constant motion but purposeful, strategic engagement. Are you killing your team's spirit without realizing it? Coaching can help; let's chat. | Follow Joshua Miller Link To The Article: https://shorturl.at/tj2KN #joshuamiller #executivecoaching #leadership #team #coachingtips #careeradvice #teammanagment #workplace #culture #leader #boss