As a leader, you have a lot on your plate. Budgets, projects, office politics and employee management all have to be juggled, and sometimes it can feel like more than one person can handle. In the midst of it all, it’s hard not to pick up a bad habit or two. But, if left unchecked, your employees could start following your lead and your bad workplace habits could spread like wildfire.
Check out these three easy-to-pick-up bad habits to ensure you’re not passing negative behaviors on to your team.
“It wasn’t my fault!”
It’s been said that a good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame and a little less than his share of praise. Sure you can meet with your team members in private to share critical feedback and what needs to change in the future. But throwing your team under the bus in front of your clients, executives or other departments is a quick way to kill morale and destroy loyalty. On the other hand, sharing the credit with your team will help build trust and loyalty, which will go a long way to creating an engaged and happy workforce!
“Can you take care of that for me?”
Did you hire a specialist or an admin? Unless getting your coffee, cleaning up your dishes, and tracking your schedule is directly in someone’s job description, refrain from regularly asking them to cater to you. There’s no problem with a give and take relationship – you help them out and they help you out. But, expecting others to take care of you every day is not only taking them away from the job you hired them to do, it could also foster resentment that could lead to future turnover.
“I just need to vent.”
Everyone has bad days, and it’s healthy for everyone, including leaders, to be able to vent in a safe environment. However, that does not mean you should regularly vent your frustrations to your employees. They are looking up to you for leadership and direction, and knowing you disagree with your boss will only increase their own worries and aggravation. Find a colleague and fellow manager to vent to – that will keep the burden off your employees.
No one’s perfect, but if you’ve noticed your employees passing the blame, acting entitled or venting improperly, you might want to check in the mirror before you start disciplining. You may need to adjust your own habits first.
