As many leaders start a company, their zeal is mostly about making profits and taking the company to the next level. However, sometimes their dream isn’t accomplished because of a few hindrances that mostly arise from their mistakes that, if not well managed, can affect the company’s success. Some of these are; Impatience Business personnel Herbert Mutabazi, notes that without patience, leaders can’t head the company successfully. He says that imagine the company faces a crisis but then you rush into finding a solution that is not well-thought or planned, such quick fixes without clear strategies can affect the company negatively. For him, any leader ought to build their patience, and recognise when it might be tested the most. For example, if you expect any challenge, you can be more mindful about increasing your efforts to stay calm. But also, plan accordingly so that in case of any problem, you are ready. That way, you won’t have to panic. Mutabazi says that practicing patience requires you to be a great listener, ask questions and have a positive attitude. But also, seek advice from a mentor or any trusted resource that can add value and provide you with needed perspective. Neglecting the team’s efforts The business personnel also highlights that when workers are not appreciated, they lose morale. “Managers should praise and value their team’s contributions by noticing and rewarding a job well done, as this creates a positive work environment.” When hardworking employees are not credited or if they have worked for the company pretty long but their salaries are not increased, they will soon lose morale and resign from the job for greener pastures, he says. Some studies predict that every time a company replaces an employee, it costs an average of six to nine months’ salary. The cost of hiring advertising, interviews, and screenings coupled with the cost of on boarding training and lost productivity can cost more in the long run. Failure to give feedback Adrian Busingye, an entrepreneur says that there is nothing as disappointing as not communicating and giving feedback to the employees, whether positive or negative. He believes that communication and providing valuable feedback on a regular basis boosts employee engagement levels and heartens them to be more communicative with leaders and each other, that way, organisational cultures can change for the better. Not delegating Busingye also notes that some managers don’t delegate, because they feel that no one apart from themselves can do the job properly. This can just lead to stress and burnout. He says managers need to delegate tasks to different workers to take off the pressure from themselves. You might even be surprised about how perfectly your team can deliver in time because they also want to do their best to earn trust from you. Misunderstanding motivation The entrepreneur states that leaders are mistaken that the only thing that motivates employees is money. However, there is quite more to what makes your workers happy, for instance, through extra responsibilities, praise and a healthy work environment. Failure to be an example Leaders make a mistake of imposing rules that they can’t even follow, which shows a bad example to the rest of the workers. If the company is particular about the reporting hours, then also the manager has to respect that time. The only way to shape your team is by being exactly what you want them to be, he adds. Micromanagement Busingye notes that a micromanager is a boss or manager who gives excessive supervision to employees. Instead of telling them what task needs to be accomplished and when, they would rather watch the employee’s actions closely and provide continuous criticism of their work and processes. According to him, micromanagement leaves employees without trust from their managers, fail to perform tasks on their own. This deprives them of their independence, and ruins creativity and innovation.
