Managers: 5 Mistakes to Avoid So You Don't Demotivate Your Team

Here are the mistakes to avoid so you don't demotivate your team:

Mistake #1: Micromanagement and Sub-Management

If you recognize yourself in at least one of these descriptions, take note:
· You often interrupt your employees
· You talk more than you listen
· You systematically tell people what to do and how to do it
· you never collaboratively set goals or make decisions
· you regularly learn things about the team from other people in the company
· you don’t have any individual or group rituals with the team

Mistake #2: Everyday Frustrations

Organize an “anti-frustration” workshop—the concept is simple:
It’s a brainstorming session in which everyone shares what’s causing them problems in their daily professional lives before thinking about how to reduce or even eliminate those issues.

Mistake No. 3: Acute Meeting Overload

The Three Golden Rules for an Effective Meeting
1. Start the meeting before the meeting begins so that everyone has: the topic; the objective; the prerequisites
2. Explain the “why,” define everyone’s roles, review the schedule, describe the agenda and rules for speaking, and finally ask if there are any questions
3. Summarize the “what,” “who,” and “when” for next steps

Mistake No. 4: The Mountain of Work

You have two possible options for resolving the situation:
· Increase resources: allocate more budget, hire an intern, set aside other tasks, etc.
· Lower expectations: extend deadlines, lower the bar for objectives, scale back quality standards, etc.

Mistake No. 5: Letting failures get to you

When teams have given their all to a project but, unfortunately, the results aren't there, you should acknowledge their efforts. This is an opportunity to speak up, express your appreciation, and deliver an inspiring speech that will re-energize the team.

inspired by echoes