In a recent series of articles and videos that my company published, I identify and pontificate about the many things that make good employees leave their current employer and seek work somewhere else. This topic is a good cousin to those articles and videos because I now focus on some of the biggest and in my opinion – dumbest – mistakes made by leadership of any kind. Let’s take a look at the kinds of mistakes leaders make that push out good employees.
They Tolerate Mediocre Employees and Performance
I don’t know about you, but it was never a personal goal of mine to be the most mediocre in anything I have pursued in my personal or professional life. What is worse, is having leaders who settle for this and don’t push for employees to offer their best. Everyone has a unique set of skills they have learned through training and education, talents they were born with, and an ability to rise above and be the best they can. So, why is it that leaders tolerate mediocre employees and performance? It can only be through either laziness, burnout, or perhaps they too, are mediocre. Birds of a feather do indeed flock together and we are the company we keep. Those are good old-fashioned sayings, but have you heard this one – a band is only as good as its worst player?
(NOTE: Interested in learning more about Leadership in health care? Checkout my Leadership CEUs on CEU Academy and try a FREE CEU today!)
They Don’t Care About Anyone but Themselves
This is a terrible mistake and one that sends lots of toxic signals to everyone in the workplace. When the leader cares for only him- or herself, they are really saying that they don’t value employees, no one is more important than they are, and they are the only one who matters. More than half of employees leave their job due to a bad relationship with their boss. Last I looked, a relationship is a two-way street with equal give and take. If employees give and give and leaders take and take some more, there is no equity or value in that relationship. What is required is balance. But, when those in charge don’t value their employees, why bother? It may be easier to look for another job and someone who cares about employees. This is a case of employees divorcing their leadership.
They’re No Fun
One thing I’ve learned in my life is that no matter what you do you should have some fun doing it. I’ve been told by people who come to hear me speak that I can talk about death and dying and still make it fun. There is humor everywhere. I believe God Almighty wants us to be happy, to enjoy what we do and to have some fun while we’re on this planet – regardless of our employment. If people don’t enjoy what they’re doing at work, either they’ve chosen the wrong career or they are doing it all wrong. I believe that having fun reduces stress in the workplace. It acts like a shield or buffer against all of the stress, frustration, and demands that are a natural part of the job. Stress is going to be around but it’s ok to mix in some fun to reduce it every now and then. Great leaders allow their team to loosen up and have a good time at work. If employees can have fun at work and their leaders indorse it, they will perform better, feel less pressure, and probably stick around for a longer time.
They Don’t Recognize Talent
This is a terrible mistake because there are lots of highly talented and skilled employees chomping at the bit to do great things and to be recognized for their accomplishments. A simple “Thank You” or a thumbs up gesture would go a long way with many employees. Who doesn’t like kudos? When leaders recognize talent and reward accomplishments, it shows that they are paying attention to employees and the work environment. And when they don’t, well… what are they paying attention to?
Last Words on the Terrible Mistakes That Leaders Make
Just because people are in powerful positions and have control over employees, doesn’t mean they are the brightest in the bunch. Believe me, I know some really stupid leaders! And, they make the same dumb mistakes time and time again. When will they learn? I ain’t holdin’ my breath. Do you remember one of the most famous quotes from Albert Einstein? Doing the same thing again and again and expecting different results is surely the definition of insanity – or in this case just being a bad leader.
(NOTE: Interested in learning more about Leadership in health care? Checkout my Leadership CEUs on CEU Academy and try a FREE CEU today!)