Mistakes Managers Make

Imagine only doing things you were not so great at in life. Imagine never focusing on what you are naturally good at. What would that result be? A well-rounded individual who is just mediocre at everything they do. You cannot and should not try to be equally good at everything you do. So why treat the employees of your company any differently? The answer is, you shouldn’t. Focusing strictly on improving weaknesses will flat line your employee’s natural abilities. You will not see or benefit from the uniqueness of each individual.

Often times, a manager will consider something to be a weakness simply because it is different from what they do. Everyone approaches situations differently, especially when it is regarding communication. Some of the best managers do not attempt to change one’s style, but rather be mindful of what works best for them. They capitalize on those styles and adapt accordingly.

By no means should we all just ignore our weaknesses. It is pertinent to our growth to be self-aware. However, it can be easy to get hung up on the negative and forget about all of the great qualities within ourselves and our employees.

Benefits of Focusing on Strengths

• Increases Engagement. Doing well and succeeding at your job can be a confidence booster for all of us. When people feel good about themselves, they are much more apt to feel motivated to do meaningful work. According to a Gallup study, managers who focused on their employees’ weaknesses had 21% more employees that were actively disengaged.
• Improves Well-Being. The more opportunity an employee has to use their strengths, the less likely they are to have anxiety, feel worried, stressed, sad or even angry. According to the Gallup study, Americans are 10% more likely to feel stressed if they use their strengths for three hours or less verses 7-9 hours a day.
• Increases Employee Retention. The cost of attracting, hiring and training a new employee can be up to three times the amount of the employee’s salary. Being human, we crave the feeling of fulfillment and appreciation. These are just as important to employees, if not more, than a salary.
• Maximizes Production. Focusing on an individual’s strengths allows them to hit the ground running. There is less of learning curve and challenges, which returns a higher rate of production.
• Improves the Bottom Line. Your company is bound to be more successful if you have a group of employees doing what they are great at rather than a group of employees with a lot of mediocre skills. Employee well-being, engagement, retention and production are huge contributors to the company’s bottom line.

5 Tips that Managers Should Follow

1. Tell employees what they are good at. People are often unaware of their strengths. Some lack confidence and their strengths. Reassurance never hurts!
2. If there is a team setting, make sure team members complement each other. Provide guidance to the coworkers to help them understand each other’s talents and how to maximize them.
3. Align strengths with the expectations and responsibilities of the role.
4. Set goals based on their strengths.
5. Be mindful of the individual’s strengths and weaknesses when conducting a performance evaluation.

The greatest managers invest their time into their employees. They make an effort to truly learn about that person and establish a plan for growth and achievement based on the individual.

Allied Forces is a leader in staffing solutions with over 30 years of experience in the temporary staffing industry. We are temporary staffing pros focused on matching the right temporary employee to the right jobs without affecting a business’s day-to-day productivity. For more information about our services, call us at 855.423.8367.