HOW TO FAIL AS A MANAGER  

We as managers often work hard to succeed in our careers, some of the time we work hard at failing.  Here are several tested ways to fail.  

A.     DO ALL THE WORK YOURSELF.  

An executive of a large manufacturing firm was dismissed because he wouldn't delegate.  He didn't realize that you must hire good employees, give them responsibility, inspire them and let them make mistakes -- without letting them run off a cliff.  

Regardless of how good he or she is, no manager can do everything.  The ability to delegate is an essential management skill.  

B.     SCORN LONG HOURS AND HARD WORK.  

Henry Ford II, asked if his son was destined for big business at Ford, responded:  "Depends on whether he's willing to be married to the company.  He may not be."  

The head of a department in a large bank was an avid golfer.  He played every Thursday and Friday afternoon, even though his bosses needed him for meetings on those days.  "After all," he said, "I do a lot of business on the golf course."  Soon, he found himself with seven days a week free for golf.  

Determination and hard work are critical to success.  Top managers press on in blizzards that keep lesser mortals at home.  The corporate climb functions as a giant sorting and sifting machine.  The survivors are more than good: They're the very best.  

C.    IGNORE TIME MANAGEMENT.  

A manager who allocated his time poorly said, "Everything will be all right once things settle down."  He was doomed because things never settled down.    

Each day, managers must reassess their priorities, determining which endeavors will make the greatest corporate contribution.  They must ask themselves what's changed since yesterday.  

D.    IGNORE YOUR PEERS.  

A research manager failed to exchange information with her peers.  Then, one of those managers was promoted and became her boss.  He brought in one of his own people -- someone he felt was more cooperative than the research manager -- to take her job.  

Peer pressure sometimes becomes boss pressure.  So, pay attention to peers.  

E.     IGNORE YOUR STAFF.  

One product manager did most things right, but he didn't pay any attention to his staff.  When it came time for promotions, the chief executive officer said:  "He's not bringing his people along.  I can't advance him to a higher job."  

Finding and motivating good people -- and weeding out the rest -- is one of the major responsibilities of a manager.  That process requires that the manager understand the characteristics of each person on the staff.  A manager must develop the people who work for him or her.  

F.     DON'T WORRY ABOUT KEEPING YOUR BOSS INFORMED.  

One manager's boss told him to increase inventory to meet rising demand.  The manager was unable to get deliveries but never told his boss about the problem.  

Finally, a major company placed an order that the manager couldn't deliver.  The boss fired the man.  

No boss likes such surprises.  The manager should have explained the delivery problem to his supervisor as soon as it occurred and asked for help to handle it.  

It is better to provide your supervisor with too much communication rather than too little.  But use common sense: You can't run to your boss every 15 minutes.   

G.    ALWAYS TELL THE BOSS WHAT HE OR SHE WANTS TO HEAR.  

Seven managers viewed a new-product presentation while the chairman sat in the background.  At the conclusion of the presentation, each manager expressed enthusiastic approval of the product.  

Then, the chairman said, "I really wonder about its merits."  Subsequently, four of the seven managers stated that they too had wondered about the product.  

Their lack of backbone was not lost on the chairman.  And it didn't do much for the credibility of their next recommendation.  

Top people welcome the chance to make recommendations, even unpopular ones.  That's the basic protoplasm of management.

Good managers get as many facts as possible, then announce their recommendation or decision.  They don't wait to see which way the wind is blowing.  

Failing in management is easy.  Succeeding is difficult -- but not impossible.  There are no guarantees of success; however, managers that routinely act in the above ways can be almost certain of failure.   

The above notes on how not to be a manager comes from the workbook used as a reference and resource in our Project Management & Control course.  

We welcome comments or questions about our training courses.  Call Paul Saunders at 615-367-1717 or e-mail: Paul@SaundersSystems.com.