Thursday, March 31, 2011
Top Three IT Leadership Mistakes
Let's imagine a scenario where you are leading a team of very senior IT professionals whether it is Enterprise Architects or even an offshore software development team. Bet you didn't know you repeatedly make the following mistakes...
You Don’t Involve your people in Important Decisions
Sometimes, we forget what it feels like to be an individual contributor and leave the people who have the most to offer out of key decisions. Although making decisions on the fly probably allowed your company to grow large enough to actually hire people, continuing to run the company AROUND your employees instead of WITH them will eventually chase away any talented people you may have managed to attract. When employees don’t feel included in decisions, they will distance themselves not only from your initiatives, but from your company as a whole. If you’re going to hire smart, qualified and motivated people to take your company to the next level, you can’t be afraid to use them.
You Don’t Allow them to Challenge Your Ideas
Companies managed by people who realize they don’t know everything ALWAYS outperform those managed by people who think they know it all. The fact is, great leaders don’t simply allow their employees to question them; they DEMAND to be questioned. Unfortunately, the first instinct of many is to borgify their employees, stifle conversation and to react negatively toward employees who challenge them. Regardless of company size, the courage to stand in front of employees and say “Tell me why my idea won’t work” is something every manager should have, but very few do.
You Add Friends and Relatives to the Payroll
Adding friends and relatives to your company, especially in key positions is the single most damaging thing a manager can do when it comes to their credibility with other employees. Imagine a scenario where all of a sudden, everyone seems to have worked for Accenture in the past (and you haven't). Do you think that employees will feel like they got a shot at getting the same promotions? As I have mentioned dozens of times before, hiring friends and relatives can be a significant demotivator to existing employees who have spent years trying to earn your respect, a decent raise, or a spot on the management team.
| | View blog reactionsYou Don’t Involve your people in Important Decisions
Sometimes, we forget what it feels like to be an individual contributor and leave the people who have the most to offer out of key decisions. Although making decisions on the fly probably allowed your company to grow large enough to actually hire people, continuing to run the company AROUND your employees instead of WITH them will eventually chase away any talented people you may have managed to attract. When employees don’t feel included in decisions, they will distance themselves not only from your initiatives, but from your company as a whole. If you’re going to hire smart, qualified and motivated people to take your company to the next level, you can’t be afraid to use them.
You Don’t Allow them to Challenge Your Ideas
Companies managed by people who realize they don’t know everything ALWAYS outperform those managed by people who think they know it all. The fact is, great leaders don’t simply allow their employees to question them; they DEMAND to be questioned. Unfortunately, the first instinct of many is to borgify their employees, stifle conversation and to react negatively toward employees who challenge them. Regardless of company size, the courage to stand in front of employees and say “Tell me why my idea won’t work” is something every manager should have, but very few do.
You Add Friends and Relatives to the Payroll
Adding friends and relatives to your company, especially in key positions is the single most damaging thing a manager can do when it comes to their credibility with other employees. Imagine a scenario where all of a sudden, everyone seems to have worked for Accenture in the past (and you haven't). Do you think that employees will feel like they got a shot at getting the same promotions? As I have mentioned dozens of times before, hiring friends and relatives can be a significant demotivator to existing employees who have spent years trying to earn your respect, a decent raise, or a spot on the management team.
