Organizations spend a lot of time hiring the best senior executive to take their company to the next level of success. However, this hiring sometimes fails due to some of the worst mistakes commonly made by a newly-hired executive.
It is reported that within the first 18 months of joining, there is a 50% chance that the executive will leave the company. This unwelcoming condition does not only cause a significant loss to the company’s bottom line but also affects its reputation.
In this article, we will discuss 10 worst yet very common mistakes by an executive. We will further guide you on how to avoid them to save yourself from any trouble in the future. So, let’s get started!
1. Not Making Enough Time for The Team
No matter how jam-packed a day you had, your people should always come first.
Absent your availability, they won’t know what to do and how to complete specific tasks. Proper support from your side is very important to meet the objectives of the ongoing projects.
Avoid this mistake by carefully scheduling your time for your team workers and listening to them actively. Work on your emotional intelligence to be aware of their needs and stay updated regarding their progress.
2. “Too Friendly” Relationships
We all love to be admired by the people around us. People in a team feel happier when they see their boss much more friendly.
However, you need to set clear boundaries and keep the right balance between being a friend and a boss. Keep in mind that you are a boss now, and if you are too friendly with people, they will be tempted to take advantage of your lenient relationship.
You need to be careful about your actions while socializing. Don’t hesitate to make tough decisions regarding your team members when needed.
3. Failing to Set Smart Goals
If you have no idea about your role and responsibilities, then you can’t be productive for your company.
Avoid this mistake by setting smart goals and prioritizing your work effectively. You can use a team charter to show the progress and define goals.
Always keep your plans coherent with the mission of the company.
4. Fast Recruitment
Facing too much workload makes it essential to have many people on the board to cope with it. However, hiring people quickly won’t ease your workload, but it can lead to a disastrous decision.
Hurrying recruitment may lead to the hiring of incompetent people, and this way, you will waste your resources, money, and time on the wrong person. Moreover, the presence of an uncooperative and unproductive person may also impact your team members’ performance.
So, take your full-time to recruit the right people and try to hire an experienced and skilled person for an important seat.
5. Lack of Innovation
Being innovative in most of the objectives of your projects can benefit you in many ways.
Most executives don’t focus on it and consider it a risk to try different approaches to achieve a specific objective. Likewise, as a leader, you must define what innovation can bring to your organization and how you plan it.
Moreover, it’s very important to listen to your employees and trust their abilities. This way, you will see the creative thoughts of your team members.
6. Lack of Vision
Remember, a clear vision serves as the backbone of the company. Additionally, a lack of vision may lead to a massive failure.
If you want to see your company growing and successful, then work on setting expectations and goals for your organization. A good leader always has a clear and defined vision.
7. Deviating From Your Own Rules
As an executive, it’s your responsibility to fulfill the expectations of your team and act as a role model for them.
If you have set rules, then be the first to follow them. Saying one thing and doing another will lose people’s interest in your suggestions.
So always try to lead by example and adhere to your guidelines.
8. Not Prepared for Failure
Let’s face it; failure is natural even for leaders. No one is born to succeed only with no failure at all.
Likewise, dropping all your guards down in challenging circumstances may lead to even worse situations. Learn to pick yourself up from where you left off and learn from your mistakes.
Similarly, always be prepared for an unexpected situation or any downtime with a proper plan to handle it.
9. Not Providing Regular Feedback
This is one of the common mistakes people in a leadership position make.
If you have no interest in providing prompt feedback to your people, ultimately you are suppressing their abilities to provide better performance.
So, help your people work on their shortcomings before it becomes their habit. Try to give regular effective feedback about the performance of each team member.
10. No Delegation
When we come into power, we feel nobody is as superior in doing specific tasks as us. Having such negative behavior may cause many problems for you as you will find yourself stressed over little tasks.
Sometimes, it feels risky to trust any team member to do some important work. But unless you focus on delegating tasks, you will never have sufficient time to focus on “what really matters” for which you are responsible.
You should deal with things on a broader view and let the other competent team member handle the less important things.
Making a mistake can indeed be a learning opportunity. Sometimes, with a few tips and tricks in your pocket, you can make a huge difference in your decisions as an executive of the organization in a short amount of time.
