Do you want to know how to completely frustrate a team? Is that your goal, leader?
Of course not. No leader sets out to frustrate their team. Yet, chances are we do it every day. Or often. We are human. We make mistakes like everyone else.
Some things are common frustrations. If we can learn them—and attempt to avoid them—we can be less frustrating.
Here are seven common frustrations in the workplace:
Unnecessary rules. Rules are necessary. Unless they’re not. Then they are a pain. The way to control people is to write more rules. The way to empower people is to only write rules that promote progress.
Limited communication. Don’t let people know what you are thinking. Keep them guessing. Maybe even a little paranoid.
Microanyalyzing. Monitor everything. And make sure you have a strong opinion about all you see.
Unpredictable leadership. Don’t let them learn to trust you. Here’s how. Introduce an idea. Get everyone excited about it. Then forget all about it next week and get excited about something new. That kind of thing. Works every time.
Silo competition. Let every area compete against one another rather than work together. And pick your favorite silo.
Lack of community spirit. Make sure no one has an opportunity to get to know each other outside of work. Downplay fun. This is work. Make it so.
Celebrating what’s next. Only talk about the future. Certainly never the past. And never fully embrace the moment. Don’t see the good others are doing today. Keep pushing for more.
I’ve been guilty of many of these. And I’m sure there are many more. How about you?
