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Hi, Managers and Supervisors. How's it going?
In this podcast episode, I will talk about the pressures of perfection on managers and supervisors.
As Managers and Supervisors, we put a lot of expectations on ourselves as well as others.
So why do we feel we have to be perfect?
Are we putting those expectations on ourselves, or do people expect us to be perfect with our attitude, appearance, decisions, and performance?
It appears that perfection is expected and pressured onto Managers and Supervisors, which trickles down to the employees — the appearance of being perfect and pointing out other people's mistakes and faults accompanied by harsh judgment has become the norm in workplaces. In this type of environment, there is a lack of focus, creativity, and willingness to try new things. As a result, people don't grow, nor do the products, services, and revenue.
It's okay to make mistakes as long as we learn from them and not continually repeat them. How feedback is delivered can make or break a person, whether at work, home, volunteering, or among friends. Too much nitpicking and micromanaging is why good employees leave.
A good leader will let employees try new and different processes, especially if the current approach isn't working, outdated, or becoming mundane. Listening is essential to know what is working and what is not. Being approachable and welcoming is the first step to building trust, hearing what people feel and new ideas, and realizing that mistakes happen. Finally, good leaders are flexible — having a crucial conversation on what happened and working together on how to fix the situation—talking about what worked and what didn't and coming up with a plan to make it better with an agreeable resolution.
What if you are a manager or supervisor who doesn't like conflict?
Overcoming the fear of conflict will reduce anxiety, strengthen courage, and promotes better communication skills. Start by responding to emails, voicemails, and texts, even short and the point. Something is better than nothing. Meet with employees, listen, and be engaged. As you address complex situations, it does get easier as time goes on. Communication skills are an essential part of becoming a better leader.
Managers and Supervisors are the hardest on themselves. When projects fail, they take it to heart and feel awful and embarrassed.
Here are some Self-Reflect Questions to ponder when a mistake or failure happens.
What did I learn?
What will I do differently next time?
What areas do I need to improve?
What did I learn about myself, customers, clients, superiors, and employees from this experience?
An Affirmation to recite to get you through during or after a mistake or failure:
I will not let mistakes from the past carry on into today.
Pretty much everyone wants to do a good job and wants to please their superiors, customers, employees, and clients. So when mistakes happen, knowledging them by taking action steps to rectify them. By doing this, it will reflect, you are an honest person with integrity. This imperfect world sure does need more managers and supervisors like this. Letting go of perfection and being authentic changes the workplace from chaos to calm.
Until next we meet again!
www.CoachingforInspirationwithPatti.com