Things Never, Ever To Tell Your Employees | Fusion - WeRIndia

Everyone in a management position should resist the urge at times to confide in their teammates, but doing so isn’t fair to your teammates. We try to be friendly and casual with our workmates, but we are all bound by a business rather than social connection.

Personal opinions of employees and their lifestyle choices should never be discussed in public.

Disciplinary action and shortcomings should also remain private.  On that same note, employees should refrain from badmouthing you and your ideas. They don’t get paid to be your therapist or your career coach.

Keep your counsel and your dignity instead, and remember that leadership is a personal journey most of all.

Here are ten things never, ever to tell your employees:

1. Never tell one employee or a group of employees when one team member is having problems at work. If you need someone to re-train or mentor an employee, simply ask them to help with that specific task. Don’t preface the request with “After two months, Sarah still isn’t picking up the job. She’s struggling. I don’t know if she’s going to make it. Can you help?” That’s too big a burden to put on a fellow team member, and Sarah’s difficulties are confidential information, too.
2. Never tell your employees another employee’s pay rate.
3. Never tell your employees about your own job search, as badly as you might want to.
4. Never tell your employees which higher-up leaders (or peers or employees) you like and/or respect and which ones you don’t. Let your employees guess about your conflicts with other managers if they want to; don’t talk about them!
5. Never tell your employees about your political aims inside the company or your quest to get a bigger title, more pay or more perks. It’s not appropriate and it’s unseemly to enlist your employees in your political campaign.
6. Never tell your employees anything confidential on the basis that you trust one of your teammates more than their peers. This approach always backfires.
7. Never talk about one employee with other employees, gossiping about the employee’s personal problems, personality or quirks. If you want to destroy trust on your team, the best way to do it is by gossiping about your own employees.
8. Never tell your employees that you’re unhappy with them as a group. If you do, as a group they will write you off and tune out whatever you say. If you as a leader are unhappy with your whole team, look in the mirror! You are doing one or several things wrong.
9. Never tell your employees that you hate your job. How can they sympathize with you? You took the job. You still have the job. You haven’t quit the job yet. Who would respect a leader who stays in a job they don’t like?
10. Finally, never tell your employees when you feel the company has ripped you off, mistreated you or overlooked your contributions. Being a manager means bearing slights and insults on your own without your teammates’ support. They have their own headaches to deal with!

Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash (Free for commercial use)

Image Reference: https://unsplash.com/photos/-uHVRvDr7pg