Stay away from 11 managerial mistakes with TAU – ZM Part-time MBA program

---

---

Mutual trust and candid communication help build healthy relationships at the workplace, which are crucial for any business to succeed. As managers, your key responsibilities will be:

• Communicate to teams about goals and expectations
• Motivate and guide your team to meet them

Choose the best management style to lead your team and make a positive impact on minimizing friction. Do you know that an individual’s behavior in a group can heavily influence others? Understanding and being aware of how you interact, relate, and communicate with people empowers you. Also enables you to engage with your team and take productivity to the next level. 

The role of managers can be challenging, but the good qualities and attitudes help them excel in their roles and make a positive impact on the team. Pursuing a management program enriches your knowledge of the best practices, tools, and strategies in management and leadership.

It also equips you with the qualities to be exceptional in your role and improve the efficiency and performance of your team. Before you decide to enroll, look for institutions that offer the best MBA programs, fee structure, affordability, curriculum, international recognition, etc. 

Part time MBA programs are trending because it offers the flexibility to study without leaving your current job. It can be challenging to learn Part time MBA , but balancing your professional and personal commitments and course improves your time management and multitasking skills, which will help you in your future roles. 

MBA Productivity at the workplace depends on your choice of decision as a manager. It’s essential to avoid these typical management mistakes to gain a substantial advantage in your leadership role.

1) Inclined to lead with a know-it-all approach:

One common mistake that all managers tend to make is not having open communication with the team due to the fear of appearing incompetent in front of team members. Practicing the following approach can distance team members. 

• Not admitting you do not have adequate knowledge in certain aspects
• Not listening and ignoring team ideas
• Guiding the team with a know-it-all approach

In most cases, team members have more understanding and awareness of processes and procedures. Admitting to the team about knowledge gaps and listening to their feedback and suggestions enable you to build great rapport and develop trust.

2) Not providing clarity and access to information:

The most challenging aspect of management is maintaining transparency in sharing information. You might be confused about what information to divulge and which should be withheld to avoid upsetting people. The Following measures will go a long way in building empowered teams.

• Being honest
• Inspiring and motivating people to share their concerns
• Practicing emotional intelligence 
• Providing clarity and professionalism in sharing information and feedback 

3) Micromanaging tasks :

Continuously following up with employees to get work updates, calling them outside office hours, expecting them to perform tasks your way, and trying to control people and processes can have an adverse effect. It discourages employees, makes the work environment tense, and hinders growth. You need to:

• Being transparent and making them aware of goals and expectations
• Delegate tasks based on individual capability 
• Please give them the freedom to decide on the ways and means to achieve their goals. 

It will make employees work with a sense of purpose, take ownership, and improve morale and performance.

4) Making assumptions and failing to adapt:

Jumping to conclusions based on your prior experience and not changing your approach based on the capabilities of your team can upset and disengage your subordinates. The following strategies will help you engage with your team better and guide them effectively. 

• Observing them and learning about your subordinate’s strengths and needs
• Adapting your strategies to the current environment and having open discussions with your team about processes and outcomes 

5) Adopting a flexible leadership approach:

Employees tend to get confused without appropriate guidance. You might sometimes adopt a flexible leadership strategy, thinking that being bossy can be upsetting and not providing proper advice and feedback when required. Also, when any problem arises, instead of dealing with it, you might assume it might rectify itself. You can provide feedback and direction without being bossy. 

• Have a transparent approach with your subordinates by practicing open communication and discussion about expectations
• Provide them an opportunity to explain and share their insights 
• Resolve the issue amicably at the initial stages.

6) Not being consistent in setting standards:

You need to treat everyone in your team equally, ensure they understand your goals, and meet your expectations. Being lenient with one of your subordinates might lead to inconsistent expectations, resentment, and distance from others on your team. You need to:

• Understand the strengths of each member of your team and areas where improvements are required. 
• Provide training and support to people lagging in certain aspects
• Treat all employees equally and evaluate them based on the same criteria

Basic knowledge in psychology, providing essential support and better engagement enables you to resolve conflicts and improve productivity.

7) Providing critical feedback irrespective of the context:

Most managers frequently provide essential feedback or criticize an employee in front of others. Did you know that these methods can make your subordinate take it personally and make him defensive? When more points or issues need to be discussed:

• List out and prioritize the points that need to be discussed
• Give him time and space to make the necessary changes
• The circumstances and the environment are vital in the feedback process 

Take time during the discussion process and provide an opportunity for the employee to understand and share his views. 

8) Motivating team members through stress:

Sometimes, you might try to improve the performance of your team through stress or applying pressure. It:

• Curbs creativity
• Infuses fear
• Stops them from making efficient decisions

To improve productivity and performance, support and equip your team with appropriate tools and strategies to help them to meet targets.

9) Inefficiency in delegating tasks:

Delegation is a vital aspect where you should excel to avoid exhaustion and work overload among your team members. To efficiently manage your workforce, you need to be aware of their strengths and weakness, set clear targets, and assign tasks based on their skillsets.

10) Not appreciating your team:

Not appreciating or recognizing employees for their achievements disengages them and significantly impacts productivity. You need to:

• Participate and connect with your team to improve engagement
• Observe and evaluate their skillsets 
• Please provide them with the necessary training for improvement 
• Empower and encourage them to share their feedback and suggestions 
• Please get to know about their work-related challenges
• Appreciate their achievements and reward them

Assigning tasks that match your subordinate’s skillsets and setting achievable goals can make them happy, develop positive vibes and improve efficiency.

11) Falling behind on communication strategies:

With remote work and digital communication gaining popularity globally, you need to employ hybrid models to connect with your team. Utilizing communication platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, etc., enables you to connect and interact with your team better.

Benefits of investing in an Part time MBA program?

Working on your leadership qualities, skillsets and communication enables you to avoid these management mistakes. If you want to develop your skills and improve your confidence levels, an academic program can help you enhance your skillsets and prepare you for managerial roles.

TAU – ZM offers the best Part time MBA programs that support your career growth with increased earnings. It opens you to several job prospects, which include:

• Risk Manager
• Finance Manager
• Investment Banker
• Marketing Manager
• Business Consultant
• Management Analyst
• Human Resource Manager
• Information and Systems Manager

TAU – ZM is at the forefront of promoting education with several initiatives and offers the best MBA programs with options to pursue in-campus and part-time. Depending on your interest, you can specialize in General Management, Human Resource Management, Finance, Marketing, Banking, Insurance Management, or Accounting. The program helps you acquire the following:

• Exceptional decision-making, leadership, and managerial skills for business leadership roles
• Knowledge of strategic planning 
• Out-of-box thinking, critical thinking, and reasoning

Key Takeaways:

Managerial mistakes are a costly affair. Pursuing a Part time MBA helps you develop the skillsets and decision-making abilities required for business leadership roles. Build efficient and productive teams with the best MBA program in Zambia.