The dynamics between managers and their employees play a pivotal role in shaping the success of a team. However, an often overlooked aspect of this relationship is the influence of assumptions that managers unknowingly harbor about their team members. These preconceived notions, which, if left unaddressed, can significantly hinder team performance.
Below, Forbes Coaches Council members share the common negative assumptions that managers may inadvertently make about their team members, shedding light on the far-reaching consequences these assumptions can have on team cohesion, motivation and ultimately the attainment of organizational goals.
1. Employees Are Underperformance Or Choosing Not To Work
A common assumption is that the employee is underperforming or choosing not to do their work. However, in reality, either they are not informed and in alignment with the team goals and standards or they are not being given the tools they need to succeed in their role. Oftentimes they just need a place to voice those issues and concerns to make a course correction. – Bobbie Goheen, Synthesis Management Group
2. Employees Should Be Like Their Manager
The most common assumption I see managers make is that their employees are and/or should be like them. Realizing that each individual is motivated differently, receives feedback differently and has unique goals and aspirations is key to creating productive relationships. – Janine Davis, Evolution
3. Employees Are Lazy Or Working Slow
If you’re leading a team, chances are you have more experience and information than they do from day one. Rather than assume that your employees are lazy or slow, consider the fact that you have the equivalent of an 80-yard advantage. Make sure that you provide context, give your team time to ask questions, and help them understand what “there” looks like. That way, they can catch up and succeed as a team. – Sheri Nasim, Center for Executive Excellence
4. Managers Know How Employees Will React
Human nature can oftentimes be a manager’s biggest challenge because it creates space for perception and assumption. One area I see where assumptions may create performance issues is when managers assume how their people will react and therefore sugarcoat or do not share a challenge or needed change. We have to give each other more benefit of the doubt and create conversation. – Elliott Blodgett, Flyway
5. Managers Assume Things Are Evident
Leaders often assume that some things are evident to the team members, forgetting that over-communication does not exist. Lack of context and lack of clarity is worse for team morale and performance. What’s the “why” is always top of mind for people, and it’s easy to assume that everyone can easily understand the why behind any ask and decision. – Alina Trigubenko, Profi
6. Employees Understands The Company’s Expectations
They assume that the employee knows what the expectations are. This is a sure setup for failure. When leaders assume their team knows the company’s expectations, they delegate without taking the time to validate understanding, an employee can feel lost, lose confidence and make mistakes that are costly. This can be avoided by simply setting clear expectations and validating them. – April Sabral, April Sabral Leadership
7. Employees Are Unmotivated
When managers assume their employees are unmotivated, they may overlook opportunities to acknowledge and appreciate their efforts and achievements. This can lead to feelings of undervaluation, erode morale and decrease overall job satisfaction. When they neglect recognition and appreciation, they set themselves up for failure and create a self-fulfilling prophecy: unmotivated talent and teams. – Izabela Lundberg, Legacy Leaders Institute
8. Employees Are Not Creative, Resourceful Or Whole
One common assumption managers make about their people is subtle and seldom named. It hides beneath a misplaced manager’s belief. “Being a good manager” becomes the justification for withholding important feedback and avoiding difficult conversations. The unstated assumption is that your people are not creative, resourceful and whole; they are not capable of self-managing through difficult news. – Duncan Skelton, Duncan Skelton Coaching Ltd
9. Employees Are Incapable
One negative assumption that managers often make about their employees is assuming that they are not motivated or not capable of performing at a high level. This assumption erodes trust within the team and leads to low morale, motivation, engagement and a decline in overall performance. – Jay Garcia, Jay Garcia Group
10. Employees Can’t Handle High-Level Issues
Many managers assume that their subordinate employees are less experienced and hence less capable of handling higher-order problems. This limits the opportunity to build trust within the team and also the opportunity for employees to learn and grow. Such managers continue to be the boss of people doing the same jobs for years. It will be difficult to scale up the business by having such managers. – Anilkumar G, ACTIONRICH Business Solutions India Pvt Ltd.
11. Employees Ignore Constructive Feedback
Managers may negatively assume that an employee has heard their constructive feedback and has chosen to ignore it. Typically that is not the case. Rather, the employee may not have fully heard what they need to improve because their stress level is too high, or they just don’t know how to fix the issue. As a manager, when you don’t see change happening, challenge your own assumptions first. – Neena Newberry, Newberry Solutions
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12. Managers Assume Words And Actions Come From A Bad Place
Leaders must consistently believe (even when it’s not clear) in the best intentions of others. We must believe that others are coming from a place of wanting to help, do a great job and even support their leader. Our assumptions about people’s motives often drive our outcomes, even when we don’t realize it. – Randy Shattuck, The Shattuck Group
13. Managers Have All The Answers And Need To Train Employees
Doing this minimizes the experience, skills and capabilities of employees and creates an environment where employees don’t feel empowered, valued or respected. Leaders need to learn the capabilities of their employees and provide opportunities to unleash their superpowers. – Kristy Busija, Next Conversation Coaching, LLC
14. Employees Only Work When Compliance Is Demanded
The most negative assumption managers make is that their employees are lazy and unmotivated and will only work if the manager uses a heavy hand to demand compliance and punish poor performance. When people are treated this way, they will actually prove the manager “right” by becoming unmotivated and resistant due to being treated so disrespectfully. – Dr. Joel M. Rothaizer, MCC, ABPP, Clear Impact Consulting Group
15. Employees Are Lazy From An Operational Standpoint
Managers may at times see their employees not doing anything from an operational standpoint so they may classify them as lazy. This perception is usually doubled by the self-consideration of most managers who think that “I am the only one doing work around here.” When these two world views co-exist, it can create a negative team performance. – Karina Ochis, Prof. Dr. Karina Ochis
16. Employees Don’t Understand The Complexity Of Things
Managers tend to assume that employees don’t understand the complexity of things (i.e., they don’t understand the whole picture) — what the company and every single member of the team will gain or lose in case the project is successful, or vice versa, how this will impact the consumer and the market in general. This assumption slashes the team’s motivation in half and works against the leader. – Alla Adam, Alla Adam Coaching
17. Employees Are Uncaring
A negative assumption that I frequently hear managers making is that their employees “just don’t care.” Sometimes, that is true. Often, the indifference is a sign that the employee’s needs aren’t getting met, their contributions aren’t being valued and perhaps most importantly, that they don’t feel they have the autonomy to create change. – Stacy Campesi, OKA (Otto Kroeger Associates)
18. Employees Are Resistant To Change
Managers frequently assume that employees are resistant to change, which can negatively affect team performance. This assumption hampers communication and restricts innovation as employees are less inclined to share their ideas, believing that managers are unreceptive due to this assumption. – Adaora Ayoade, EZ37 Solutions
19. Employees Will Figure It Out On Their Own
“They’ll figure it out, I had to, all on my own. They’ll have to, too. I’m far too busy to handhold them through this. That’s not my job!” What you’re hearing is the classic soundtrack of a boss—not a leader. If you’re a sole or team contributor, you know the voice, impatient tone and body language all too well. If you’re in charge, you should know the voice as well. It’s your own! – Jay Steven Levin, WinThinking
20. Managers Confuse Presenteeism With Commitment
Managers often confuse presenteeism with commitment and productivity, and those who have healthy work-life boundaries and balance (who leave on time) are less of a team player, committed or as good performers as their peers who stay later at work. Instead of looking at outputs and effectiveness, they look at the number of hours onsite. Presenteeism and productivity do not have a causal link. – Anita O’Connor-Roberts, AOC Consulting
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