The Seven Deadly Sins of Management

By Lonnie Pacelli

Pride. Envy. Gluttony. Lust. Anger. Greed. Sloth. You recognize these as either the “seven deadly sins” or themes for prime-time television. Either way, you were probably taught as a child that they were bad and so were to be avoided at all costs. But chances are, mom didn’t warn you about the evils of committing similar sins in the workplace.

Here are the “Seven Deadly Sins of Management” and how to avoid them. Can you relate to any of them?

Sin #1 - Arrogance
Have you ever known a manager who consistently claimed to know more than the rest of the team? How about one who was unwilling to listen to opposing views? Isn’t this just a sign of confidence? What’s wrong with that?

Confidence is a crucial management skill; people need to know that they can look to him or her for guidance, particularly when things get tough. But when confidence crosses the line to arrogance, the manager shows disrespect for the team. Subtract respect from the equation and you’re just an arrogant jerk.

Sin #2 – Indecisiveness
At Monday’s meeting management presents a course of action. On Tuesday, the manager decides to take a completely different course. On Thursday the manager decides to return to Monday’s plan. You get the idea.

A decisive manager gathers input from those around him or her, makes the best decision for a given project and then sticks to it. While team members may not agree with the decision, they should be able to understand the rationale. Decisions without rationale or without listening to others involved will ultimately frustrate the team and impede progress.

Sin #3 – Disorganization
We’ve all known managers who ask for the same information over and over again, who refuse to write things down or are so frantic that they’re on the verge of spontaneously combusting. Their disorganization creates unneeded stress and frustration for everyone on the project team.

An effective manager provides a clear pathway on which staff members can navigate from start to completion of a project. He or she must ensure that the ball moves forward every day of the project. Disorganization leads to frustration, which leads to either empathy or anarchy.

Sin #4 – Stubbornness
On one of my early project management jobs I was a month behind schedule on a three-month project. I refused to alter the project schedule, insisting that I could “make up the schedule” by cutting corners and eliminating tasks. Despite the entire project team telling me we were in trouble, I stubbornly forged ahead. I never saw the end of the project because my stubbornness caused me to be removed as the project manager. Sometimes it takes a 2x4 across the head for one to see the light.

The manager may believe that his or her view of reality is correct, but it’s imperative to balance one’s own perspective with that of the rest of the project team. Decisiveness without listening to the team leads to stubbornness.

Sin #5 – Negativism
One of my former peers, in his zeal to “manage expectations,” would consistently discuss the project in a negative light. The focus was on what work hadn’t been done, the crisis of the week, who wasn’t doing his or her job. This negative attitude about the work, people and purpose of the project sapped the energy, enthusiasm and passion out of the work. It was a self-fulfilling prophecy; the project failed because the project manager willed it to fail.

This one’s simple; a “glass-is-half-empty” manager will sap the energy from a team. This doesn’t mean that you have to be a happy, smiley person all the time. However, to succeed, a manager has to truly believe in what he or she is doing and to positively motivate the team.

Sin #6 – Cowardice
Imagine this: the manager who, when pressed on a budget or schedule over-run, blames team members, stakeholders or anyone else who could possibly have contributed to the problem. It’s so much easier to play the blame game and implicate others than to identify the real source of the problem and find a solution.

It’s perfectly OK to be self-critical and aware of your own weaknesses and mistakes. For leaders to truly continue to grow in their leadership capabilities, they need to be the first—not the last--to admit their mistakes and learn from them.

Sin #7 – Distrust
Simply put, managers who don’t display core skills, show wisdom in their decisions or demonstrate integrity won’t win the trust of their people. Team members must believe that their manager has what it takes to manage the project, the wisdom to make sound business decisions and the integrity to put the team’s interests ahead of their own. If even one of these attributes is missing, it’s just a matter of time before the manager gets voted off the island.

Learn more about effective management skills at these AMA seminars:

• Successfully Managing People
• Management Skills for New Managers
• Improving Your Managerial Effectiveness

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Author Bio: Lonnie Pacelli has over 20 years of project management experience at both Accenture and Microsoft and is the author of The Project Management Advisor – 18 Major Project Screw-Ups and How to Cut them off at the Pass. Contact him at: www.projectmanagementadvisor.com.