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7 Mistakes New Managers Make—And How to Avoid Them

7 Mistakes New Managers Make—And How to Avoid Them

Justin Mecham
December 09, 2024

Hey Full Potential Zoners!

New managers often fail - but not for the reasons you might think.

Becoming a leader is not easy.

Without the right processes and mindsets, it’s easy to fall into common traps.

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Leadership isn’t about being perfect.

It’s about learning and improving every day.

Start small.

Learn every day.

The impact you make will last beyond the results.

Today we are going to help leaders master this by using:

‘7 Traps for New Managers'.

Let’s dive in!

Download PDF at Bottom of Email

How New Managers Fail & What Not to Do

Micromanaging

Scenario: A new manager constantly reviews a team member’s work, making changes and asking for daily updates on progress.
- What to Do: Set clear goals and deadlines with the employee upfront, and only check in periodically to see if they need help. Focus on results rather than every detail of their process.
- What to Say: “I trust your expertise on this project. Let’s touch base at the end of the week to review progress and address any roadblocks.”

Avoiding Tough Conversations

Scenario: A team member consistently arrives late to work, but the manager avoids addressing it, hoping the issue resolves itself.
- What to Do: Schedule a private, calm conversation to discuss the behavior and its impact. Be empathetic but firm in communicating expectations.
- What to Say: “I’ve noticed you’ve been coming in late recently. Is there something affecting your schedule? Let’s work together to ensure this doesn’t disrupt team dynamics.”

Not Setting Clear Expectations

Scenario: A manager assigns a project without providing clear instructions, leaving the team unsure of deliverables.
- What to Do: At the start of the project, outline specific goals, deadlines, and success metrics. Check for understanding by asking the team to repeat the key objectives back to you.
- What to Say: “For this project, we need to deliver a detailed report with three key recommendations by next Friday. Let me know if anything about this goal is unclear.”

Taking Credit for Your Team’s Work

Scenario: During a meeting with leadership, the manager presents a successful project but fails to acknowledge the team’s contributions.
- What to Do: Publicly recognize the team’s efforts during the meeting and follow up with a personal thank-you to each member.
- What to Say: “This success was made possible by [Team Member A]'s research, [Team Member B]'s analysis, and [Team Member C]'s coordination. I’m proud of what the team achieved together.”

Failing to Delegate

Scenario: A manager spends hours on routine tasks instead of focusing on high-priority strategic decisions.
- What to Do: Identify tasks that can be handled by team members and match assignments with their strengths. Clearly communicate expectations and deadlines.
- What to Say: “You’ve shown great attention to detail in previous projects. Can you take ownership of [specific task] and keep me updated on progress by Friday?”

Ignoring Feedback

Scenario: Team members suggest improvements to a process, but the manager dismisses their ideas without consideration.
- What to Do: Actively listen to feedback and acknowledge its value, even if you can’t implement it immediately. Provide a reason if a suggestion isn’t feasible.
- What to Say: “Thank you for suggesting [idea]. While we can’t implement it right now due to [reason], I’ll keep it in mind for future opportunities. Please keep sharing your thoughts.”

Making Decisions Too Slowly

Scenario: A manager delays a decision on which software to use for an upcoming project, causing a bottleneck that wastes a lot of time.
- What to Do: Set a deadline for your decision-making process. Evaluate the options based on key priorities and commit to a choice to keep the project moving forward.
- What to Say: “After reviewing the options, I’ve decided we’ll use [Software A]. Let’s focus on moving forward with implementation this week.”

Lead by Example

A manager I worked with was struggling with micromanaging their team.

They frequently asked for daily updates, reviewed every detail of work, and revised tasks even after delegation.

The team felt frustrated, demotivated, and hesitant to take initiative because they feared their work would be overly scrutinized or redone.

Productivity dropped, and the team began missing deadlines due to lack of confidence and wasted time.

I worked with the manager to shift their approach and rebuild trust within the team by implementing the following steps -

Set Clear Goals:

I helped the manager define specific goals and outcomes for each project. We discussed how to communicate these clearly to the team upfront, so they knew what success looked like.

I coached the manager to say: “For this project, the goal is to create a final report with detailed visuals by Friday. I trust you to decide the best approach—let me know if you hit any obstacles.”

Establish Checkpoints Instead of Constant Oversight:

I suggested they schedule periodic check-ins (e.g., once a week) instead of daily updates, giving the team space to work independently.

I coached the manager to say: “Let’s meet every Wednesday to review progress. Use this time to share updates or ask for help if needed.”

Delegate Decision-Making Authority:

I encouraged the manager to empower the team to make decisions within their scope. This helped team members feel trusted and reduced the manager’s workload.

I coached the manager to say: “You’re in charge of how this is presented. Let me know if you need resources or input, but I trust your judgment.”

Provide Constructive Feedback:

I worked with the manager on giving feedback only when necessary and framing it as supportive, not critical.

I coached the manager to say: “I like the direction you’re taking. Consider adding this detail to strengthen the impact.”:

Results:

Over the next month, the manager’s efforts led to significant improvements. The team regained confidence in their abilities, and morale increased as they felt trusted to do their work.

Productivity improved because the team spent more time on execution and less time reporting back.

The manager also benefited—they saved hours previously spent on micromanaging and shifted focus to higher-priority tasks.

Here's how you can make it real over the next 4 days:

Day 1: Identify Your Triggers

Choose the trap you want to work on.
- Spend the day observing situations where you might fall into the trap you chose to work on. Write down:
  - What happened.
  - How you reacted.
  - What thoughts or emotions drove your response.
- Example for Micromanaging: You feel the need to check on a team member’s task every hour. Identify the moment that triggered this impulse.
ChatGPT Prompt to Help: "You are a management and relationships expert. Help me reflect on situations today where I might have fallen into [insert trap, e.g., Micromanaging or Avoiding Tough Conversations]. Guide me to identify what triggered my reaction, how I responded, and what thoughts or emotions influenced me.”

Day 2: Plan a New Approach

Based on your Day 1 observations, decide on one way you’ll handle the trap differently today. Write it down and act on it.
- Example for Micromanaging: Instead of hovering, set a clear outcome and a scheduled check-in for later in the week.
- Example for Avoiding Tough Conversations: Write down what you need to say to someone and practice delivering it calmly and clearly.
ChatGPT Prompt to Help: "Based on my observations from yesterday, help me create a clear and simple plan to handle [insert trap] differently today. Provide specific steps or actions I can take to replace my old habits with better ones."

Day 3: Act with Intention

Apply your new approach in a real situation. Be deliberate in recognizing and addressing the trap as it arises.
- Example for Ignoring Feedback: If someone shares feedback, listen without interrupting and ask clarifying questions like, “Can you tell me more about why you think that?”
- Example for Failing to Delegate: Assign a task to a team member, clearly explaining what you need and letting them take ownership.
ChatGPT Prompt to Help: "Help me apply my plan from yesterday to a real situation at work today. Guide me on how to stay calm, focus on my goal, and handle the situation effectively while avoiding [insert trap]."

Day 4: Reflect and Adjust

Reflect on how the last three days went. Write down:
- What worked well.
- What didn’t go as planned.
- What you’ll continue to do or adjust moving forward.
Example: If setting clear expectations helped your team deliver better results, commit to using this approach in every project briefing.
ChatGPT Prompt to Help: "Help me reflect on how I handled [insert trap] over the past three days. What worked well? What didn’t? Guide me in identifying what I can adjust to keep improving and how to make this a lasting change."

No manager is perfect, and every mistake holds a lesson.

The traps you fall into can teach you how to become a better leader.

When you reflect on your actions and adjust, you set a powerful example.

Growth happens when you allow yourself the time and space to improve.

Leadership is about progress, not perfection.

A great manager helps their team grow while learning alongside them.

Until next week and with lots of love,

Justin

This Week’s Growth Recommendations

Book To Read:

"First, Break All the Rules" by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman (see it here)

TED Talk to Watch

"What It Takes to Be a Great Leader" by Roselinde Torres (see it here)

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