Seven deadly sins of management, Solutions!, Online Exclusives, February 2005, Vol. 88(2)

Pride. Envy. Gluttony. Lust. Anger. Greed. Sloth. You either recognize these as the seven deadly sins or as themes for prime-time television. Nonetheless, you were probably taught as a child that these are bad and you shouldn’t do them. For this article, do as you were taught and think "bad" when you commit these similar sins in the workplace.

Knowing the mechanics of managing a project or team are secondary to the character attributes that managers display in their daily actions. Here are the seven deadly sins of management, and how to avoid them. Can you relate to any of these?

Sin #1 - Arrogance
Ever known a manager that consistently claimed to know more than the rest of the team? Maybe you’ve known someone unwilling to listen to opposing views. Isn’t this just a sign of confidence? What’s wrong with that?

Confidence as a manager is crucial, because people will look to you, particularly when things get tough. When confidence runs amok and turns to arrogance, the manager disrespects the team. Show respect and have confidence and you’ll do fine. Subtract out respect and you’re just an arrogant doofus.

Sin #2 - Indecisiveness
So you have a meeting on Monday and management agrees on a course of action. On Tuesday, the manager decides to take a completely different course of action. Thursday the manager goes back to Monday’s course of action. The following Monday you’re back re-hashing through the same problem from last Monday. Blech.

Decisiveness means that the manager listens to those around him or her and then makes the best decision for the project that the rest of the team can understand, and sticks to it. While team members may not agree with the decision, they should be able to see the rationale. Decisions without rationale or without listening will ultimately frustrate the team and put a target on your back.

Sin #3 - Disorganization
We’ve all known a manager who asks for the same information multiple times, keeps the plan in her head instead of writing things down, or is so frantic that he is on the verge of spontaneously combusting. This type of disorganization creates unneeded stress and frustration for the project team.

The manager needs to pave a clear pathway for the staff to get from start to completion, and must make sure 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 schedule" by cutting corners and eliminating tasks. Despite the entire project team telling me we were in deep yogurt, I stubbornly forged ahead. I ended up never seeing the end of the project because my stubbornness got me removed as the project manager. Talk about a 2x4 across the head.

Managers may believe that their view of reality is the right way to go, but it’s imperative to balance their own perspectives with those of the rest of their project teams. Decisiveness without listening to the team leads to stubbornness.

Sin #5 - Negativism
One of my peer managers, in his zeal to "manage expectations," would consistently discuss the project in a negative light. Either the focus was on what work didn’t get done, what the new issue of the week was, or who was not doing the job. His 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 is simple: a "glass-is-half-empty" manager is going to be a horrible motivator and will sap the energy from a team. This does not mean that you have to be a shiny-happy person all the time; but it does mean that the manager must truly believe in what he or she is doing, and should positively motivate the team to get there.

Sin #6 - Cowardice
Imagine this: the manager who, when pressed on a budget or schedule over-run, will blame team members, stakeholders, or anyone else that could possibly have contributed to her non-performance. For this manager, it is much easier to play the blame game and implicate others because everything didn’t go perfectly as planned. What a weenie.

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 to admit their mistakes and learn from them as opposed to being the last ones to admit their mistakes.

Sin #7 - Distrust
Simply put, managers who don’t display necessary skills, show wisdom in their decisions, or demonstrate integrity are not going to be trusted. For team members to truly trust their leader, they must believe that the manager has the skills to manage the project, the wisdom to make sound business decisions, and the integrity to put the team’s interests ahead of their own. Take any one of these attributes away, and it is just a matter of time before the manager gets voted off the island.

About the author:
Lonnie Pacelli has more than 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. You can reach Lonnie at: www.projectmanagementadvisor.com.