Rookie Management Mistakes to Avoid at All Costs

Management is an entirely different skillset from being an individual contributor — avoid these costly first-mistakes.

I’ve been fortunate enough to see a lot of first-time managers take up the responsibility of managing their teams for the first time. Almost like clockwork, they generally fall into a series of common traps and early mistakes. The good ones learn from them — the bad ones repeat them.

It’s unfortunate but expected — management is an entirely different skillset than being a good individual contributor.

In many companies, a person enters their first management job without support or mentorship — a trial by fire. Startups often grow so rapidly that the initial contributors rise to management positions for the first time in their careers. They never get the opportunity to learn how to do it “right” and make a lot mistakes in figuring out how to manage effectively, if they even learn it at all.

While mistakes are an opportunity to learn and improve, some mistakes can be costly. Easy-to-avoid mistakes can drive away high performers and create a negative team culture that takes months or even years to repair, if it is even reparable at all.

Avoid these common management mistakes.

Not giving feedback early and consistently

New managers often let low performance slide, rationalizing that this is just a one-time thing or hoping that the employee will improve on their own. They invariably don’t improve, and the employee is blindsided by being fired a while later.

Not providing feedback stems from a lack of confidence and a desire to avoid the discomfort of conflict.

However, managers must get over this. Managers do tremendous damage to not only the individual but also the organization when they let low performance fester. High performers in the organization are demoralized when low performers are given a pass. On the flip side, the low performer is never given a chance to improve and become better, and the low performance after firing may greatly impact their ability to find another job.