There are many managers out there that simply do not manage because they are not confident in their abilities. It is common to see them not want to make a tough decision because of the fear of making mistakes. These managers lack confidence and cannot properly determine what the best response is. Alternatively, action is taken and just a second later doubt starts to appear. In many cases we see such managers operate in vacuums. Not much support from or access to other managers is in place.
German Trujillo Manrique says that the signs that a manager lacks confidence are:
- The leader goes to the HR department in order to discuss all employee situations.
- The leader gets really stressed about the decisions that need to be made.
- The leader backs down from suggestions whenever they believe that support lacks from upper management or peers.
- The leader does not initiate changes in operating procedures or staffing.
- The leader hides lack of confidence behind bragging, blaming others and bluster.
Whenever managers lack confidence, employees quickly figure it out and will try to fully take advantage of the situation. This is usually done by misrepresenting or manipulating issues or facts. Employees are vital for an organization so managers have to be sure that daily activities are properly managed. Discipline needs to be imposed and change has to be implemented. A manager can hide shortcomings by simply refusing responsibility for inactions or actions. This should never happen in order for the business to be effective.
The good news it that the confidence of the manager can be built. One of the easiest ways to do this is to provide access to mentors that come from highly experienced and seasoned managers. Such mentors can easily help locate brand new managers that fully understand company culture, together with the expectations of upper management. Mentors are capable of sharing experiences, like mistakes, with the goal of offering support to the organization’s new managers and also encourage them.
Another great suggestion is to establish some meeting times where managers get together. They can talk among themselves or the meeting can include employees. The goal is to allow participants to get to know each other. Relationships can be established while mutual encouragement and support can be provided. After the relationships are established, the managers can use peers in order to make really good decisions or launch some initiatives that are planned.
If you are a manager and you have problems with confidence, remember that there are always ways in which you can get the help that you need. Numerous courses are available online. Enrol in them. Also, you can talk with managers that are much more experienced than you. They are going to be really valuable whenever you need advice.
Remember the fact that confidence does not appear overnight. You will feel bad at various moments in time and it is normal to still be faced with moments when you are not confident. Patience is needed in order to improve yourself. Never doubt the fact that you can become the confident person you want to be.
