Portfolio assignment

Leadership Pitfalls

The human resource department is often tasked with the management of a company's workforce in the implementation and ultimate realization of goals and mission. Over time, management studies have laid bare the critical need for the strengthening of the human resource departments of organizations as its role has a direct bearing on the employee input and output (Sinclair, 2015). That need, therefore, has highlighted the problem of poor managing of workers, a phenomenon that is reported to impact negatively on the general performance of an organization (Anon, 2017). The ensuing paper is an address to managers in the department of human resource detailing the leadership pitfalls that are known to influence companies and their appropriate remedies negatively.

The submission is grounded on the need to show appreciation and value for the workforce in any organization. Scholars of management have established that employees are the single most important asset any company can own. As such, it is increasingly becoming essential to treat them with the respect and value they so deserve. Accordingly, a proper remedy can only be found upon the interrogation of the issues that define leadership pitfalls. According to Anon (2017), leadership pitfalls refer to the failures or omissions of the essential elements in providing an optimal environment that in turn influences great performance by the workforce.

As submitted by Christine Comaford in her literature "The value of valuing employees," she identifies leadership pitfalls that must be addressed in ensuring the employees are in the right state of mind and that they are motivated to give their best as they feel part of the company. These include a show of appreciation, celebration of employee success and provision of feedback. According to Sinclair (2015), the implementation of these factors cultivates a feeling where employees feel loved and appreciated, valued and needed. The results are often positive as employees tend to operate at their best, bringing new ideas and being innovative in their daily undertakings (Anon, 2017). Inversely, in a situation where there is a detached relationship between company management and the workforce, employee’s manifest withdrawal symptoms. That means that they develop a lack of motivation in their duties and ultimately shutting down. That phenomenon is referred to as the critter state.

The first significant pitfall is the failure to reply to emails and provide whatever kind of feedback. Initially, loyal employees will engage their managers whenever need be. That often happens through email communication as there is hardly enough time to discuss or consult one on one. It is an undoing of significant proportions when the boss fails to reply to such engagements. As a result, an employee is bound to feel that his input is not being recognized and hence interpret that as worthless, resulting in disappointment and lower motivation in duty performance (Anon, 2017). However busy, it is very critical that human resource managers and other company leaders take time to respond recognize and respond appropriately to their subordinates. Additionally, high leadership demands of managers to provide timely feedback to employee issues as that would mean much for the workforce. The fact that authorities can take time to address observations and suggestions made by employees shows a close working relationship between the two levels as well as appreciation. Employers should continuously engage their workers of their strengths and weaknesses if need be, thereby keeping them informed of what and how best to respond henceforth.

Another pitfall is the failure to celebrate achievements. Organizing periodical picnics and retreats is essential. These are essential leadership strategies that provide an opportunity for the appreciation of a performance done either individually or as a group. While at it, leadership requires that performers are called out and given positive reviews. Additionally, Comaford opines that payment is never a reward enough for a job done excellently. As such, there is the need for victory celebration by recognizing the teams or individuals that have excelled in specific areas. Human resource studies point out the importance of encouraging fellowship and fostering positive relationships among workers (Sinclair, 2015). Sometimes it helps to unwind together as employees of an organization without feeling as if one is eating into company time. Overall, recognition boosts persons' motivation in keeping up the good work or even doing better (Anon, 2017). While mistakes may be pointed out during briefs or through individual engagements, workers that deserve applause should be given praise whenever they deserve it.

Acknowledgment of employees only in the event they make a mistake is a pitfall that should be avoided by leaders. Leadership demands that one builds on the positive and improves on the negative (Sinclair, 2015). What that means is that managers should embrace the culture of magnifying the right things done by employees. That does not mean that there should be no mention of poor performances. However, it should be done in a way that encourages rather than bruises the confidence and motivation of an employee (Anon, 2017). When employees are publicly recognized for their work, they get inspired to keep up the trend.

In summary, management has established the presence of various ways through which companies can provide leadership. However, the ultimate mission is to chart a way forward for the realization of its objectives and goals. The barriers to organizational success, as submitted by scholars, mostly lie in the management pitfalls discussed above. As such, they must be identified and addressed by any company that looks to guarantee a reliable and motivated human resource (Anon, 2017) that ultimately impacts company fortunes positively.

References

Anon, (2017). [online] Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4541114/ [Accessed 14 Nov. 2017].

Sinclair, A. (2015). Possibilities, purpose and pitfalls: Insights from introducing mindfulness to leaders. Journal of Spirituality, Leadership and Management, 8(1), 3.