I knew this Plant manager that worked for one of my former companies. He had been with the company twelve years and had started as a floor supervisor out in the plant. Once upon a time he was a "stick to it" kind of guy, but towards the end, I had taken notice of his increasingly poor work habits. Arriving late, taking long lunches and leaving early. It started gradually at first, but little by little over the last year or so, before the plant's closing, these habits seem to become more like some set of perceived earned management perks.A team can't win if the quarterback is sitting on the sidelines admiring the footballs.Managers need to be involved and seen in a positive role. Leaders need to be both seen as consistent and enlightened. Consistent in their demeanor and in the way that they treat their people and enlightened enough to be open to new ideas. If you are a manager, in decline, you may have lost sight of some of the things that made you successful in the first place. One of the most dangerous things about bad habits are that we usually don't recognize what we're doing until it's too late. They creep into our day-to-day routine and before we know it, they control us. If you see yourself in the list below, perhaps it's time for a management style makeover.
Bad Habit: You dislike your customers. If you hesitate to speak to customers, or begin to avoid your responsibilities. If you are impatient with questions, or unwilling to solve problems. If you physically deflate whenever someone approaches you with a problem to be solved? It won't be long before your employees will come to the understanding that you just don't give a ****! Then your work environment will begin to cascade into a downward spiral of problems. They will get the message that it is OK to treat their customers this way and follow suit. Remember, a customer is defined as anyone that you are responsible for and too. It can be your employee(s) or a superior or a person or persons that buy your goods or services. Anyone that you must interact with during the course of your duties. This behavior may come back to haunt you.
NOTE: Employees usually follow a manager’s behavioral lead.
**** rolls down hill and so does leadership.
The atmosphere that a manager creates is an essential part of the character of the company. If a manager creates an atmosphere of fear and mistrust, whereas, every time he or she walks out onto the plant floor the employees scramble to get away or hide, then that is not respect.
THAT IS FEAR! It may serve to boast the manager’s ego, but does little to bolster the company. No valuable employee would do anything that he or she knows, with absolute certainty, his or her superior would disapprove of or fervently dis-allow. Having an atmosphere of trust and respect is far superior to fear and resentment.
There must be a clear understanding, as to parameters!We all are aware of things that are done regularly that don’t always meet with the standard, stated practices of the company. They are done with the old proverbial “wink and a nod” from management. In the most overt cases this is done because, the individual(s) are pretty sure that they are not going to get caught or taken to task for doing so.
Translation: The boss is either, to lazy minded to catch them, or silently condones the action by looking the other way. Hence the old proverbial “wink and a nod”. Perhaps he or she is just plain ill-equipped to deal with the situation or in desperate need of updated training. In which case should not be in this position in the first place. Factored into this is what I term as," Intellectual lazyism!". This is not a derogatory description or insult, but rather a descriptive form of being that permeates the hierarchy of every company. I shall have to expand upon this idea in a later editorial.
Break the habit: Your understanding of the value of customers may be in need of a major overhaul. Take a refresher customer service class at a community college, find out what the latest perspectives are in the world of customer service, or perhaps your company has such a course. Perhaps there has been a paradigm shift in the way your company does business and you have missed out on it somewhere along the way. Write a list of reasons why customers and employees are important to you. For example: your company's success means you stay employed, hold onto your house or keep your car or, if applicable, allow you to make your alimony and child support payments or lease that hooker for those weekend getaways from the Mr./Mrs. WHATEVER! Perhaps it guarantees that you can continue to send money to a charitable institution or tithing to a church. Whatever your needs are, remind yourself of what is truly important in your life.
Bad Habit: You abuse your power by abusing time. Do you hit the snooze button one extra time some mornings? Order one more cup of coffee / martini at lunch? Knock off at 4:45, citing traffic as a reason for "getting the heck out of there?" On your cell phone, for personal calls, for longer and longer periods of time. If these are your bad habits, you cannot expect employees to take you seriously when you question their 70 minute lunches, or write them up for arriving 15 minutes late or chatting around the water cooler for too long at a time. Set the example!
Break the habit: Perhaps these habits are the result of a professional rut you have gotten into. Start looking at advances you'd like to make within the company or in your career in general. If you have something to work toward again, a goal, a vision, you'll probably step up your game. Your new attitude, or passion, will be contagious and inspiring, especially if you get a promotion out of it. Challenge yourself with a new set of goals.
Bad Habit: You openly show your dislike of superiors. Perhaps you have been overloaded with assignments lately, or gotten chewed out by your boss. Maybe you just feel unappreciated overall. While you may find these things upsetting, that information is not something to share with those you manage. Employees who listen to your disrespect of upper management may develop an overall lack of respect for the chain of command, which for them, starts with you. So, bite your tongue and keep your focus on the important issues. Otherwise you may notice a change in the way your employees talk about you! Not a very enjoyable prospect is it? Try putting yourself in their shoes. How would you be any different?
Break the habit: You have a right to your feelings, but choose a better sounding board!!! Your spouse, friends or parents will let you vent without fear of backlash. Keep it between close friends and family. Always keep in mind that the people that work for and with you are constantly sizing both you and the situation up. Make sure that you are sending the "right" signals.
Bad Habit: You dress unprofessionally. In today's visual society, people feast with their eyes, talk with their hands and size you up by the way you dress and the words that you use. When you appear to not care about how you look, or speak, the perception will be that you don't care about yourself or much else, let alone them. Some employees may follow your example, causing you to come under fire for such a poor departmental image and performance. With the exception of casual (designated) days try to keep some semblance of a dress code while in the office. It should be dignified and respectful and of course professional. Read a dictionary for God's sake and try to rehearse a few pat answers to the most common questions. A thesaurus might come in handy as well! If out in the factory or shop, at the very least ,the dress code should be about clean and presentable dress attire. Even under the harshest of conditions a manager can ware jeans and a uniform shirt etc.
For the women: I know that showing an “overabundance” of cleavage in the office is the norm these days, but showing to much is a distraction. It sends the wrong message to your co-workers as well, and in some cases it is just plain un-tasteful. I suggest that keeping the neckline to a comfortable depth, so as to leave something to the imagination, is more appropriate for both the office and the workplace.NO ATTIRE THAT EXPOSES TOO MUCH OF THE GOODS, IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.
Break the habit: If you don't think anyone is looking at you, or noticing do an experiment. Write down people's reactions to you on a "regular" day, Jot down their name and demeanor and how they address you. Then dress up the next day and note those results and compare the two. You'll be surprised at how much more seriously you're taken when you look the part. You don't have to over do it, just dress like the professional that you should, would or could be.
Bad Habit: You steal products/profits and time. Perhaps you have found a way to "get away with" a few items or dollars that the company doesn't notice. After all, you think your entitled right? Sort of your own private compensation package. I mean, why not, everyone else does it right? Graft and company theft is ramped and a crime that most look upon as harmless, but I assure you that it is not! When you steal from your company you steal from yourself, (in respect), and from every employee within the company. You harm your company and thus you harm everyone that is affiliated with said company. If your employees are aware they will begin doing it too. They will totally disregard you and your rules, knowing that they now have a powerful piece of information that can destroy your career and land you in jail. Does this even need explaining? Don't give in to mindless temptations.
Break the habit: Seek financial assistance. Non-profit credit agencies can help you manage your bills. You may need a second job. If it is not financial, consult a therapist to help you understand and change your behavior. Whatever the reason is you must STOP!
Bad Habit: Don’t “F” the help!
You get too personal. Forming deeply personal or romantic relationships with your employees can cause other employees to resent co-workers they see as being privileged. Others may form similar relationships, which can be distracting at best, and at worst disastrous, If people begin covering for others poor work habits and mistakes, because of a personal relationship that they are having with the employee, it will cause jealousy and envy among your remaining employees. This is the single most ethical dilemma in the workplace. We spend a majority of our waking hours at work, so it is an easy temptation to form personal relationships more from a proximity and availability standpoint, but don't! It will take strength of character to resist the temptation(s), but resist you must. Build a strong relationship outside of your employment, so that you may easily withstand any temptation the workplace may yield. If you do happen to fall in love with a fellow employee, you must recuse yourself, request a transfer or quit. Then you can enjoy the relationship to it's fullest potential. Worst-case scenario is if that person works under, over or in close daily proximity to you. You must disengage any connection with this employee if you wish to continue the liaison, or very soon the surrounding employees will take notice of the relationship and begin to feel jealousy and outrage over what they will view as preferential treatment being afforded this individual. A decline in civility and a rise in apathy will occur. One often overlooked problem is the employee grapevine. Gossip can effect your job performance, if you perceive that the person you are having the relationship with is having a relationship with another employee also, then you will not be able to stay focused on your job for long.
Break the habit: If you are seeking camaraderie, develop some team building activities, or reward outings that can be fun and even feel family-like. Get out and seek companionship elsewhere outside the company circles. Build a strong relationship outside of your employment, so that you may easily withstand any temptation the workplace may yield. In short don't have non-professional relationships at work! You must take stock of what is paramount in your life. Perhaps it is home, family, future, child's college fund, retirement etc. Whatever it is you must keep cognizant of the fact that cultivating these bad habits can cost you your dreams, your aspirations. Create an action plan and stay disciplined in achieving your goals in life. Above all be honest with yourself! Be ever vigilant! Watch out for the bad habits that try to creep into our day-to-day complacent minds. People try to break the smoking habit, the overeating habit and even quit excessive drinking every day. Some researchers claim that you cannot break a long standing habit, but merely exchange it for/with another one. If that is the case, make sure that you substitute your bad habit with a good one! And while it may not be easy, it is always worth it! You will end up feeling better, looking better and inspiring those around you to do the same. Start recognizing and breaking your bad work habits for the health of your career, and start enjoying your success!Break away from those things that are holding you down or back, even if they seem like little things at the moment. From small things big problems can grow. From small gestures great things can be accomplished! Best of luck. Form great habits now and sustain them throughout your life for success.

Someone must be having a bad day!

No, not at all,But thanks for asking:)
Bill