10 Leadership Mistakes That Disrespect Your Team

The 10 Ways You’re Likely Disrespecting Someone Today

I saw a really neat LinkedIn post that said, “Here are the 10 ways you’re likely disrespecting someone today.” And it hit me that I do a lot of these things. And it gave me so much growth that I was like, I really want to share this. So, I’m going to share these with you one by one, perhaps with some thoughts from me.

But obviously, I’m somebody who has to grow so much and can learn so much from these. So, I’m going to basically say that I need these more than anybody. Here we go.

Number One: You’ll Hand Someone Work Without the Details They Need to Do It Right

This is Jason Schroeder sin number one through 45. For everything that I’ve ever done in my life, I live with this. Maybe I spent my childhood as an only child. I have a half-brother and half-sister. They’re 12 and 13 years older than me, approximately, that I really never lived with. And so I grew up as an only child. Even when they were in the house, I was in a separate area because of the dynamics of my mother’s divorce and things like that.

So, I mean, I saw them, but we weren’t close. And really, I grew up as an only child. Anyway, probably like most other people, so I’m not saying I’m unique. But I lived out in Apple Valley, California. And my parents built a beautiful big house way out in the desert. And there were a couple of people around, like my grandma and like a distant aunt and uncle. But nearest neighbor is maybe a quarter of a mile away. And not very many people at that. The bus had to go way out to get us.

Anyway, so I spent a lot of time by myself and being in my head. And so, it’s hard for me sometimes to know whether or not I’m clearly communicating or just thinking about something inside my head. And so oftentimes, I’ll find myself sometimes where, when I’m on a long trip with one of my children and I’m like, “Holy hell, have I just been thinking and talking to myself for 10 minutes and ignoring my child?” Like maybe everybody does that.

But I guess what I’m saying is like, I will just expect irrationally that somebody knows what I want. And it’s really quite irresponsible. So this is like a huge wake up call for me. I’m doing more voice notes, more impact filters, meaning clear instructions where AI is helping me. Just videos like, “Hey, I’ll just record a quick video.” I’m really, really working on this. And I thought you’d like it too.

Number Two: You’ll Interrupt Someone Who Is Finally Getting Real Work Done

Oh my gosh, I have a pet project. I want to go ahead and get this done when they’re actually in a focus.

Number Three: You’ll Make Someone Wait Because You Didn’t Reply, Decide, or Prepare

This one I’m not too bad at because I hate disrespecting people’s time. But you know, if it’s email didn’t reply, like in every situation, can you get back to them right away? And if I’m not going to use email, have I just sent them back a message in some way?

Number Four: You’ll Give Someone a Deadline You Didn’t Think Through

That one’s a big one because it could overburden somebody. Oh, the other thing is not giving a deadline at all is automatically an ASAP deadline. Like I’ve with the personal administrators gotten to a point where I’m like, “Hey, this is not important. Like next six months is fine.”

And then I realized one time, our personal administrators were really, really stressed. And I was like, “Well, why are you stressed?” And they were like, “We’re getting everything done that you tell me every day.” And I’m sending them stuff all day. And I’m like, “Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Some of that’s not even important.” But how are they supposed to know?

So now I’m like, “Nope, that’s not important. We can get that done in the next year. Or hey, that one we can get done in the next three months. Hey, this one is actually urgent.” So, I love that.

Number Five: You’ll Dump Your Disorganization on Someone Else to Clean Up

I’ve gotten a lot better about this. But I’ll give you an example. Having a disorganized trailer or boot camp organization, then dumps it on the people helping me to set up a boot camp. Now, like this last boot camp over the Christmas break, I took some time, I think it took a day. It took a little bit longer than that. But it took a day to unpack the trailer, get it all Leaned out, label everything, create standard work.

And it was like setup and takedown was remarkable. I was respecting their time. So, I like this. I learned a lot with this one recently.

Number Six: You’ll Ignore a Problem and Force Someone Else to Deal with It Later

One of the ways where this shows up with me is where I have an unpopular opinion and could lead and everybody’s arguing and I’m staying out of it to be liked. And really the lack of clarity is just me disrespecting people. I don’t know if you do that sometimes too.

Number Seven: You’ll Leave a Workplace Messy and Expect the Next Person to Clean It

I don’t do this anymore after my Lean journey, but definitely one to consider.

Number Eight: You’ll Change the Plan Without Telling the People Affected

Definitely something to watch out for.

Number Nine: You’ll Assume Someone Should Know Instead of Explaining the Expectations

Oh my gosh, this is sin number 46 through 100. And I’m always talking about elevating people and training and then I don’t clearly explain it. I’ve changed that a lot. You know what’s so weird with me, with most of the books that we have that are published out there in the industry and the videos and things are things that we’re doing so I can better explain it to our own company. And so, the books are really guides, like internal manuals for our folks.

And a lot of the videos I created because it was an actual need from one of our folks. I’m getting better at that.

Number Ten: You’ll Reward Effort Instead of Correcting the Lack of Results

So, this one’s a tough one because somebody’s effort is key. And if they’re not providing or getting to the results and they have awesome effort, it’s really a system problem. So, I would actually change this to saying you don’t dig in to fix the process or the system so the person can actually achieve the results.

So not perfect, saw it on LinkedIn and I just loved it. And this was one of those, you know, not everything I see on social media helps me, but this one really, really helped me. I don’t know if it is going to help you, but I sure hope it does.

Here are the ten ways you’re likely disrespecting someone today:

• Handing work without details: You expect people know what you want irrationally. It’s irresponsible. Fix: voice notes, impact filters with clear instructions, quick videos. AI helps. Record a quick video explaining exactly what you need.
• Interrupting someone in focus: You have a pet project you want done when they’re actually getting real work done. Respect their focus time.
• Making someone wait (didn’t reply, decide, or prepare): Email didn’t reply. Every situation: can you get back to them right away? If not using email, send them back a message some way.
• Giving deadlines you didn’t think through: Could overburden somebody. Also: not giving a deadline at all is automatically an ASAP deadline. Fix: “Not important, next six months is fine” or “Next three months” or “Actually urgent.”
• Dumping disorganization on someone else: Disorganized trailer dumps it on people helping setup. Fix: take a day, unpack, Lean out, label everything, create standard work. Setup and takedown become remarkable. Respect their time.
• Ignoring a problem, forcing someone else to deal with it later: You have unpopular opinion, could lead, everybody’s arguing, you stay out of it to be liked. Lack of clarity is disrespecting people.
• Leaving workplace messy, expecting next person to clean it: After Lean journey, don’t do this anymore. Definitely one to consider.
• Changing the plan without telling people affected: Something to watch out for.
• Assuming someone should know instead of explaining expectations: Always talking about elevating people and training, then don’t clearly explain it. Fix: books are internal manuals for our folks, videos created because actual need from one of our folks.
• Rewarding effort instead of fixing the system: If they’re not getting results and they have awesome effort, it’s really a system problem. Fix: dig in to fix the process or the system so the person can actually achieve the results.

If your project needs superintendent coaching, project support, or leadership development, Elevate Construction can help your field teams stabilize, schedule, and flow.

A Challenge for Construction Leaders

Here’s what I want you to do this week. Print this list. Read it every morning. Ask yourself: which of these ten am I doing today? Then fix it. Hand work without details? Record a quick video explaining exactly what you need. Interrupt someone in focus? Respect their focus time. Make someone wait? Get back to them right away. Give bad deadlines? Say “not important, next six months is fine” or “actually urgent.” Dump disorganization? Take a day, Lean out, label everything, create standard work. Ignore a problem? Lead with clarity. Leave workplace messy? Clean it. Change the plan? Tell people affected. Assume someone should know? Explain expectations clearly. Reward effort without results? Dig in to fix the system.

Not everything I see on social media helps me, but this one really, really helped me. I don’t know if it is going to help you, but I sure hope it does. As we say at Elevate, ten ways you disrespect people: hand work without details, interrupt focus, make them wait, give bad deadlines, dump disorganization, ignore problems.

On we go.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the biggest way people disrespect others at work?

Handing someone work without the details they need to do it right. You expect people know what you want irrationally. It’s irresponsible. Fix: voice notes, impact filters, quick videos explaining exactly what you need.

Why is not giving a deadline disrespectful?

Because not giving a deadline at all is automatically an ASAP deadline. Personal administrators were really stressed: “We’re getting everything done that you tell me every day.” Fix: “Not important, next six months” or “Actually urgent.”

How does dumping disorganization disrespect people?

Disorganized trailer dumps it on people helping setup. Fix: take a day, unpack, Lean out, label everything, create standard work. Setup and takedown becomes remarkable. Respect their time.

What’s wrong with rewarding effort instead of correcting lack of results?

If they’re not getting results and they have awesome effort, it’s really a system problem. Don’t reward effort instead of fixing the system. Dig in to fix the process so the person can actually achieve the results.

How does ignoring a problem disrespect people?

You have unpopular opinion, could lead, everybody’s arguing, you stay out of it to be liked. Lack of clarity is disrespecting people. Lead with clarity instead of avoiding the problem.