13 Fatal Errors*
Management was defined by W. S. Brown as the "skill of attaining predetermined objectives with and through the voluntary cooperation and effort of others." The three important elements of this definition are skill, attaining, and voluntary. Skills are management techniques perfected through practice. Attaining means focusing on results, not just the efforts by which desired results may be obtained. And voluntary means just that; followers must be willing to follow. You can't just issue orders and expect absolute compliance; there must exist a willingness to follow your lead.
Mismanagement is often attributable to the following 13 fatal errors:
01. Refuse to accept personal accountability
03. Try to control results instead of influencing thinking
05. Manage everyone the same way
06. Forget the importance of profit
07. Concentrate on problems rather than objectives
12. Recognize only top performers
*Brown, W. S. 1985. 13 Fatal Errors Managers Make and How You Can Avoid Them. Berkley Books, New York. 200 p.