Want to know five dumb things that managers do that could be avoided with the use of a little common sense? Here are five dumb things managers do and the recommended actions they need to take instead.

• Take credit for the project or an employee’s idea or plan.

Smart managers learn quickly that one of the most significant forms of employee acknowledgement and recognition occurs when a manager gives credit – publicly – where credit is due. On the flip side, managers who consciously or unconsciously take credit for an employee’s idea, completed project or contribution, are universally despised.

No one expects that all the brilliance is the manager’s. In fact, managers who can bring out the brilliance in others are cherished. Managers look like good managers when their reporting staff succeeds.

Otherwise, Employees won't talk with their manager anymore.

• Make rules to control the actions of a few employees that must be extended to the many.

You will always have problem employees and smart managers address the problems directly with the problem employee. Unthinking managers make up new policies and make everyone accountable for adhering to the new policies – whether their performance was problematic – or not.

For example, in a high school, the principal became increasingly upset with a few teachers who persistently arrived late to work and were unprepared to teach their first session. Or worse, they were not there on time to supervise their students. He began by yelling about attendance at every staff meeting. When his yelling created no improvement, he yelled louder and threatened the entire teaching staff with suspension.

Then, he created a sign-in list in the main office and required teachers to sign in and out daily so he could monitor them. This caused, on a daily basis, teachers who formerly entered the building by the door convenient to their classroom, to make two unnecessary treks to the office each day. Several had to make child care changes and all felt as if they were not trusted. The sign-in list was a true morale buster the entire school year and the behavior of the miscreants never changed.

• Keep the wrong people – for too long.

Managers know fairly quickly that a new employee may not be a good fit for the organization’s needs. But, managers hesitate to address the problem quickly and decisively. They dislike conflict, delude themselves into believing the employee will improve with training, or dread the recruitment and resultant time investment in finding a replacement. They also hate to look like they made a bad choice. No one likes to be wrong.

But, wrong becomes right when a manager quickly addresses a bad employment decision or match.

Make promises that you can’t - or won’t – keep or promises that have conditions attached that you don't share.

Employees take managers at their word and they are willing to listen and give credence to a manager's promises one time. If they’re burned, they won’t trust the manager and he will have difficulty overcoming the lack of trust in the future. Six words are important in a manager’s vocabulary. They are, “I don’t know; I’ll find out,” when a manager is faced with any questions or situations about which he or she can’t predict the outcome.

• Fail to trust employees until an employee proves himself untrustworthy.

Similar to dealing with offenders directly before subjecting all employees to rules, managers need to make trusting employees their norm, not blindly, but believe that the majority of employees are trustworthy. Then address untrustworthy behavior directly with the employee who is untrustworthy. When managers treat employees as if they are not worthy of trust, they will regard their manager with distrust in return.

Managers have a tough job because they deal every day with people. But, they don't have to make their jobs even more difficult. Addressing management and employee interaction with common sense goes a long way toward developing an employee-friendly workplace. Positive employee morale, motivation, and engagement result when managers do the right things right with people.