Most good managers know that they're unlikely to achieve the results they want from their team if they micromanage, change goals frequently, or take credit for staffers' ideas. There are a myriad less-obvious management mistakes that are sure to demoralize the team, however. Vitaly Dubravin, CTO at IT consulting firm GRT Corp., spells out a handful of them in a post at CIO magazine.

• Do not underestimate the effort required for any given task. Instead of dictating how long you think something should take, you should listen to your team's estimate, and only then challenge the estimate if you disagree.
• Do not override decisions made by employees you have delegated decision-making to. If you assign someone a role, make sure you also grant them the authority that goes with it.
• Do not expect great results from multi-tasking, particularly if you assign someone two tasks that are of a different nature. It takes time for people to move from one task to another because they have to adapt to a different context. "Your 'quick' phone call or a surprise visit to someone's cubicle has the same impact on person's performance--you pulled him away from the task and now he has to spend some time to get back to it," Dubravin writes.
• Do not trust the expertise of external sources more than you trust your team's expertise. Your team has the best understanding of a project, even though external sources might come up with cool-sounding ideas.
• Do not send emails late at night if they require action. You might expect your staff to wait until morning to read their email, but chances are they'll see one from you as soon as you send it. "Use Delayed Delivery option in the mail system to schedule morning delivery. Give your team a break and a chance to have some private life," Dubravin advises.

For more:
- see Vitaly Dubravin's post at CIO

Related Articles:
How to delegate more effectively
Tips for creating an environment of trust