Posted by Morag Barrett | June 3, 20145 Reasons You Are Frustrated at WorkOne of the great delusions among leaders today is that the frustrations they experience in their organizations are caused by other people. The feeling is that they know what they want to accomplish, but it’s the inability of others that prevents them from delivering success. The reality, however, is that they bring most of their frustrations on themselves.Here are five ways that leaders create their own frustrations.No Vision. Surprising as it may seem, many leaders lack vision. They simply don’t know where they want their organization to go. They may not even know where it is right now. Instead they come to work each day determined to keep things pretty much as they are; just ticking over. The problem is that even pace-makers need a new battery once in a while. In addition, everyone else needs to know where leaders want to go, which means that if you don’t know; how will they?No Goals. Without a vision, it’s impossible for leaders to specify their goals. Goals are shorter term milestones that take you in the direction of your vision. Goals without a vision are like wandering through a flea market. All of the stalls present opportunities, but since you don’t know where you’re going your trajectory resembles a boat without a rudder. The best you can manage is the momentary savoring of a few smells, of the products that is.No Plan. It’s possible to have a vision, albeit a vague one, and to have some lofty goals, but without the concrete plans you won’t achieve any of them. If the people in your organization aren’t taking action, then it’s probably because they have no idea what to do. If you have a vision and a few goals, then chances are that you’ve been thinking about them quite a lot. The people you work with and who work for you, however, have only what you say to go on. That means that you have to educate them. What’s common sense or obvious to you is likely to be uncommon and obscure to everyone else.No Decisions. For some, the word “leader” is an accidental part of their job title or job description. It bears no resemblance to what they actually do. Among other things, this is characterized by their uncanny ability to disappear when a decision of any kind has to be made. They don’t hide in their offices. That would be too obvious. It’s the first place that people who need a decision would look. In fact, it’s a bit of a mystery as to where they actually do go. That’s probably part of their strategy. There is one room, however, that is off-limits to about 50% of the population; but, as they say: You can’t stay there forever.No Ownership. Some leaders are career vacillators. Their office is on the fence. They can analyze a problem for a week, but never decide what to do. Every problem is wicked, that is the solutions have both pros and cons. It’s the hope of these leaders that the events will decide for them. On the few occasions when they do take a decision, these “leaders” then pass the blame for the outcome onto someone else, but only when it’s likely to be unfavorable. That’s because things have a way of unravelling unless someone identifies a clear course of action and then directs everyone to follow it. Left on their own, people will do what seems right to them. And even if each of those decisions is favorable in and of itself, the fact that everyone is doing something different makes them all ineffective.If you’re frustrated with the lack of progress in your organization, then start by looking in the mirror. What advice would you give to the person staring you in the face every day?Related ArticlesTags »Emotional Intelligenceteam building colorado Share1