Week 7 (Interpersonal weaknesses that can harm performance)
In my experience, corporate performance can drop fast not because the strategy is wrong, but because people don’t communicate well. These are a few interpersonal skill weaknesses that I think can seriously damage results:
1) Poor listening (especially from managers)
When leaders don’t listen, employees stop speaking up. Problems and risks get hidden until it’s too late. In major failures like the Boeing 737 MAX case, analyses often point to weak internal communication and escalation of concerns.
Impact: slower decisions, higher risk, and costly crises.
2) Pressure-driven communication that creates unethical behaviour
If the message is only “hit the targets”, people may cut corners. The Wells Fargo fake accounts scandal is a clear example of how pressure and incentives can push bad behaviour.
Impact: reputational damage, fines, and long-term loss of trust.
3) Weak conflict management
When managers avoid conflict, small tensions grow into delays and poor teamwork.
Impact: lower productivity, missed deadlines, and higher turnover.
4) Low empathy and dismissive leadership
When people feel ignored or disrespected, they disengage and eventually leave.
Impact: weaker service quality, loss of talent, and a damaged culture.
Conclusion: These “soft” skills directly affect “hard” outcomes like productivity, risk, and long-term performance.
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