Burning bridges use to be a military strategy employed by commanders that wanted to make a commitment to a particular course of action by making a retreat impossible.
Today, employees committed to the strategy of advancing the company’s overall goals see “Burning Bridges” as a betrayal of trust.
Here are some sure fire ways of burning bridges and causing your best people to retreat:
— Pretending to be in agreement, then doing your own thing with no regard to the other person’s feelings.
— Failing to be up front or forthcoming; then letting others involved discover your true intentions after the fact.
— Asking for opinions when you have already made up your mind.
— Using people for your benefit until you’ve gotten what you want or they stop enabling you.
You’re not a demolition expert, you are a manager! Start building up your people and you’ll find that bridges built are better than smoldering alone in your office.