So, you’re looking to move forward at work– good for you! You’ve been taking on new responsibilities and you co-workers already treat you like a team leader.

So, why when you try to motivate people on your team, does it seems to backfire? People seem to work at a slower pace than ever or even seem a little hostile towards you. You might be inclined to think they are just jealous. Not so fast…maybe it’s not them. Perhaps, just perhaps it is not envy but the WAY you are trying to light a fire under them that’s the problem.

Most of us have the best of intentions when we try to motivate our fellow employees; the trouble is we haven’t been taught how to think about it correctly. The way you approach people makes all the difference. Most inexperienced leaders tend to use catch-phrases or intimidation in try to inspire others to be all they can be. They think that this makes them seem authoritative or a stronger leader when in actuality it just makes you come off as obnoxious. A good leader looks to bring people up as employees and human beings. Bossing someone around will neither build their skills nor self-esteem…ever.

Here are some common new-to-leadership pitfalls and how to avoid them.

Pitfall – Just telling others to do something. Do you like it when someone bosses you around? Barks out orders like you’re not a person but merely a body performing a task? Of course not!

The fix – When you just assign tasks without acknowledging the people doing the actual work they are going not going to like you or feel motivated to get things done. You might assume that you are saving time by being so direct, but you are really just building up a whole lot of employee resistance, which is never productive. However, if you take the time to engage people and get them to see why they are doing something you’ll create a happy, industrious and engaged team.

Pitfall – Telling your team to be engaged or feel happy – Really!?! You can’t tell someone to feel…well anything. Need proof? Try telling one of your friends to be angry or funny or sad. It just doesn’t work.

The fix – Consciously build a culture of optimism, encouragement and self-esteem. These traits are the key to encouraging a can-do environment. If your team feels fulfilled and happy about their work and believes you are ‘all in this together’ you will all be more successful in the long run.

Pitfall – Assuming you know the best way to solve workplace issues.

The fix – Don’t dismiss the ideas of others. Your co-workers may be your best source when it comes to solving your customer service issues. Why? Who knows your customers better than the people who actually speak with them regularly? Ask employees for their ideas on how to do things better. You may be surprised at how much they care about these issues and the brilliance of their solutions to them.