Ten Things that Keep Managers up at Night - by Dan McCarthy

This article was provided as a link on the Globe and Mail face book page this morning.  Written by Dan McCarthy.  

After two decades in management, leadership development expert Dan McCarthy, on his Great Leadership blog, identifies 10 things that keep managers up at night:
Confronting a performance issue
He calls this the granddaddy of all managerial headaches, but argues that while they are never easy to handle, they don't have to be so hard. Often they can be preventing by better selection in employee recruitment, establishing clear expectations, regular feedback, coaching and development, and using a progressive discipline process. "Yes, you'll still need to confront poor performance, but when you do, it shouldn't be a surprise and it'll be the right thing to do," he writes

Having to dismiss or lay off an employee
No matter how assiduous you are in performance management, there will still be gut-wrenching moments when you must fire or lay off someone. The fact it's not easy is fine; nobody should be too comfortable with this responsibility.
A tough hiring decision
Choosing between the final candidates when hiring can be agonizing, because if you pick the wrong one, your organization will suffer and you may face some of the other bad moments on this sleepless-nights list. "Use a good selection process - do not wing it (most managers actually do)," Mr. McCarthy notes.
Guilt from doing something unethical or wrong
Before making decisions, he suggests you consider how comfortable you would be reading about it on page one of the newspaper (rather than scheming about what your chances are of being caught). However, if you screw up - and he notes we all do -come clean, and own up to it.
Boss confrontations
Most people don't like to be told they're wrong, so if that's your goal in a confrontation, it won't be a productive conversation. Try putting yourself in your manager's shoes and offer an alternative that will help that person meet his or her objectives.
Team-member conflicts
As with being a parent, bosses must adjudicate disputes. However, a lot of team-member conflicts can be avoided by searching in hiring people who excel at teamwork and collaboration. Make sure you don't create conflict by ignoring the fact a star performer has become a prima donna, and is irritating everyone else.
Peer confrontations
When the stakes are high, you must confront peers on issues and behaviour. If you find this awkward, he recommends the book Crucial Confrontations by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan and Al Switzler.
Doing something new
It's always difficult to leave our comfort zone and feel less than competent - or even incompetent - again. "If you never do anything new and different, you're not developing. The most impactful way to develop as a leader is new jobs and challenging assignments," Mr. McCarthy writes.
Losing a star performer
It can be excruciating when a star performer walks into your office, closes the door, and announces he or she is leaving. Avoid those sleepless nights by making sure those folks are paid properly, are challenged, are supported, are learning, and know how much you appreciate their fine work.
Burnout
Take care of your health. Maintain perspective about what is truly important in life. Make sure you are doing something you enjoy.