There is definitely debate about the quality of management in organisations and what it can affect: morale, employee engagement, productivity rates and much more. But how bad is it really?

People Management surveyed HR and L&D professionals via an online poll to find out what they really think about their line managers, and the results were interesting.

73% of those surveyed said that the quality of line managers in their organisation was among their top five most pressing HR issues, with 52% of those being within the top three.

Traditional Management and HR Roles

Compared to five years ago, 59% of managers are now carrying out more of what were traditional HR functions, so it is understandable that the quality of management is a huge concern for companies.

Without good management organisations see increased stress levels, a higher turnover of staff and a decrease in productivity. It also causes disruption between teams, often fuelled by a lack of trust in a line manager.

New Managers

But who is to blame for this poor management? There is no strict answer to this question, for instance some people simply aren’t cut out for management, for whatever reason – perhaps choice.  However, a lack of training can often be the cause of poor management, especially in new managers, and with 41% of organisations having more managers than they had five years ago, it is natural to presume that many of these have been the result of promotion.

The poll also showed that 32% of organisations felt that the quality of their managers had dropped in the past five years, which highlights a serious learning and development issue.

When new managers are thrust into a role they are often expected to just use experience to develop their skills. But we wouldn’t expect this of most other roles, so what makes it fair for management?

And it’s not just an ability issue; it’s a confidence one too. Promotions within a team often leave new managers in a difficult position where they are now managing their friends and peers, without having the knowledge and tools to do so effectively. So is it any surprise that there is a skills gap here?

Investing in Managers

It may be tempting to make a saving and not invest in developing the skills of new managers. However, if they don’t have the knowledge or skills to manage effectively then their lack of experience will result in loss of productivity, missed targets and, ultimately, decreased profits. In short, it can mean that the saving you were attempting to make is actually going to cost you more in the long run.

Burgeoning managers need an opportunity to learn the skills they need to target specific management challenges and engage effectively with their teams.  

This is exactly what our Foundation Leadership Programme was designed for. To arm new and untrained managers with skills and tools so they have the ability and confidence to face challenges head-on and get results.

Asking the Right Questions

Are your managers delivering to the standard required of them? Is there high staff turnover or increased stress levels within your organisation? Are your people engaged?

It might be time to ask yourselves these questions to assess how effective your management team really is.