I often hear about employee complaints of not feeling well supported or ‘managed’ by managers. This made me wonder, has the art of management been lost? Did it never really exist? Why is this happening and what can be done about it?
A simplistic answer to why this is a problem, is time. Or lack of time, specifically.
Another reason is that managers aren’t rewarded for managing. There’s nothing in it for them.
In some cases, managers simply don’t know how to manage. Many lack basic people management skills and competencies. This can happen when high potential employees are promoted into managerial positions based purely on technical skills.
The importance of good management goes without saying. As such, companies are acting to develop managers and leadership teams. In an earlier post this year I highlighted that this was a top priority for HR professionals in 2012.
Our latest benchmark data suggests that companies are making progress. Employees are becoming more satisfied with how they are managed. There’s still work to do though.
Much of what makes a good manager is, in truth, pretty straightforward. You need to take the time to listen to and coach you team, to make yourself available to employees, to communicate well and to be supportive. This would at least be a good start…
- 261 reads
- login or register to post comments
- Add to a social bookmarking site
