Ineffective Managers – Now We Know Why

So…the secret is out. According to the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), almost half of managers believe their own bosses are ineffective.

Of course, it depends on who you ask and what their current state is, but the UK survey of 4,500 managers showed that 43% described their own line manager as ineffective.

And what of the other 57%? Managers in high-performing organisations were more likely to praise their boss, as their firms spent more on management and leadership development.

Well, what a surprise! The CMI said too few employers were investing enough in management and leadership. As I’ve said time and time again, training and personnel development nearly always take a back seat when it comes to leadership investment.

Listen to the words of acting chief executive Christopher Kinsella: “This report contains good and bad news for UK managers. The bad news is that a culture of bad management continues to damage UK plc. But the good news is that those organisations who have got things right stand a much greater chance of being a high-performing organisation.

“It’s within an organisation’s own power to make that change. By investing in management and leadership development wisely, you can make a real, measurable difference.”

Gary Browning, chief executive of HR service group Penna, which helped with the report, said: “The research shows us that having an effective manager means employees get more effective development and feel more positive about their ability to manage their own careers.”

What’s the message for us here? Growth and development will always be a great motivator, and if you don’t deal with this ‘motivator’, then the ‘satisfiers’ (as Hertzberg puts it) will come back and bite very hard. For real, measurable differences, a proper leadership plan should be enacted. Without one, you will join the masses of ‘quiet desperation’.

Many thanks

Mark Williams

Head of Training

MTD Training