Our middle managers take such a bashing, at work, in the media and in business research (see my CIPD article for more). It’s a wonder anyone aspires to be a manager, and amazing that we have accepted this sorry state of affairs for so long.
No matter how good the technical training, we consistently fail our managers in people skills, setting them on their advanced career path with only a fraction of the knowledge and insight they need to succeed. No wonder stress levels are at an all time high and performance is limping along.
In last year’s CIPD report “Recruitment, retention and turnover”, 72% of respondents said that improving line manager HR skills are the most effective method to improve retention of staff, but only 39% said they had used any.
So, we know the problem and can see the real cost to business of persisting with the status quo, but seem reluctant to do anything about it. For most new and emerging managers, it’s a “sink or swim” dilemma, adding more pressure to an already challenging situation.
Most will revert to the appalling habits they learned from their equally unprepared managers in the past – bullying, humiliation, abuse of authority and poor communication. Thus, perpetuating the cycle of poor managers and bad examples.
But then, who in their right mind would volunteer for “soft skills” training? It sounds pathetic and has been seen to deliver some utter rubbish.
At last, there is a realistic alternative to traditional lacklustre management training: Reflection Consulting’s “Rising Star Management School” programme. This is designed for utmost practicality, combining short, relevant training sessions with the support of a peer group of managers from across the sectors – sharing expertise and holding each other to account.
One of my clients said: “In my experience, putting managers together just gives them an opportunity to whinge”. Well, if they can’t complain up or down the hierarchy at work, where can they really share issues, air their frustration and find good solutions? Let them whinge. I can guarantee that we’ll very swiftly be moving on to a more positive frame of mind.
So, if you or your colleagues are frustrated by pressure without power at work, take this opportunity to revolutionise your skills, rise to every challenge and set the bar at “excellent” for managers of the future.