What do my managers need?
In a rapidly changing world, business leaders and employees are looking to their people managers to provide guidance and support – but who is supporting the managers? If you’re looking to bring strong leadership and a clear vision for the future into your organisation, start by making sure your managers have the skills they need.
Rapid change
The world of work is changing. The Covid lockdowns demonstrated that many employees could be successfully switched to remote working. Office space is emptying as more meetings and collaborations take place online on in a hybrid space. Artificial Intelligence is changing the way we think about work and productivity, and people are demanding a higher quality of life, both in and outside work.
According to the World Economic Forum 50 per cent of employees will need to update their existing skills, or learn entirely new skillsets, by 2025. In the next 3-4 years, 40 per cent of currently in-demand job skills will no longer be relevant, and workers will need to learn new skills in order to remain useful in the workplace.
The importance of the manager
A recent Gallup survey concluded that only 21% of employees worldwide are enthusiastic about their work and fully involved with their teams. The most important factor in levels of employee engagement? The manager, whose skills and attitude will drive 70 per cent of a team’s enthusiasm and involvement.
Gallup also found that manager burnout is rising as the demands on their time and skills increase. It falls to team managers to steer changes in the workplace, and to make sure that employees are appropriately trained for the developing demands of their jobs.
But what about the managers? Do they have the skills and engagement necessary to run their teams and make sure everyone is prepared for the future?
Leadership and guidance
In the face of rapid change, people managers can often find themselves struggling with high workloads, little clarity from leadership teams on the future direction of their organisations and a lack of confidence in their own skills. With the commitment and engagement of the team in their hands, this can spell disaster for an organisation’s future success.
Without support, managers may be overwhelmed by the challenge of meeting the changing needs of their team members. Workers with non-traditional employment needs (all too common with the rise of Long Covid) may be seen as ‘snowflakes’ or ‘entitled’ if people managers have not been given the skills to accommodate and enable their roles in the workplace. A lack of understanding will inevitably lead to the loss of key employees, and the unique skills they bring to your organisation.
Supporting managers
Frustratingly, managers are often the last employees to be offered training, support and upskilling. They may be deeply involved in providing professional development for their teams, while struggling to meet the requirements of their leadership positions. It is very common for employees who perform well in their team roles to be promoted into people management – but without appropriate training and support.
What can I do?
As a skilled people specialist, I help you make support for your people managers a priority for your organisation. Strength in People’s bespoke programmes will equip your managers with the knowledge and skills to lead their teams through the changes ahead with clarity and confidence.
Through the People Ecosystem, we enable leaders to make confident decisions, and communicate that confidence to the managers who shape and inspire your teams. You will have strategies to train them to develop a work environment that will allow teams and individuals to thrive and engage fully with their changing roles.
The alternative – losing managers to burnout and team members to disillusionment – will only harm your organisation. Your people managers are the key to your success.
The next step
Let’s discuss properly equipping your people managers with the skills they need to manage and inspire your evolving workforce. You can book a discovery call here to discuss an effective solution for your unique organisation.
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