The management problem

Unfortunately, many managers aren’t chosen for their skill set of managing people. Recent research has shown that 82% of managers in the UK are what we call ‘accidental managers’.

They’ve fallen into the job of managing people because they’re good at doing their role, or in order to ‘progress’ internally and increase earning capabilities, they’ve had to take on the additional responsibilities of managing a team.

Sometimes employees fall into the management role, perhaps someone above them has left and not replaced, so they’ve then just started doing the management role for the team.

What are the consequences of bad management

Poor managers cost businesses money and they often make poor decisions which can negatively impact your best resource, people.

Poor team morale

Bad managers are often unable to keep morale high or motivate a team by focusing on negative aspects of work rather than being positive and offering opportunities for improvement.

They may also not prioritise making themselves available to their team, offering advice, and helping them work through solutions to problems.

Poor relationships with their team

It’s important that managers go the extra mile to understand how their employees work and think about building positive relationships, so people don’t feel afraid to ask questions or seek advice.

A focus on their own tasks

Poor managers will focus on their own tasks, exclude themselves from important team meetings, and avoid remaining knowledgeable on topics so they are not able to answer questions that their team might have. They may be poor communicators, lack assertiveness, and undervalue inclusion and diversity causing stress and health issues.

Management and the impact on employee well-being

Forbes found that 69% of people say their managers had the biggest impact on their mental health. Meanwhile Deloitte reports that 94% of employees believe their manager should have some responsibility for their well-being.

The reality is that managers can create positive or negative work environments and can significantly impact the mental health of their team by the way they communicate, interact, and behave towards them.

If team members feel they are in a safe and supportive environment, they are more likely to feel comfortable about speaking up about their well-being if they feel overworked or stressed.

Good managers would take this seriously and consider introducing stress-reducing procedures such as mindfulness breaks, flexible working hours, or counselling alongside making sure that workloads are evenly distributed.

Why is it important to be a good manager?

One of the key aspects of being a good manager is to communicate realistic goals and to respect and actively listen to all team members.

Effective managers also motivate their teams by building trusting relationships and a culture of accountability where no one is afraid to ask questions and employees are given the guidance and tools to improve their skills and knowledge.

In a nutshell, the golden rule of good management is to treat your team as you would wish to be treated yourself.

A good manager is vital to the success of any business because if employees are valued and respected, it will lead to positive outcomes with higher productivity and a lower turnover of staff.

We offer line manager training and management training courses that can help you create strong leaders that your team are inspired and motivated by.

Need help managing your people?

We give businesses personal support from qualified HR advisors to manage workplace compliance and HR challenges with confidence with our fixed-fee unlimited advice line. We also offer line manager training to improve management skills.

Find out how we can support you and your team, speak to an expert today on 01622 47 41 49 or emailing info@primed.co.uk.

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