A new poll of HR professionals has suggested that nearly all workers in the sector are concerned that their managers lack essential leadership skills and could benefit from some form of further training.
Research carried out by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) found 94 per cent of those questioned felt their bosses need additional development, with the ability to motivate and emotional awareness considered most important.
"This leadership skills gap is holding UK businesses back," said ILM chief executive Penny de Valk. "We need to get better at developing these essential people leadership capabilities such as the ability to motivate."
She said the lack of faith among such a high proportion of HR employees is "a real concern" and suggested that past experience of failure is actually a useful quality for management executives to have.
Bosses looking to improve relations with members of staff and boost morale should consider attending the Employee Wellbeing Forum 2010 later this month.
Posted by Cameron Thomson
I guess we have to take this with a huge pinch of salt. Staff think their managers lack leadership? For one thing, I guess bosses have always been fair game for criticism. Secondly, who says that all managers have to be leaders? If everybody leads and no-one follows then the workplace would be like a herd of cats. Most people are managed by rank and file managers who have to implement the company policy and procedures.
Managers are taught to herd sheep. They have never been exposed to the idea that their sheep might have their own ideas about where they want to go.
The reason for dissatisfaction comes from employees who are well educated and experienced but then have to put up with being told what to do by someone who has only a vague idea of what is actually happening on the shop floor.
What managers might do well to understand is that their herd of sheep have turned into cats and that telling them what to do will only result in frustration as they continually thwart managements plans.
In this situation the manager does need to learn another way, he does need to learn to herd cats.
Herding cats is not impossible it requires a different perspective.
We know that telling them what to do does not work so most cat owners do not tell their cats what to do.
To herd cats, find out where they want to go, then help them to get there.
To manage employees, find out what they need to do their jobs, then help them to get it.
Simples
Peter A Hunter
http://www.breakingthemould.co.uk
There is a distinct difference between Management and Leadership. There are many potential leaders who are not in Leadership positions. Similarly there are many people who would make better politicians than the present crew.
Lao Tsu stated “The good leader is when the people say: ‘We did it ourselves!’
Too many ‘Leaders’ do not know how to delegate: they often abdicate and then blame their staff. Lesson one: to transfer power and responsibility you need to coach and develop your team to know how to deal with it.
People are neither sheep nor cats.