We don’t need a management bypass. Get the heart beating with human managers

May 4

4 min read

Managers often make the headlines and generally not for good reasons. The frozen core, bloated middle, conjure an image of managers sitting on mountains of paperwork, using their status to block and control, in it for the badge, not the enjoyment.

It’s perhaps, therefore, no wonder in our digital and agile world that many organisations are opting to go ‘bossless’. To see if managers are now surplus to requirement as technology and AI enables automation and workplaces are increasingly hybrid.

I’m not sure this is the answer.

Dig a little deeper and the solution to simply remove this burgeoning layer in the middle of organisations could do much more damage than good.

The truth is management is failing because we let it.

Managers feel overwhelmed.

The volume of work keeps increasing and the complexity of tasks and scenarios as life and work blurs has intensified. 61% of managers say their work has increased since the pandemic (OC Tanner, 2023).

Why?

We haven’t paused and reflected on why managers are drowning in a sea of tasks. A big driver is simply needing to redesign management to optimise their impact in our new world of work and to properly train and up-skill managers in people management capabilities (the CMI reports 82% are accidental managers because they receive no training before stepping into role).

Managers feel unappreciated.

People managers are 33% less likely to feel appreciated than leaders (OC Tanner, 2023). Managing is frequently a thankless task. The oiling of the cogs for others to take the glory. The relentless cascading of information up and down the organisation. The behind the scenes rallying to align strategy with reality.

Why?

Typically, in organisations we celebrate the standout individuals who deliver results, win big deals, create new inventions and we reward the leaders of functions where these people sit. But those making the magic happen are hidden or simply forgotten. The support, coaching, process improvement, managing of expectations, clearing the path to enable teams to deliver is rarely seen, let alone appreciated.

Management is undesirable.

Robert Walters’ research revealed 52% of Gen Z professionals don’t want to take on management roles. They’ve seen their parents ground down by the weight of management and at high cost – to their health, family and happiness. This generation are choosing a different path, even if that means they stunt their career progression. They see the trade-off and are deciding the sacrifice isn’t worth the reward.

Why?

Managing is seen as a rite of passage. A necessary experience to get through and out the other side to better things. Many companies still have limited career progression opportunities outside managing others, and we see individuals with limited motivation or potential to manage stepping up because they feel they have to. And there starts the negative cycle…

And yet, talented people managers bring work to life!

Despite these challenges, research consistently shows us that great managers are worth their weight in gold.

When we get it right, the impact for individuals, teams, business, even economies, is huge.

Think of your happiest most fulfilling periods at work. I bet it involved someone – a manager, mentor, coach maybe – who really understood you and had your back.

Brilliant managers make things happen. They build meaningful, trust-based relationships with their people. They’re consistent and reliable, bringing structure and support when everything around feels ambiguous. They personalise work and facilitate engaging development opportunities to motivate and inspire growth. They skilfully align expectations, tackle performance issues or poor behaviour quickly and constructively because they recognise the importance of building a thriving culture.

For many people, a talented manager helps them feel included and a sense of belonging. To feel their ideas and work matter and make a meaningful impact. To feel valued and able to develop and that this is somewhere they can flourish.

These feelings guide our actions and decisions: to stay, to work hard, to find other talented people, to share ideas, to learn and grow.

These feelings don’t just appear. They’re carefully and precisely enabled through people who are motivated and skilled in enabling others to thrive.

At risk of a heart attack

When it works well, managers get the blood pumping around workplaces - they bring work to life. Today, many organisations are at risk of a heart attack. Lack of focus on what’s important and many years of outdated and bad habits have furred-up the arteries, and blood is struggling to circulate.

Removing managers, however, leaves a heart without the means to get the blood pumping. Risking individuals feeling isolated, disconnected, unsure how to contribute or whether this is a place they can thrive.

Instead, we need to start a new era in management. One focused on optimising a manager’s impact on people.

Moving from:

Feeling overwhelmed to empowered

We need to provide managers with greater role clarity, focusing their activities on supporting and developing their teams and providing space to do this (likely by removing other tasks). This demands a new profile for success, identifying individuals with the motivation and potential to do this, and investing in people management skills.

Feeling unappreciated to included

Positioning management as a critically important role and not simply tacking it on to existing responsibilities, as well as bringing managers together as a community, will help create a sense of identity, appreciation and inclusion.

Feeling undesirable to valued

Recognising and rewarding the impact great managers have and how they achieve this, e.g. calling out great management behaviours, applauding skills in coaching, developing, giving feedback. This will help elevate the role of management and create a more aspirational role in itself, rather than a challenging but necessary path.