Jan 25, 2022
What is driving this historical moment in time where tens of millions of people have quit or are thinking about quitting their jobs in search of something new? The standard aspects of a job like career advancement, compensation, and benefits play a role, but it’s the human aspects of work (or more accurately, the lack thereof) that seem to be pushing people over the edge.
A recent article published by McKinsey & Company in September 2021 reported that because of the isolation, uncertainty, and change brought about by the pandemic, employees are craving a human investment in the workplace. Specifically, people want:
Such as connection with the company’s mission
Not just transactions, but relationships
By their organization, colleagues and managers
This need for employees to feel valued by their managers seems to be overlooked by employers. In that same McKinsey & Company article, employees rated “valued by my manager” as the second most important factor in staying at a job, only behind “valued by my organization.” Conversely, employers placed it significantly lower, all the way down at number 18, behind the more transactional aspects of work like compensation and the ability to work remotely.
We dug in to learn more about this gap in understanding by surveying nearly 5,000 employees—from individual contributors to C-suite executives—to get a better understanding of the employee/manager relationship as it stands right now.
First, as you may have guessed, management matters.We learned that the relationship turns over quickly with 62% of respondents reporting a change in their manager within the last two years. Despite tenure, however, managers are a key driver of the employee experience with 96% of individual contributors surveyed agreeing that their manager has an impact on their well being at work, and 42% stating they have left a job in the past because of their manager. In addition, managers are culture shapers with 98% agreeing this group plays a critical role in building an engaged and connected organizational culture.
of respondents reported a change in their manager over the past two years
of individual contributors surveyed agreed that their manager has an impact on their well-being at work
stated they have left a job in the past because of their manager
agreed managers play a critical role in building an engaged and connected organizational culture
Second, helping managers improve their effectiveness through management training is universally perceived as a good investment in time and money with 99% of leaders, 98% of managers, and 92% of individual contributors agreeing that it’s worth managers’ time to develop and improve their management skillset.
Leaders
Managers
Individual Contributors
Last, the skills that make a “good” manager and contribute to their effectiveness are more relational in nature. When our survey respondents were asked to provide one word that describes a good manager, they used words like supportive, leader, trust, and care. Furthermore, when respondents were asked to select the top management skills necessary for an effective manager, all were the more relational aspects of the job with 57% putting communication at the top, followed by developing others (37%), and motivating others (30%).
The Great Resignation is a major problem for organizations. We know that focusing on the manager/employee relationship, and ensuring each manager has the skills they need to adapt their approach to each of their direct reports, could have a massive impact on retention, engagement, and ultimately performance. Management, like any other human element in the workplace, is not a one-size-fits-all discipline. Each manager has a distinct set of strengths, stressors, hidden assumptions, and blind spots they bring to their management practice—all of which are shaped by a lifetime of social and emotional experiences. Here, we use a simple yet powerful personality model—the DiSC® model—to uncover some of the hidden assumptions each management style brings to work, the impact they have on their teams, and actionable strategies to help each management style rethink their role.
Even if we’d never say them out loud, we all have unconscious assumptions that can get us into trouble. Here are some common ones that D-style managers sometimes make.
A key to developing these managers is helping them truly appreciate the value of empathy in leadership. By understanding other perspectives, they see that not everyone shares their sense of urgency and that they can often get better results in the end by showing compassion in the moment.
Even if we’d never say them out loud, we all have unconscious assumptions that can get us into trouble. Here are some common ones that i-style managers sometimes make.
One of the core insights that helps these managers is realizing just how much more stability, predictability, or control others might need compared to them. By understanding other perspectives, they see that not everyone shares their comfort with improvisation or emotional expression and that sometimes they’ll need to take a more task-oriented or tough-minded approach.
Even if we’d never say them out loud, we all have unconscious assumptions that can get us into trouble. Here are some common ones that S-style managers sometimes make.
These managers grow as they start to appreciate that sometimes they’ll actually have to invite tension and instability into their world. By understanding other perspectives, they see that not everyone shares their need for harmony and that the long-term well-being of their team often depends on allowing a little short-term messiness.
Even if we’d never say them out loud, we all have unconscious assumptions that can get us into trouble. Here are some common ones that C-style managers sometimes make.
These managers often need help appreciating that to grow as a leader, they’ll need to embrace the humanity of their direct reports on a deeper level. By understanding other perspectives, they see that the people they manage often need praise, excitement, optimism, camaraderie, or risk-taking at a much greater level than they do.
Everything DiSC® Management on the all-new Catalyst™ platform prepares anyone in a management role to successfully engage, motivate, and develop their people. It combines DiSC® with personalized management insights to help learners adapt their approach to each direct report, improving their management effectiveness in real-time. Learners will:
The result is a culture of great managers who bring out the best in their people—and themselves.
Connect with your Everything DiSC Authorized Partner today to learn more.
To best serve you, please provide the following information. We hope you enjoy your download.
I consent to have my data collected and stored according to the Wiley privacy policy.*
If you would like to stay in touch and receive regular information about our Solutions, please respond below.