Why 48% of Workers Feel Let Down by Their Managers

Nurturing positive manager-employee relationships in the workplace can encourage productivity, cooperation and engagement while positively impacting performance. The most successful leaders and managers have a clear vision of how they can influence their team to remain focused on the organisational goals, but this requires the ability to recognise changing dynamics and adapt to the situation.

Unfortunately, 48 per cent of workers feel let down by their managers, according to research conducted by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES). When you combine this with the fact that 50% of workers who rate their boss as ‘ineffective’ plan to quit in the next year, the significance of effective managerial training becomes clear. Effective leadership is not just about directing tasks and managing workflows; it's about building strong, positive and rewarding relationships that elevate trust and encourage a shared commitment to the company’s goals.

Harnessing the Power of Situational Leadership®

The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) has shed light on this issue, revealing that 71% of UK organisations fail to effectively train first-time managers. This shortfall can be detrimental, causing a ripple effect across employee satisfaction and retention; however, Situational Leadership® can prove to be a powerful remedy that accelerates the pace and quality of employee development. This model is not about choosing a singular leadership style; it’s about recognising each team member's performance readiness to complete a task and adapting leadership styles accordingly. This adaptability is essential for fostering an environment where all employees can thrive.

Evolving Leadership to Empower Teams

This model helps leaders choose the optimal style for any given situation by considering three pivotal facets:

• Task Behaviour is the extent to which the leader makes decisions and tells the follower what to do and how to do it.
• Relationship Behaviour refers to the level of personal support and encouragement a leader provides, which includes fostering open, two-way communication and active listening.
• Follower Readiness assesses how prepared team members are to perform a specific task or objective.

Ultimately, Situational Leadership® equips leaders with a versatile toolkit, allowing them to determine the most fitting style to adopt while accounting for the situation and the readiness of their followers. Therefore, effectiveness depends on the leader's ability to accurately assess an employee's readiness and maturity, but also their proficiency at understanding the specific demands of the task or job at hand.

The model outlines four distinct leadership styles – Telling, Selling, Participating and Delegating. These are not fixed; leaders should fluidly transition between them as circumstances evolve and as team members' competencies and commitments change. This approach ensures that leadership is always aligned with both individual and organisational needs, promoting efficiency and growth.

Style 1 - Telling: This style comes to the fore when followers are inexperienced and the leader makes decisions and closely supervises execution of the task.

Style 2 - Selling: For situations where followers are willing yet lack the capability to complete a task, the leader assumes a practical stance. They coach and elucidate, guiding followers towards the ideal path to task completion.

Style 3 - Participating: Adopting this style is advocated in scenarios where followers are competent but show signs of hesitancy or insecurity. Encouraging participation, the leader encourages them to complete the task by fostering a supportive environment.

Style 4 - Delegating: When the leader feels confident the follower has the ability and willingness to complete a task, delegation becomes the apt choice. Suited for seasoned employees with self-established processes, this style empowers them to accomplish tasks independently.

The inherent strength of Situational Leadership® is its emphasis on continuous assessment and adaptation. It encourages managers to remain dynamically engaged with their team members' development, fostering an environment of mutual respect and enhanced communication. This can lead to improved job satisfaction and commitment, countering the feelings of neglect that many employees experience.

Are you looking to develop your leadership skills, inspiring your team to build upon existing strengths and achieve businesses goals? Explore our Situational Leadership® accredited programmes here. For further information or advice, please contact our friendly training experts on 01252 618 400 or email theteam@gbscorporate.com.

Situational Leadership® and Performance Readiness® are registered trademarks of Leadership Studies, Inc. dba The Center for Leadership Studies. Copyright ©2015, Leadership Studies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.