Why Today’s Line Managers Feel Lost (and What You Can Do About It)

Managers impact virtually every part of a team’s success: Willingness to go the extra mile, quality of work, innovation, productivity, and crucially up to 70% of the variance in their engagement scores – making managers one of the key tools in any organisation’s retention arsenal.

Despite their critical role in driving team performance and engagement, many line managers feel ill-equipped and unsupported by their organisations when navigating their increasingly complex maze of responsibilities. It’s perhaps unsurprising, then, that more than 50% of managers today feel burned out.

Read on to explore some common challenges faced by today’s line managers, and unpack how organisations might better prepare them for success:

1) Managers aren’t equipped with the right tools

The problem:

• Only 48% of managers strongly agree that they currently have the skills needed to be exceptional at their job.
• Only 20% of surveyed managers strongly agree that their organisation helps them be successful people managers.
  • 42% either disagree or are unsure that their organisations set them up to be successful people managers.

The solution:

• Invest in upskilling: Prioritise essential people management skills, like active listening and giving feedback, as these skills are crucial for fostering a positive work environments for both your line managers and their line reports.
• Provide resources: Whether it’s handling difficult conversations or promoting employee growth, provide easily-accessible resources such as checklists or best practice guides to empower your managers to lead effectively in their day-to-day roles.

2) Managers don’t feel valued for their investments in their people

The problem:

• Managers understand the importance of their role as mentors: 86% say coaching employees is the top way they can add value to their team, yet most managers agree that people management is one of the least-valued areas of their duties by their organisation, behind strategy-related and individual-contributor work.
• Perhaps because of its lesser perceived value to upper management, Managers report spending almost three-quarters of their time on tasks not directly related to talent management.

The solution:

• Rebalance priorities: Help your organisation understand that effective line managers are a medium- to long-term investment that will directly increase the productivity of your workforce.
• Make it easy to grow as a line manager: Consider how you can design training and career development opportunities (including coaching and team building opportunities) that fit into line managers’ workflow, rather than disrupting it.
• Platform high-performing managers: Reward and spotlight your managers who are exceptional, and create spaces for them to share their successes, learnings, and tips with their fellow line managers.

3) Managers are overburdened by complexity

The problem:

• 44% of managers cite organisational bureaucracy as the biggest complication they face in their roles.
• Nearly nine in 10 middle managers believe that clear and timely communication is vital to their success. However, only 54% of managers say senior leadership is effective in meeting this need.
• The aftermath of layoffs has left managers juggling extra job responsibilities from upper management: 64% of managers have received additional duties, 51% have faced team restructuring, and 42% are grappling with budget cuts. These constraints hinder managers’ ability to focus on people-centric initiatives.

The solution:

• Standardise processes: Providing your line managers with consistent and easily-accessible processes and guides for performing their duties will free up their time and headspace to focus more on their core responsibilities.
• Consistent communication: Bringing line managers together is one thing, but keeping the momentum going is another challenge entirely. Ensure you are consistently following up on your sessions and resources and providing clarity on your line managers’ strategic goals, expectations, and changes.

How to help your managers succeed:

Behind every engaged employee stands a manager who made it possible, but your managers will need to be set up for success through structured management development to truly help and guide their line reports.

Our Line Manager Toolkit uses science, human-centred principles and practical case study examples to explore solutions that equip your line managers with the right tools to cater to Gen Z’s unique challenges and needs, setting them up for long-term success in their roles.

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