Poor management sends employees packing, but better management training is the antidote. It will help create a work environment that keeps the best people and helps them succeed.
Britt Andreatta, business consultant writing for www.chieflearningofficer.com, notes that even prior to the pandemic, 84% of U.S. workers said poorly trained managers created a lot of unnecessary stress. More than half – 57% – said they have quit a job because of a bad manager, and of the employees who stayed, one-third seriously considered leaving.
Managers create the day-to-day experience for most workers, so the culture of your business is in their hands – whether that manager is you or a subordinate. Providing leadership training for managers can improve the entire organization and keep good workers from leaving.
Poor managers cost a business in time and money. To cite one example, Gallup estimates that one disengaged employee costs an organization about $3,400 for every $10,000 of salary, or 34%. Gallup also found that managers account for at least 70% of the variance in employee engagement. Assume a more conservative number – 40%. Even a small shift in that percentage yields big savings.
There are other costs, too – from attrition, stress and absenteeism, and loss of performance/production. All can be attributed, to some degree or another, to poor managers.
“Study after study indicates that manager training pays for itself, and sometimes many times over,” wrote Andreatta.
“Successful managers know how to connect their people’s sense of purpose to their job duties and the bigger mission of your organization. They enliven their teams with a shared sense of purpose that motivates everyone to do their best.”
Studies have shown that psychological safety is the single-most important factor for creating high-performing teams of employees. Do your managers know what it is and how to create it through their words and actions every day?
“Training can turn your managers into your best assets for creating a positive workplace culture,” stated Andreatta, “one that not only keeps your best people but draws in the next generation of top performers.”
When given the right training, managers improve. They also become the “secret sauce” that makes a good organization into a great one, she says. “The data is clear — investing in your managers will pay off for now and for years to come.”
