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Many managers look at themselves through rose-colored glasses. They believe they’re good managers but, unfortunately, the majority of people they manage don’t agree. A survey conducted by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, Europe’s largest network of HR professionals, revealed that 80 per cent of managers in the UK believe that their employees are satisfied with the way they are managed. On the other hand, less than 60 per cent of the workers agree.

Investors in People, administered by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, an organization that is devoted to improving business performance through people, polled workers and found that 25 percent of men and 18 per cent of women believed that could do a better job than their current manager. In organizations with a staff of more than 1,000 people, more than 30 per cent would like a new boss. The longer the employees stayed with a company, the less satisfied they were with the performance of their managers. While 75 per cent of newcomers said they were happy with their bosses, this figure dropped to 67 per cent after three years and 62 per cent after six years. More than 35 per cent of long-term employees said they wanted to change their managers.

Why is there a management gap?
In a dramatic demonstration of the Peter Principle, lack of management know-how is the main reason for the management gap. Managers, formerly excellent performers in their rank-and-file positions, are promoted to their “level of incompetence” through the lack of management training and support. The CIPD survey results showed that while 90 per cent of managers say they regularly coach the people they manage, only 40 per cent of the workers surveyed agree. 75 per cent of managers say they discuss career development with employees during evaluation sessions, but only a little more than 35 per cent of employees say this happens. There are similar disparities between the views of managers and employees in how managers

• Solve problems jointly with employees;
• Discuss with employees ideas to improve the business;
• Talk to employees about their wellbeing and satisfaction.

Right Management, a US HR consulting firm says that only 23 per cent of managers receive effective training and coaching when they are promoted to management roles. Only 30 per cent of vice-presidents, directors and managers, and only 35 per cent of chief executives, senior vice-presidents and department heads received coaching.

Where do managers fall short?
The consulting firm Krauthammer pinpointed many areas in which managers demonstrate their lack of management skills and abilities. Some of these are:

• Not taking responsibility for their mistakes – 80 per cent of workers polled mentioned this shortcoming but only less than 50 per cent of managers admitted to it.
• Refusing to face an employee’s objections or accepting contradictions – 40 per cent of managers, the survey showed, would shout their way out of contradictions or swamp the employee with data and facts.
• Inconsistent measurements of performance – 40 per cent of managers use results and how they were achieved as a measurement of success. 30 per cent of managers consider results only in determining success.
• Inadequate attention to employee career development – The lack of management training for managers seems to be passed on to line workers. 75 per cent of employees in a review conducted by Randstad said they considered career development important. Only 50 per cent of employees said that their managers paid attention to this.
• Not making employees feel valuable – Job satisfaction is linked to how valuable an employee feels, and most managers don’t do well in this area. 90 per cent of employees rank this as very important but only 30 per cent feel their managers value them.
• Don’t communicate a sense of loyalty to employees – Mutual feelings of loyalty between employees and managers have been decreasing. Only 25 per cent of employees feel that their managers are loyal to them. As a consequence, only a little more than 50 per cent of employees felt loyal to their companies.

Assuming that technical expertise automatically translates into management know-how and skills is evidently the root cause of the management gap. Unless companies address this issue, the level of management will remain deficient and continue to deteriorate.