Managers are struggling, with more and more varied responsibilities than ever before. A recent survey showed that 54% suffer from work-induced fatigue and stress; meanwhile, only one in two employees believes that their manager can help their team succeed.
Although any solution will need multiple facets, a new study from the research and advisory firm Gartner points to an essential first step: Organizations need to put the right people into the role to begin with. But promoting on the basis of performance as individual contributors is no longer a viable tack. By letting people nominate themselves for a role, conducting a rigorous and anonymized application process, equipping potential managers for the hardest parts of the job, and letting them opt out with stigma, organizations can build a robust and diverse pipeline of people ready to step into the role whenever needed. Those new managers will be more than twice as likely as others to find the job more manageable and to lead higher-performing teams.
There’s little doubt that managers are struggling. Between increasing digitization and disruptions sparked by the pandemic, among other things, they have more and more-varied responsibilities than ever before. A recent survey showed that 54% suffer from work-induced fatigue and stress; meanwhile, only 50% of employees believe that their manager can help their team succeed in the coming two years.
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