Unveiling the risks: Why managers fail and how to prevent it

In today’s rapidly evolving workplace, managers are facing unprecedented challenges as they navigate increasing responsibilities and shifting work dynamics, making it crucial for organizations to be aware of these challenges

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on Harvard Business Review

According to recent research, the average number of direct reports for managers has surged by 2.8 times over the last six years. In the past few years alone, managers have had to navigate multiple changes, from transitioning to remote work to overseeing hybrid teams. Reports also suggest that managers today are handling 51% more responsibilities than they can effectively manage. More than half of managers are experiencing work-induced stress and fatigue, while 44% are finding it challenging to provide personalised support to their direct reports – yet they remain the backbone of an organization.

For organizations, management failures can result in underperforming teams, low retention rates, and high turnover. So, what are the top four predictors of the risk of manager failure, and how can organizations mitigate these risks?

Lack of self awareness

Partly due to the emergence of the ‘accidental manager’ phenomenon—where employees are promoted to management roles without the necessary skills or background—only one in five managers are aware of their own strengths and development areas. Managers lacking self-awareness are nearly three times more likely to fail compared to those who possess this understanding.

One approach for leaders to foster self-awareness in managers is by taking proactive steps before an individual contributor is promoted to a managerial role. This can include providing development and training opportunities in areas such as critical thinking, decision making, and conflict management.

Build empathy

Manager-led empathy is invaluable, especially in today’s workplace. Recent research by Gartner has shown that a lack of team empathy increases the risk of manager failure by 3.7 times. Signs that employees lack empathy towards their manager include believing they have the skills required to do their manager’s job and an unwillingness or inability to adjust to their manager’s working style.

Progressive organizations are fostering upward empathy by engaging teams in exercises where employees discover their own communication styles as well as that of their manager. These sessions also equip employees to learn about approaches they can adopt when interacting with managers who have a different communication style.

Unproductive relationships

The rapid growth of hybrid work has necessitated managers to adapt their communication styles in the post-pandemic work environment. However, only 47% of employees report deriving valuable outcomes from interactions with their managers.

Studies have shown that the most valuable employee-manager interactions happen when managers make some key shifts across Four dimensions: scheduling planned interactions and meetings, setting and leading agendas, transitioning to behaviour-focused conversations, and increasing levels of one-on-one and team interactions.

Given the significant business implications, organizations cannot afford to allow their managers to fail before taking corrective action. As workplaces become more complex and employee needs more diverse, the manager’s role is becoming increasingly challenging. Implementing proactive strategies can help mitigate manager failure and increase the likelihood of positive business and talent outcomes.