CIPD/PM daily today

Not sure why they would post this. They don't give a toss.

Mind you UPS ought to read this. Mediocre's too good for them

Mediocre managers risk undermining engagement, CIPD warns

‘David Brent’ style leaders not the only threat to organisations

Mediocre managers are just as damaging to employee engagement and well-being as more outlandish bosses, according to CIPD research.

Not taking responsibility for mistakes, passing on stress, panicking about deadlines and commanding rather than consulting staff were some of the worst attributes of bad managers identified by the institute’s latest report.

These characteristics were cited alongside some of the more obvious ‘David Brent’ style behaviours – such as inappropriate humour or favouritism – as ways in which managers undermined employee motivation and well-being.

The research, Managing for sustainable employee engagement: Developing a behavioural framework, pinpointed how managers should behave to get the best out of people.

The report highlighted how managers who were calm under pressure, invested time in getting to know staff as individuals and who discussed workers’ career development, were likely to benefit from higher levels of employee engagement and lower levels of stress and absence.

The study found that managers were more likely to motivate and retain their employees if they consulted people rather than simply told them what to do, took responsibility if things went wrong or mistakes were made, and asked after workers’ well-being.

The research was based on an analysis of responses from a survey of 500 employees and 120 managers, conducted by consultancy Affinity Health at Work.

Respondents submitted views on their immediate line manager, their level of engagement with their organisation and their own well-being.

Commenting on the findings, the CIPD’s head of public policy Ben Willmott said: “Most people will at some time in their working lives have been managed by a ‘David Brent’, whose use of inappropriate humour and favouritism highlights a lack of self-awareness and inability to manage people.

“However, our research shows that arguably it is the mediocre managers, who too often ‘fly under the radar’ in organisations, that are even more damaging to staff engagement over time and often inadvertently cause stress.

“In tough economic times, how people are managed on a day-to-day basis becomes even more critical for organisations that want to engage and get the most out of their workforce,” he added.

The CIPD has also published Managing for sustainable employee engagement: Guidance for employers and managers, which summarises the latest research and pulls out key tips to support organisations in achieving sustainable employee engagement.