The first UK ‘whinge report’ was published today revealing that workers long for a ‘pat on the back’ in recognition of a job well done.
The research of almost 1600 managers in the UK was conducted by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and Adecco.
Managers advise bosses to:
1. Say thanks: 40% of managers feel exploited with 1 in 3 wanting to leave and work elsewhere
2. Cut the paper chase: too much unnecessary process is having a negative effect on managers
3. Remove ‘old guard’ managers: archaic and antiquated management styles also appear to be getting people down with 1 in 4 saying ‘old school’authoritarian bosses who are still in the dark ages have no place in their company
4. Recognise I have a life: increasing workloads and ever-shortening deadlines have left 43% feeling overloaded and worryingly over half are missing important family occasions because of work commitments
5. Be clear about what you expect: managers are suffering from a lack of direction and vision from their bosses with over half saying that their boss has no better vision of the company than the tea lady!
Mary Chapman, chief executive of the CMI commented:
“Bosses need to show a sense of realism when it comes to managing the needs of their staff. Career progression and organisational productivity are closely linked to an individual’s energy levels and if people are not properly motivated they will be less able to perform to their maximum ability. As a result organisational performance will suffer.
“Getting back to the ‘shop floor’ is another great way to understand the feelings of frontline staff. Also, remember people have a life outside of work; it is possible to do your job well without being in the office long hours. Finally, recognise good people and place a higher value on their pay and conditions.”
4 Responses
Pay or Play
Judging by the comments so far i think we can infer one thing different things motivate different people in different ways. NLP tends to suggest we respond to things said and dealt with in different ways and the average football manager well knows some of their players respond better to a kick up the bum whilst some respond better to an arm round the shoulder.
I have done alot of work on motivation over the years, mainly with civil servants, and the factors mentioned are contributory to satisfaction at work. Time after time though informal research i have done (with a large group of people) shows that a good working environment and specifically pleasant companions rate highest as a motivating factor. basically people will put up with alot if they enjoy comming to work, not necessarily the work just being there. High pay comes up as does status and recognition but they are never at the top of the tree for very many individuals and never for groups.
What makes *managers* whinge
Long-term research shows clearly that having a pay rate at or above industry norms is at the poll position for predicting company profitability and productivity. Secondary factors tend to be cost-related: adequate resources to get the job done, effective training.
For managers, pay raises are the favourite way of “keeping count” — of determining their status and position in the hierarchy. “Public recognition” is valuable, but only if it be sufficiently expensive to imply sincerity. A “pat on the head” is likely to be treated cynically unless it is accompanied by more substantial rewards.
The current feelings of exploitation amongst middle managers appear to be based on the growing discrepancy between executive and management income. Once one is past “hygiene factors”, relative pay becomes intensely important. Middle managers who are being given pats on the head, while falling behind in total pay relative to upper management and executives, have good reason to feel exploited. In such circumstances, “recognition” can irritate and inflame more than inspire.
Big pay packet doesn’t mean I’ll stay!
Oh dear Celia – am I mistaken or is this the classic error of relating size of pay packet to how much people feel valued in their job! Think back to your last pay rise – the new pay level becomes the norm and is not a long-term motivator.
All the research tells us that pay is not a motivator but a hygiene factor. ie It’s important, yes, and it’s got to be about right as a base line. But in order to really feel valued, the key is self-actualisation – for people to feel their ideas and particular skills are making a difference in their organisation, helping the organisation to be successful. This requires as an absolute pre-requisite that there is a very clear sense of vision and direction throughout the organisation that is shared by everyone. This includes everyone from the top boss to the tea lady. The trick is to ensure that everyone’s Vision and Sense of Direction is shared – ie we all know where we’re going, what’s important and what ‘success’ will look like, and we are all working towards that via a co-ordinated set of activities that will take us there.
The problem in so many organisations is that there are lots of visions, and everyone has their own sense of what’s important and where we should go, but the inevitable happens – everyone working to their own agenda and little progress is made.
Clear and agreed goals are the key that enable people to prioritise. If there is a shared consensus on our Top 5 Priorities, for example, this helps people focus. This enables people to work to those priorities and give less emphasis to the not-so-important things. Perhaps overload and presenteeism is a classic symptom in organisations where there is little focus or prioritisation.
As for the authoritarian manager, many managers know no other way, and manage in the way they themselves were managed. What does the organisation and its managers do to develop a culture that enables individuals to contribute their ideas and solve problems? It’s important for managers to communicate a clear sense of direction for Teams, and to encourage team members to bring solutions to help the team achieve its goals, rather than bringing problems.
The challenge for managers as I see it is:
– clear sense of direction
– clear individual goals agreed
– giving people responsibility for achieving their goals
– holding people accountable for achieving their goals
– supporting team members in achieving their goals, eg manager as resource-investigator, manager as political activator (right internal and external contacts to progress team goals)
– manager as coach and developer (letting people take control of their work, welcoming and valuing team member talents, and developing these in ways to suit the individual and organisational goals.
I see no surprises in the ‘whinge report’. Many organisations work this way. The key to breaking the cycle is in No 5 (Clear Sense of Direction) and No 3 (Developing Managers’ Skills).
Bad advice?
1. Say thanks: 40% of managers feel exploited with 1 in 3 wanting to leave and work elsewhere
Isn’t this a non sequetur? Maybe some of those who feel exploited do so because managers “say thanks”, instead of fattening the pay packet.
5. Be clear about what you expect: managers are suffering from a lack of direction and vision from their bosses with over half saying that their boss has no better vision of the company than the tea lady!
Ouch! Why the assumption that “tea ladies” are too stupid to have a “vision”? Didn’t some people dismiss Florence Nightingale as a mere bed pan emptier?
Maybe this summary doesn’t accurately reflect the tone of the entire report, but based on these 5 items, I’d say it could do with a little more insight itself.