Harvard Business Review on LinkedIn: 4 Reasons Why Managers Fail | 18 comments (2024)

Really good insights here. This article highlights the challenges leaders are facing in their approaches (and what they need to do differently/focus on), but this is one of the first articles I've noticed "calling out" how ongoing "pivoting" and/or increased reporting relationships, work, greater responsibilities, as a result of cost-out strategies are impacting a manager's ability to perform their tasks effectively. Creating roles that are too large, with too many indirect and direct reporting relationships has become normalized as companies have needed to restructure their respective organizations. However, these upfront cost savings actions, may have longer term financial impacts, as leaders (and subsequently their employees) may not be able to meet the performance objectives. Overall, it is very important for leaders to take accountability, but it is equally important that leaders are set up for success and not set up to fail by their organizations.

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What do you make of this article? Are the current people managers overwhelmed? Where do we go from here as organizations?

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Gartner research has found that managers today are accountable for 51% more responsibilities than they can effectively manage — and they’re starting to buckle under the pressure: 54% are suffering from work-induced stress and fatigue, and 44% are struggling to provide personalized support to their direct reports. Ultimately, one in five managers said they would prefer not being people managers given a choice. Further analysis found that 48% of managers are at risk of failure based on two criteria: 1) inconsistency in current performance and 2) lack of confidence in the manager’s ability to lead the team to future success. This article offers four predictors of manager failure and offers suggestions for organizations on how to address them.#leadership#effectivemanagers#hrcommunity

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The role of a manager has become increasingly difficult. Good points to consider on organizational contributions to this as well as areas to focus on when developing your leaders.

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To me, this article undersores the need for tools like The Working Genius to raise awareness, team cohesion and empathy, and gift alignment.

Interesting HBR article based on Gartner research focusing on the reasons for which managers may fail. noy surprisingly, self-awareness and empathy are two of them. #coaching #leadershipdevelopment

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This article has great examples and stats as to why our managers are struggling. Between the additional responsibility and lack of feedback, this group isn't set up for success. How are you supporting the managers at your organization?

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The article is titled “4 Reasons Managers Fail”. While facts and figures are cited throughout, they demonstrate failure rates and recommended remediating action. Reading it, it felt like the author was kicking the managers while they’re down. Why not take a positive spin, show success rates, and provide constructive tips to improve success scores? For example, ignoring the top 4 predictors results in a 48% manager fail rate, but if the recommended action is taken, it drops to a 5% fail rate. I would flip the perspective: 52% of managers are doing great and investing in 4 keys areas could lead to a 95% manager success rate. Let’s give a high-five to the managers!The article points to the manager being sandwiched between leaders and employees. Expectations are high to deliver high quality work, cultivate high performing teams and yield high retention rates. Perhaps by holding employees accountable for upward empathy while leaders take an optimistic, constructive approach to manager development we could give managers a boost of confidence while raising success rates, versus repeatedly citing the myriad of ways managers fail with fail rates to back it up. #employeeengagement #employeeexperience #managerdevelopment

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Shifts in leadership perspective and behavior can assist in making leaders successful.

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The challenges outlined in this Harvard Business Review article on managerial failure are a clarion call to reevaluate our leadership structures. With managers shouldering an unsustainable 51% more responsibilities than they can manage effectively, it’s no surprise that burnout and dissatisfaction are on the rise.This piece underscores the urgency for organizations to support their managers not just in skill development but also in fostering self-awareness, empathetic interactions, and productive relationships, while ensuring alignment with organizational and career goals. Addressing these predictors of failure proactively can transform management from a bottleneck into a conduit for success.As we ponder this, let’s reflect on how we can contribute to a more supportive culture for managers and their teams, one where growth and well-being go hand-in-hand.#Leadership #Management #BusinessComplexity #OrganizationalDevelopment #HBR

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