Who'd have thought ! "Employees with poor performing bosses take more sickies"

So says a Galaxy Poll of 1300 employees commissioned by consultants SHL and reported in the Sydney Morning Herald on 11 November 2011. It also reported that:

"Workers with competent bosses they respect, are less likely to pull a sickie because of the guilt factor."

And it's common knowledge that competent people management gives rise to higher productivity and lower turnover.

So clearly, ensuring managers are competent is a critical priority for organisations.

How do employees assessthe competency of their manager?

As Gen X & Y represent an increasing proportion of the workforce it is important to understand their views of management and leadership. Consultants Hudsons recently commissioned a survey of Australian and New Zealand Gen X & Y employees. While their views did differ, there were more similarities than differences on leadership, between the two groups. The key outcomes can be summarised as follows.

Good managers:

• engage in a personalised way, providing recognition, feedback and opportunities for meaningful learning.
• listen to ideas and offer encouragement.
• take the role of coach, mentor and role model.
• provide a balance between autonomy and support.
• have qualities staff admire and believe in, rather than just positional authority or technical capability.
• are genuine and authentic in their style.
• are seen to be learning, experimenting and making mistakes, being inspired and seeking answers and solutions. Staff don't expect the "all-seeing, all-knowing" boss.
• are focussed on communication of and commitment to, shared goals, rather than compliance to policy or process.
• assist individuals to find meaning in their roles and understand what motivates each individual and how their values link to their roles.
• provide opportunities for learning and challenge and stretch people through workplace experiences.
• lead as well as manage.

How do you and the managers in your organisation measure up to the expectations of Gen X and Y?

To learn more about competent management and leadership, go to:

www.developmentinpractice.com.au/solutions/solutions.html