The Workplace Communication & Well-Being Survey, recently commissioned by Firstup, provides a clear picture of the widespread nature of workplace stress, with 60% of respondents seeing their jobs as the primary source of stress. This is in stark contrast to the growing gulf and mistrust between management and employees.
According to a recent survey, managers are experiencing dangerously high levels of stress and burnout, and many are thinking about leaving their positions. In the midst of “The Great Unbossing” wave, wherein Amazon fired more than 100 customer service managers this week, a second new survey reveals that rising managers worldwide do not exhibit sufficient conflict management abilities.
Psychological Safety And Workplace Incivility
Managers, as opposed to physicians or therapists, have a bigger influence on an individual’s mental health, claims The Workforce Institute. Given the enormous duties that managers have as well as the difficult social, political, and economic environments, it makes sense that a Gallup survey indicated that managers are more likely than non-managers to be anxious, angry, depressed, and lonely.
According to a recent meQuilibrium survey, managers are more likely than non-managers to report feeling burned out and to consider leaving their positions within the next six months (24% vs. 36%). High levels of stress and burnout among top-down managers can have a detrimental effect on staff motivation, engagement, productivity, and attrition rates.
The meQuilibrium report claims that managers, in spite of their stress, have a positive impact on workers’ mental health. Workers with strong manager support are 25% less likely to have physical signs of stress, 33% less likely to struggle with morning motivation, and 56% less likely to experience high levels of work-related stress. The incidence of burnout is 58% lower in workers who receive good management assistance for their mental health. Workers who don’t think their manager is providing them with enough support are 4.5 times more likely to be a retention risk.
Strong managers can increase psychological safety by up to 42%, according to the survey. It emphasizes that since managers are the ones who establish psychologically safe work environments—where employees feel comfortable taking chances and sharing ideas—improving manager well-being must be a top organizational priority.
According to the survey, competent managers are the first line of defense against the growing uncivility in the workplace. Amidst the increasing political and social division and pervasive economic constraints, workers who have strong manager support report being 66% less likely to have encountered workplace incivility. In addition to improving their capacity to lead effectively, managers who actively manage their mental health will also set a positive example for their staff members on how to lead well.
Difficulty With Conflict Management
New statistics regarding managers’ increasing proficiency in managing conflicts at work was revealed by DDI. Almost half (49%) of the over 70,000 manager candidates evaluated by DDI worldwide did not exhibit good conflict management skills, and just 12% demonstrated high competency in this domain. According to the report, manager candidates’ incapacity to provide clarity, support, and empowerment to their team members impedes production and morale.
“Workplaces are becoming more polarized with rising political tensions and growing employee distrust of leaders,” states Stephanie Neal, director of DDI’s center for analytics and behavioral research. Organizational conflict can have a cascading impact that lowers morale, creativity, and production and eventually increases turnover. Neal is adamant that leaders need to address their blind spot when it comes to conflict management.
According to the study, only 30% of leaders say they are confident in their capacity to handle conflict, and they view it as a weakness. The following are some of the key skill deficiencies that DDI’s leadership assessment identified as causing potential frontline leaders to struggle with conflict management:
- Clarifying fundamental concerns is a challenge for 61% of management applicants. Research reveals that common mistakes made by executives include presuming to know everything or speculating about the motivations of their staff. They also show that misunderstandings are frequently the root of conflict, therefore it’s imperative that leaders aggressively seek explanation before disagreements turn into arguments.
- Sixty-five percent of prospective managers struggle to provide resources and assistance to their team. The findings demonstrate that a lot of managers don’t prepare for conflict resolution talks, which leads in miscommunication and insufficient assistance. According to the report’s conclusion, companies should place a high priority on developing their leaders’ empathy and emotional intelligence so that they are prepared for difficult conversations.
- Sixty percent of potential managers struggle with delegation. According to the study, empowering staff members to own a disagreement is essential to resolving it and enhancing team dynamics. It advises leaders to become more adept at posing open-ended questions and enlisting team members in the process of coming up with solutions.
Ditch Or Invest In Managers?
The CEO of DDI, Tacy M. Byham, understands the importance of assisting the upcoming generation of managers. According to Byham, “poorly managed conflict is a major business risk, but conflict also presents an opportunity for a healthy debate that ultimately results in a better change because all parties were willing to challenge their ways of thinking and tough issues were clarified.” “Organizations can foster innovation and growth with more focused and aligned teams by investing in the next generation of leaders’ conflict resolution skills.”
The elimination of middle management positions, on the other hand, is another trend that is gaining traction and will have a big impact on the American workforce. A lot of company executives contend that because middle managers bear more responsibility due to the difficulties they face, they are an essential intermediary between workers and senior executives.
Eliminating managers has a number of drawbacks, according to Betterworks’ vice president of HR transformation, Jamie Aitken. I received an email from Aitken saying, “This move might seem appealing for increased agility and reduced bureaucracy, but the downsides can be detrimental to employee morale and engagement.” “Employees may struggle with clarity, direction, and professional growth without the support and guidance of experienced managers, which can ultimately impact the success of the organization and business outcomes.”
The meQ research comes to the unquestionable conclusion that managers have a significant impact on the productivity and well-being of their workforce. It provides a number of steps that organizations can take to ensure that managers’ well-being comes first:
- Use research-backed methods to strengthen resilience so managers can identify and swap out ineffective thought habits for more productive ones.
- Make self-care a priority and assist managers who are having trouble gaining access to the benefits ecosystem’s resources.
- Encourage a culture of support where talking about mental health is accepted without stigma.
According to Aitken, middle managers are more than simply the administrative tiers of a business; they also offer crucial assistance, direction, and inspiration, all of which are necessary to keep a motivated and productive staff. She is adamant that investing in managers’ professional development—by giving them access to the appropriate resources and technology—is far more advantageous than just getting rid of them.
