Business leaders highlight Six of the Best skills to address UK management crisis
Six of the Best – the new book launched by the Chartered Management Institute, follows research showing the UK managers need to improve their skills and capabilities.
Managers in the UK are failing to perform and lack the key skills to drive UK competitiveness. Many are also unable to demonstrate the leadership qualities that their staff want to see in the workplace and are restricted from developing their abilities due to a lack of support.
According to government research, more than one-third of the UK's organisations suggest that their own managers (36 percent) are “not proficient.” The latest DTI's Productivity and Competitiveness Indicators also show that the UK managers are perceived to lag behind their colleagues in France, Germany and the USA in terms of “management quality.”
And in a worrying sign for the future development of the UK managers, figures released by the Chartered Management Institute show that fewer than four in ten individuals claim to see examples of “inspirational leadership” in their workplace. The three most sought after characteristics that employees want to see are: “genuine shared vision” (79 percent), “real confidence and trust in teams” (77 percent) and “respect for employees, colleagues and customers” (73 percent). However, only 39 percent claim these characteristics are on display.
A key issue appears to be the level of support individuals receive. Only 36 percent have access to advice from their seniors through “informal mentoring” opportunities and just 15 percent of line managers are responsible for implementing training and development within their teams, a figure that has halved since, 2000.
Jo Causon, Director, Marketing and Corporate affairs at the Chartered Management Institute, says: “The pressure to perform at work means that managers need to master an array of skills and demonstrate all-round ability. However, if the UK is to be prevented from sliding further down global rankings in terms of `management quality,' responsibility for skills development must be shared between individuals and their employers. An environment needs to be created where individuals can learn from the experiences of others to ensure the opportunity to develop skills is not lost.”
In an effort to close this “leadership lag,” the Chartered Management Institute has brought six of the UK's leading business personalities together to share their own career experiences and highlight the core skills managers need to improve.
The group which includes Lord Karan Bilimoria, Sir Digby Jones and Dianne Thompson CBE, focus attention on six key areas. These are:
- 1.
Leading people. Providing a clear sense of direction, communicating clearly and resolving conflict.
- 2.
Managing change. Identifying opportunities for change and driving it forward.
- 3.
Meeting customer needs. Developing customer relationships and improving levels of service.
- 4.
Managing information. Using knowledge to support decision-making.
- 5.
Resource management. Delivering projects on time and within budget and increasing organisational efficiency.
- 6.
Self management. Developing effective networks and knowing your own limits.
Their views have been combined in a series of informal “lessons in leadership” and collated in a soon-to-be published book. Called Six of the Best, the book is presented in an easy to read style and includes contributions from Sir John Tusa, Sir Michael Bichard, and BT Global Services CEO, Andy Green. Each chapter is designed to be relevant to individuals across the public and private sectors and gives an insight into the contributors own career experiences, with practical advice and examples to master the core management skills.
Causon adds: “By bringing together six of the most successful leaders to come out of the UK in recent years, we are able to provide ambitious individuals with an entertaining and informative perspective on working life. It offers a chance to learn from proven tactics and will supplement formal learning at a variety of career stages.”
Published by the Chartered Management Institute and Hodder Education, Six of the Best, includes contributions from:
Sir Michael Bichard – based on his experiences running two local authorities, a government department and the University of the Arts London, he focuses on how to lead people and provide purpose and direction.
Sir John Tusa – based on his experiences transforming the fortunes of the Barbican Centre, he advises on managing and driving innovation and change.
Lord Karan Bilimoria – recounting the successful creation of Cobra Beer, he provides an insight into meeting customer needs.
Sir Digby Jones – using his experiences as Director General of the CBI, he outlines the value of and ways to manage information and knowledge.
Dianne Thompson CBE – making use of experience gained at Camelot Group, she identifies ways to capitalize on and manage activities and resources as they become available.
Andy Green – from his experience as Chief Executive Officer of BT Global Services, he offers advice on how individuals can achieve success by managing their time effectively.
