From apprenticeships and qualifications to professional development and employability skills. Supporting learners, partners, and centres with tools to deliver, assess, and grow.
Join a professional community committed to excellence in management and leadership. Access exclusive resources, and recognition pathways including Chartered Manager.
Connect, celebrate, and lead with CMI’s vibrant community. From events and awards to networks and campaigns, get involved and help shape the future of management.
Stay informed with expert insights, thought leadership, and the latest in management. From in-depth features to practical guidance, explore the ideas shaping today’s workplace.
Learn about CMI’s mission, values, and impact. From our Royal Charter to governance, careers, and sustainability commitments, discover who we are and what drives us.
18 February 2015 -
Bosses’ misplaced confidence is stressing out the UK’s workforce, according to research.
A CMI survey has shown that managerial swagger, coupled with a lack of skills, is forcing three in four workers to take decisions they feel unqualified to make.
And 55% complain that their manager lacks the ability to do their job – while expressing undue levels of confidence.
Some 39% think their boss’s behaviour increases stress, 34% say their boss reduces enjoyment of their job, and 10% blame their boss for their declining health – all hallmarks of bullying in the workplace.
The worrying findings chime with CMI ’s economic outlook survey, which reveals that 70% of managers have experienced a drop in morale in their organisation in the past six months.
What is behind this? CMI is particularly worried that 61% of workers have wanted to ask their boss for help with a decision but have been denied the opportunity. This lack of support appears to be affecting performance – nearly a quarter of employees are regularly worried about making decisions while one in ten admit covering up their mistakes.
Former CMI chief executive Ruth Spellman warned that the findings proved that UK managers must work harder to support their workforce. “To engage employees we need managers who are fully committed to supporting their teams,” she said. “It seems this ideal is far from being achieved.”
1. 55% of workers say their manager lacks sufficient ability to do their job
2. 34% of workers feel that their boss compromises their enjoyment of their job
3. 10% of workers blame their boss for their declining health
Image courtesy of KieferPix / Shutterstock.
› The persistence of presenteeism and other nuanced nonsense
› A new age of vulnerability: why inclusive leadership matters more than ever
› Ask yourself: "How do I make my employees feel?"
› Finance and the Diversity Dividend
For more information or to request interviews, contact CMI's Press Team on 020 7421 2705 or email press.office@managers.org.uk
› The 5 Greatest Examples of Change Management in Business History
› Four companies that failed spectacularly, and the lessons of their premature demise
› 6 companies that get employee engagement – and what they do right
› 4 Signs That Racism May Be An Issue In Your Workplace
› How to build an Effective Team: focus on just 3 things