Better Management Report:
Taking responsibility - why UK plc needs better managers
This landmark CMI study, conducted in partnership with YouGov, explores the impact that good management can make – to individuals, their organisations and to wider society.

*No more disclaimers
Let's change management for good.
A nationwide study into the state of UK management and leadership
Using a wealth of original data, this study draws on the experiences of more than 4,500 people working across every corner of the UK economy and evidences the importance of good management and, perhaps more importantly, the cost of getting it wrong.
The risks of poor management manifest themselves in staff wellbeing, retention and the ultimate success of organisations - be it the bottom line for companies or the smooth delivery of public services for taxpayers. This research also brings to the forefront the sheer volume of managers who are coming into the job without adequate training.
It’s time for managers and organisations to take responsibility and commit to identifying where their knowledge and skills gaps lie and how they can work to address them. Only through this investment can we turn the page to deliver long-term growth, improved productivity and relegate accidental managers and toxic work cultures to the past.
Key Findings
A good manager creates a culture where people feel autonomous, empowered, committed to the task, able to take risks, committed to each other and the team, and driven to deliver.
Middle manager working in the public sector
As full-time employees spend more time at work than with their family, a good manager can really lift a person, which, in turn, can lift their home life and the life of their family. Positivity spreads.
Senior manager working in the private sector
These untrained managers are damaging organisational culture, productivity, staff wellbeing and, as a result, the national economy.
Middle manager working in the public sector
Two years ago I was ready to leave my job because I had such a negative relationship with my manager. He was a micro-manager, confrontational, not supportive of development opportunities and regularly spoke negatively about his peers.
Female middle manager in the private sector