Why Managers Don’t Manage – They Simply Don’t Know What To Do

One reason why managers don’t manage is that they simply don’t know what to do. The managers simply don’t know when a decision needs to be made or how to make that decision.

What are clear indicators that your managers need training?

1. They second guess every decision they make.
2. They don’t make decisions.
3. They have no idea how to handle employee issues.
4. They have a management style that is not conducive to good employee performance or morale.
5. They are unable to meet program goals.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve provided management training to long term managers who had never been given any training before. They had been operating on blind faith and good sense, and often in the dark, hoping they were doing the right thing. When managers aren’t given the skills they need to be successful, it is generally a recipe for disaster.For example, I was called in to help a nonprofit organization because the employees were making costly mistakes. After investigating, it became clear that the managers had never communicated their needs and expectations to their staff. The managers automatically assumed that their employees knew, possibly through osmosis, what they were expected to do. The managers had never been given training on performance management or delegation.

In another instance, I consulted with a government agency where a manager had been charged with discrimination against women. It was alleged that he showed favoritism to his male employees when making assignments, so the women were denied the experience necessary for them to promote to higher levels.

The manager was appalled by the discrimination complaint and justified his assignment decisions on the basis of perceived readiness to perform. The women employees would come into his office to discuss different ways to approach the assignment and the manager assumed that they needed him to tell them what to do. In fact, the women only intended to use him as a sounding board. He had not intentionally discriminated, it was just that he had never been trained in the differences in problem solving styles between men and women.

The best way you can build your managers’ capabilities is through training. Often, particularly regarding discrimination complaints, companies wait until there is a problem before scheduling training. As you can tell from the examples I’ve shared, managers really need the training at the beginning of their careers. One training session will not provide all of the skills of a manager. There are so many changes going on in the world and in business, it isn’t possible to anticipate all of the new knowledge and skills that managers may need. But training in management basics and the complementary soft skills will provide a good foundation.

Training will always be necessary if there are changes in policies, procedures, operating systems, or strategic goals. If there is a pattern of behavior that indicates a manager lacks the necessary knowledge or skill to handle certain situations, training should be an immediate consideration. Another way to identify the need for training is to ask managers what they need in a way that supports their growth and development (rather than couching any training need as corrective or remedial).

About the author

Deborah Spring Laurel is the President of Laurel and Associates, Ltd., a certified woman-owned small business that builds and strengthens managerial, employee development and technical skills through the design and delivery of participatory classroom training on a national and international basis. If you would like your participants to leave training with practical skills that they can use immediately, or you would like your trainers to facilitate quality programs that effectively achieve their learning goals, contact Deborah at http://www.laurelandassociates.com, where you can also access over 700 management and training tips