At a time when there is huge pressure on every business and the challenges of keeping the best team members in highly competitive times only seem to get harder, this piece of research from CMI is a real concern...

Almost half of workers have quit their jobs due to bad management, figures from Chartered Management Institute (CMI) reveal.

Of the 3,000 workers surveyed, 50 per cent assert that they could do a better job than their current manager, while 49 per cent would be prepared to take a pay cut if it meant working with a better boss.

Ruth Spellman, chief executive of the CMI, says: ‘The figures reveal the depth of the crisis of confidence in UK management and leadership, and the enormous toll bad management is taking on the UK economy and people's wellbeing.'

In a separate survey of managers, two in five said they did not want the responsibility of managing people, while 63 per cent had received no management training. Of the 1,656 surveyed, only 28 per cent of managers said they held any type of formal management qualification.

Adds Spellman: ‘It's telling that the majority of individuals never set out to manage people, and have not been trained to do so. If we're going to stay competitive internationally, the government and employers need to address this worrying skills gap.'

How could you avoid this in your business? Here are some questions to reflect on and hopefully get some insight into avoiding this pitfall:

• How does my staff view their managers... and me?
• What would be the impact on my business of losing key people?
• How could I equip my managers better to retain good staff?
• What does it cost me to recruit and train new staff?
• How do we tell our staff how much we value them?
• Are my employees happy and motivated?

Successful businesses have loyal, motivated employees and their managers are in tune with the feelings, needs and challenges that their teams face.

If you are concerned about any of the answers you come up with and feel this is an area that your business is at risk - or simply don't know the answer, you should consider getting an independent assessment of the health of your team and their motivation.

By Richard Dickinson

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