An Accidental What?

82% of managers who enter management positions have not had any formal management and leadership training—they
are “accidental managers.”

CHARTERED MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE

---

Up until her recent promotion, Mary was a great frontline contributor and as an additional bonus, she was also popular with her peers and colleagues.  So it made sense to promote her into management when a position opened up.  Unfortunately, Mary's organization offered little to no training, much less any true developmental opportunities.  Oh, she got a brief walk-through on a few, key SOPs and some terse training on the software for budgeting, productivity, and performance management.  But that was it.  This left her experiencing struggles and challenges trying to navigate transitioning into now being the boss of her former peers.  She's feeling anxiety and has this recurring and uncomfortable feeling that she is incompetent and unqualified.  She has imposter syndrome.

Sound familiar?   CMI recently conducted a survey of over 4,500 managers and employees across the UK and they report a whopping 82% of bosses are “accidental managers”--and a quarter of those are in senior leadership roles.  Additionally, they report that [emphasis added] "a third of current managers and leaders have never received any formal management and leadership training (33%), including a quarter (26%) of senior managers and leaders."

You think that's only happening to managers and leaders across the pond?  A number of studies have indicated that employer-paid training has been on the decline in the United States for years.  And if you've been in the workforce for more than just a few years, you've either experienced the accidental manager phenomenon on one end or the other, witnessed it, or heard about it from someone who has. 

What is an accidental manager?
Anyone who is thrust into a people management or leadership role without the necessary skills, training, or preparation falls under the accidental manager umbrella.  This could be someone who has been promoted because of their technical expertise and track record, but lacks the skills and experience in management. 

The damage of creating accidental managers
Accidental management and leadership is pervasive and it's doing damage  to teams and organizations and even to the leaders and managers themselves—more than you might think.  Just ask Gallup.   They report that bad managers cost businesses billions of dollars each year. 

The term accidental manager can imply that the person may be incompetent, even though it's through no fault of their own.  And because managers are often expected to 'know it all,' this can breed a lack of confidence, anxiety, and a sense of alienation or rejection.  Like Mary in our example above, many suffer from imposter syndrome.

Many accidental managers suffer from imposter syndrome.

Many are confused about goals, micromanaged,  or stuck without proper feedback and guidance.  Accidental managers often can be in a phase called ‘unconscious incompetence’ (I don’t know what I don’t know) breeding a false sense of confidence which then puts them in a state of denial that they even need training and development.

Because they're often promoted because of their expertise, they are prone to micromanage their team members that report to them and/or not give them the autonomy they need.  They are the expert, afterall, right?  Wrong.  They may be the expert in their previous job, but they are not management or leadership experts... at least not yet, anyway—and micromanaging and not giving proper autonomy are not behaviors of the best managers and leaders.

Unfortunately, accidental managers are often disconnected or detached from their team in the more meaningful ways and that causes their team members to feel demotivated and resentful impacting productivity, engagement levels, and even the well-being of team members.  In fact, a report by the Workforce Institute at UKG uncovered that managers have "a greater impact on our mental health than doctors and therapists—and even equal to that of spouses and partners."

---

It's time for leaders and organizations to connect the dots. 

• Accidental managers are not the exception; they are the norm.
• Succession planning is always something on the To-Do list that never seems to get done or get done adequately.
• Management and leadership training, much less professional and leadership development, are woefully poor, absent, or are being ignored to focus on more immediate challenges.
• Gallup's research reveals that only one in 10 people possess the talent to manage.
• Warren Bennis, Barry Posner, James Kouzes, and a host of others challenge the myth that leaders are born or that it comes naturally and that minimal support is required. 
• The reality is that leadership can be broken down into teachable (and learnable) competencies and behaviors and a growth or learning mindset is foundational to development.
• Leadership development is a career-long endeavor.
• Coaching is highly under-utilized across the board for leaders, but even more so as you move down the hierarchy toward frontline managers and leaders.
• Korn Ferry (as cited by HBR) found that when managers rated themselves on 67 managerial skills, “developing others” came in dead last.
• Forty-one percent of ‘quiet quitters’ cited managerial-related reasons (e.g., not enough recognition, a lack of respect, unclear goals, etc.) for their lack of engagement.
• Gallup's regression analysis estimates that managers account for at least 70% of the variance in employee engagement.
• Only 23% of the global workforce is engaged.  That means that 77% of the global workforce is less than engaged.
• High employee engagement is linked to higher profitability, productivity, and quality; lower turnover; less absenteeism and shrinkage (i.e., theft); and fewer safety incidents.
  

It's time for organizations to demand that they have great leaders and great managers and to invest in the training, development, mentoring, and coaching to build them up.  All of your key metrics and mission are on the line.

There are things you can do about it.

WHAT ORGANIZATIONS CAN DO
CLICK PLUS SIGNS TO EXPAND

 Succession Planning

Invest the time and energy to develop and deploy an organization-wide succession plan.

The One in Ten

Identify the one in 10 people (high-potentials) across the organization who possess the talent to manage—not just those currently in management and leadership positions.

High-Potentials

Develop and implement a high-potential training & development program for your one in 10.

New Leader & Manager Training & Development

Develop & implement a new leader/manager training & development program.  Go beyond the simple SOPs and software training to include foundational competencies and skills such as purpose-driven leadership, how to conduct one-on-ones & staff meetings, recognition, how to drive employee engagement, conflict management, empathic listening, time management, creating a psychologically safe environment, etc.

There are few leadership strategies that have the impact that purpose-driven leadership can offer you.  Purpose-driven leadership has been shown to positively impact key metrics such as employee engagement, productivity, innovation, revenue and financials, wellbeing, retention, and most importantly, your leadership confidence and effectiveness!

Lucky for you, I have a one-of-a-kind, empiracally-driven, and engaging program just for you:  The Purpose-Driven Leadership Program.

Check it out.   If you have any questions at all, just reach out to me.  Here's how:  Alan's Contact Information

Value Continuing Education & Development

Develop & implement a continuing education/leadership development program.  Invest in a skills-gaps analysis to narrow-in on key skills and competenices that need to be boosted and amplified.  Make sure that includes people skills, leading with meaning, purpose, & values, and mindset gaps.

Mentorship

Develop & implement a mentorship program to include identifying and training mentors.

Coaching

Coaching isn't just for executives.   All levels can benefit from coaching—even emerging managers and leaders.  The longterm positive impacts on teams and organizations include leadership confidence, wellbeing, engagement, retention, goal attainment, productivity, finacials, successful change management, and more.

So, are you ready to take your personal and professional life to new heights?  Look no further!  I'm a seasoned coach with a passion for guiding individuals from all walks of life towards success.  From front-line employees to top-tier, C-suite executives, I have an impressive track record of empowering leaders to achieve their goals and maximize their potential. 

Learn more here:  Coaching With Alan

360-Degree Feedback

Implement an annual 360-degree feedback & leadership assessment program.  Leaders can identify what they're doing well and what individual developmental opportunities and needs they may have.

To learn more about the LPI360, just click here:  The LPI360

Accountability

Create accountability measures around training and development.  Make it part of performance management for all levels within the organization—and that means supporting the time management needed to do that.

Ask an expert

Reach out to me.  Discovery conversations are free.  I offer leadership development, the LPI360, coaching, and more.  Together we can partner on assessing and prioritizing needs that will make the biggest impact in the shortest amount of time and those longer-term goals and needs that may need more planning and development.

Reach out to me:  Contact Alan

WHAT YOU CAN DO
If your organization doesn't offer much in training or development.
CLICK PLUS SIGNS TO EXPAND

Identify What Success in Your Role Looks Like

Schedule time with your one-up manager or director and ask.  Let them know that you're setting some first-year goals and need their help doing that. 

• What goals do they have for you and your team? 
• Are there departmental or organizational goals that you have little or no control over setting?  What are those targets?
• What are you responsible for?  What is not?  What's a bridge too far in your role?
• What does success look like to them? 
• What gets an 'exceeds expectations' rating at your first annual performance review?  
  
• What's on the horizon or in the pipeline that could impact your team over the next six months to a year?
  
• Take notes.

Get clear about their time expectations and politely point out anything that seems unrealistic and what why you think that is.

If they give vague and unclear answers, follow-up and be persistent.  You can ask things like, "If I were to measure that somehow, how would you suggest I do that?" 

Identify Skill gaps

What skills are needed to succeed in your role?  Ask your one-up, others in similar roles, and others who have been in your role what skills are most-needed for success?  What do you need to know (or know how to do) that you don't even know that you need to know?

Then, find the best resources to improve your skills.  Find blogs that offer pointers, and tips, or enroll in an introduction to management short course to teach you the basics.  Do some research and check reviews.

TIME MANAGEMENT

Time management is a universal skill all managers and leaders need to master.  There are numerous tools and strategies like the Eisenhower Matrix and the Pomodoro Technique that are simple quick-starters.  However, a time management course is worth its weight in gold.  Like a skill gap, do your research but don't get bogged-down with analysis paralysis.  Remember, time's a wasting.

Purpose-Driven Leadership

There are few leadership strategies that have the impact that purpose-driven leadership can offer you.  Purpose-driven leadership has been shown to positively impact key metrics such as employee engagement, productivity, innovation, revenue and financials, wellbeing, retention, and most importantly, your leadership confidence and effectiveness!

Lucky for you, I have a one-of-a-kind, empiracally-driven, and engaging program just for you:  The Purpose-Driven Leadership Program.

Check it out.   If you have any questions at all, just reach out to me.  Here's how:  Alan's Contact Information

Coaching

Coaching isn't just for executives.   All levels can benefit from coaching—even emerging managers and leaders. 

Are you ready to take your personal and professional life to new heights?  Look no further!  I'm a seasoned coach with a passion for guiding individuals from all walks of life towards success.  From front-line employees to top-tier, C-suite executives, I have an impressive track record of empowering leaders to achieve their goals and maximize their potential. 

Learn more here:  Coaching With Alan

360-Degree Feedback

If you've been in your role at least six months, conduct an annual 360-degree feedback & leadership assessment to identify what you're doing well and what your individual developmental opportunities and needs are.

To learn more about the LPI360, just click here:  The LPI360

Coaching

Coaching isn't just for executives.   All levels can benefit from coaching—even emerging managers and leaders.  The longterm positive impacts on teams and organizations include leadership confidence, wellbeing, engagement, retention, goal attainment, productivity, finacials, successful change management, and more.

So, are you ready to take your personal and professional life to new heights?  Look no further!  I'm a seasoned coach with a passion for guiding individuals from all walks of life towards success.  From front-line employees to top-tier, C-suite executives, I have an impressive track record of empowering leaders to achieve their goals and maximize their potential. 

Learn more here:  Coaching With Alan

Ask an Expert

Reach out to me.  Discovery conversations are free.  I offer leadership development, the LPI360, coaching, and more.  Together we can partner on assessing and prioritizing your needs and how best to meet them.

Reach out to me:  Contact Alan

---

Have an amazing journey today!

---

Alan Mikolaj is a coach and leadership development consultant with 15+ years of experience.  He is passionate about helping leaders transform their leadership, their teams, and their organizations.  Impactful, professional approach driven by a passion for meaning and purpose, a growth mindset, and a commitment to excellence and service in order to drive change and results.
Alan maintains the ethics and standards of behavior established by the International Coaching Federation (ICF), including the standards regarding confidentiality.  You can learn more about them on the ICF website.
Transformational change starts with a conversation!
Alan is on a mission to partner with like-minded leaders who want to make a positive difference in the world.
Schedule your free, one-hour session by clicking here: Discovery Conversation with Alan
Or call or email me: Contact Page

---