So much depends upon managers. For example, a Gallup study found that at least 70% of the variance in employee engagement scores is driven by who the boss is. This is disconcerting because the same research found that about 70% of people in management roles are not well equipped for the job. This state of affairs is hurting not just employee engagement and quality of life, but also corporate performance.
What Great Managers Do Daily
While there is plenty of research about the soft skills that most good managers possess, data about their day-to-day lives in the office has been more elusive. New information compiled with Microsoft’s Workplace Analytics product may shed some light on how the best managers utilize their time during the day. Not surprisingly, good managers schedule regular one-on-ones with their direct reports, and work just as hard as the people under them. Interestingly, managers who inspire high engagement among their subordinates also have large internal networks as evidenced by the high number of meetings and email exchanges with non-team members. Bad management can be costly to organizations. The more data points we can collect about the best performers, the better.