Workers want bosses who can solve problems, manage time

Dive Brief:

A LinkedIn survey polled more than 2,000 workers around the U.S. to find what employees want in a manager. The majority of those polled, 68%, responded they wanted a boss who can help problem-solve the challenges they face on the job.
Fourty-four percent of respondents said they value time management in a manager. Similarly, 41% said they value decisiveness, while 38% said they want empathy and 36% said they want compassion in a boss.
To help managers capitalize on their problem-solving skills, LinkedIn featured advice from Mike Figliuolo, who it called a leadership expert. Figiuolo suggested managers use a four-step process for problem solving. First, help the employee identify the root cause. This can include a series of questions about goals, metrics and other factors. Next, work with the employee to identify and prioritize solutions. Third, managers should help workers think critically about paths forward and, finally, empower the employee to pitch solutions to their colleagues.

Dive Insight:

Some data suggests bad bosses are an open secret in business. Three-quarters of respondents in a VitalSmarts poll said their manager has "glaring flaws." And yet, managers in the survey revealed they're not aware of these issues. Change may not come easily. More than 40% of respondents in the VitalSmarts report said they wouldn’t know how to bring up the subject of their managers' issues. The same amount feared retaliation if they did; 38% of those surveyed said their organization did not support people who speak up.

Employers may want to take the initiative to track their managers performance and improve it as necessary. Managers want training and development, recent research suggested, but frequently aren't provided with it. This training may not only boost non-managerial employees' satisfaction in their supervisors but also aid organizations in better complying with employment laws. Untrained frontline managers often create situations that may trigger a claim under laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Training, experts say, could lower the chances of a charge.