Staff refuse to turn to managers for advice

Managers are failing to make themselves approachable according to a new report which suggests 85% of staff would rather go elsewhere for work guidance.

A reluctance to bother their boss was the reason cited by nearly half of employees polled in the survey by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and the British Library.

A further 30% said they were too scared of looking incompetent. Nearly a quarter said they would never turn to their manager for advice because they did not value their judgement.

“These new figures paint a worrying picture,” said Ruth Spellman, CMI chief executive.

“The job of a manager is to guide and instruct, ensuring their teams are performing at the top of their game. If you’re ever unsure of how to tackle something at work your manager should be the first person you turn to – the one with the support and answers.”

Spellman said any workplace culture where people were scared to approach managers would negatively affect productivity.

She added: “If the UK’s businesses are to rise up out of the recession and flourish, we need to get these things right by vastly improving the quality of our managers and leaders.”

© Crimson Business Ltd. 2010