Accidental managers
Most managers are promoted without any formal training. The CMI argues that it has a significant impact on business performance. The same arguments could be made for public relations practice.
Good management and leadership make a big difference to organisations contributing to productivity, innovation, staff retention and overall business performance. Bad management can be corrosive and toxic and have the opposite impact.
A report published this week by the Chartered Management Institute highlighted the proliferation of "accidental managers" in the UK - people promoted to management roles without proper training. It found more than four-fifths of managers had no formal management training when starting their role.
“The difference that skilled management can make, the results it can deliver, cannot be overstated and needs to be the starting point for a new story of British innovation and growth,” said Ann Francke, CEO, CMI.
“Investment in management and leadership development programmes see on average a 23% increase in organisational performance and a 32% increase in employee engagement and productivity,” she added.
Lack of management training is linked to lower confidence and poorer performance on key skills like managing change, calling out bad behaviour, and poor performance. Managers with formal training were more likely to say they were confident in their abilities.
Ineffective managers damage organisations through lower staff motivation, job satisfaction and higher turnover. Half of employees with ineffective managers planned to leave their jobs in the next year.
The issue is exaggerated by socio-economic issues. The CMI report argues there are indicators of bias in promotions and recruitment. For example, 31% of managers agreed that people with caring responsibilities were less likely to get promoted.
Managers from lower and intermediate socio-economic backgrounds were more likely than those from higher socio-economic backgrounds not to have management qualifications. It suggests unequal access to management training.
46% of managers agreed that people were promoted based on internal relationships and profile rather than ability and performance. This indicates potential bias in advancement opportunities.
The arguments that the Chartered Management Institute applies to management can be applied to public relations. There are a similar percentage of accidental public relations practitioners as there are accidental managers.
A report published by PR Academy in Spring estimates that the number of practitioners who have a professional qualification provided by AMEC, CIPR or PRCA are between 15,000 to 20,000. The PRCA Census 2021 reported that 99,900 practitioners were working in the industry.
The Chartered Management Institute calls for organisations to prioritise developing good management skills through training and qualifications. It argues this will boost productivity, innovation, staff retention and deliver long-term economic growth.
The CMI commissioned two online surveys conducted by the polling organisation YouGov. One survey of 2,524 employees with management experience was conducted between 8-14 June 2023. Another survey of 2,018 employees with no management experience was conducted between 5-12 June 2023.
