Tag Archives: undermanagement
What Is High-Structure, High-Substance Dialogue?
Our research shows that when things are going wrong in a management relationship, almost always, the common denominator is unstructured, low substance, hit-or-miss communication. With the added complications of managing some combination of remote, hybrid, and in-person employees, managers are more prone to low-structure communication than ever. The key is to replace the unstructured, low…
Employee Burnout? That Could Be a Sign of Undermanagement
Burnout was first formally recognized by the WHO in 2019, before the rapid transformations of 2020 caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then, burnout has only increased in organizations, and it is again coming to employers’ attentions in the midst of the Great Resignation. The WHO defines three symptoms of burnout: Feelings of energy depletion…
Is the Work Getting Done? Five Ways to Monitor Employee Performance
There are a number of myths that prevent managers from being strong, but one of the most common questions we hear at RainmakerThinking is, “How can I possibly keep track of my employees’ work on a regular basis?” So many managers feel there is simply not enough time for them to effectively monitor each employee’s…
The proven basics that will make you a better manager
If you’re trying to be a better manager, it’s likely you’re one of the nearly 90% of leaders who are undermanaging. That’s not a judgment, that’s just math. Undermanagement is not a sign of laziness, apathy, or ineptitude. Actually, it’s quite the opposite. Most undermanagement is the result of bad advice, the constant churn of…
You’re Struggling to Retain the Best Talent – Is Undermanagement the Cause?
Attracting, recruiting, and retaining the best talent is one of the biggest challenges facing organizations today. For employers of all sizes, in every industry, it is getting harder to get the great candidates they need to come in the door. The people they do manage to hire are less likely to stick around for very…
What Is Undermanagement Costing You?
I’ve said it before: undermanagement can be difficult to identify. And yet, it is the number one cause of the most common preventable problems in the workplace. How is undermanagement going unnoticed? There are two factors at play here: managing people is getting harder, and there are seven key areas of management with which leaders…
Break Free from the Vicious Cycle of Undermanagement
Managers who are convinced they don’t have time to manage almost always spend lots of time managing people anyway. That’s because whenever a manager avoids spending time up front making sure things go right, then things almost always go wrong. Small problems pile up and grow until they become so big that they cannot be…
Seven Key Aspects of Management With Which Managers Are Struggling
It’s always been hard to manage people. Managers have always been stuck in the middle between the employer and the employee, trying to negotiate their competing needs and expectations. But today, managers are telling us that it is harder than ever before. And it is resulting in an ongoing epidemic of undermanagement. Not only are…
Managing People Is Getting Harder
Undermanagement can be difficult to identify. After all, everyone at work is surrounded by metrics and meetings all the time. It may seem like management is ever-present. But what is missing in most workplaces is the human element of management: managers providing direct reports with the guidance, direction, support and coaching that they need to…
Supporting Employees Means Customizing Your Management Approach
All your employees come to work with different levels of ability and skill: different backgrounds, personalities, styles, ways of communicating, work habits, and motivations. Some of them need more guidance than others. One employee needs the details spelled out, while another has the details memorized. One responds best if you ask questions, while another prefers…