Curing Mediocre Boss Syndrome

American companies are coming down with blah-boss fever, and the only thing that can cure it is better leadership development.

A May study commissioned by Sandler Training, a global training organization, showed that 40 percent of the 1,010 employees surveyed would give their bosses a “B” in leadership skills. Nearly a quarter gave their bosses a C, and 14 percent gave a D or F.

It seems like leaders have some work to do if they’re going to make the honor roll.

Dave Mattson, CEO of Sandler Training, explained four ways that executives can fix a mediocre manager based on what participants said in the survey.

1. Onboarding: “It’s a process, not an event,” Mattson said. Leaders should create a list of items that individuals in that job should know or be competent at and provide examples of success for each. He said Sandler Training has an onboarding playbook that includes things like scripts and audio recordings of on-target elevator pitches. The package identifies both what is important and how the company believes things should be done.

It’s not enough to send new leaders into the world with a guide, however. Mattson said assessments give executives the ability to test new managers’ abilities and present an opportunity for coaching them toward a better method. Onboarding isn’t reserved for new employees, either — it can happen at any time as a refresher course for stale managers.

2. Face time: In the survey, 19 percent of respondents said their managers were missing in action. To fix the issue, executives have to identify the reason behind the problem: Are managers uncomfortable in face-to-face interactions or don’t they think they have time for them?

“I’ve got to coach my team to do a great job so they don’t feel like they’re uncomfortable or ill-equipped to have those interactions with our staff,” Mattson said. “We have to help and grow those people, and it’s just not a thing we do on quarterly basis during quarterly review. It should be happening all the time.”

3. Communication: Leaders might be clear communicators, but that doesn’t mean they’re doing a good job connecting with their employees. They should focus on managing a team as a group rather than tailoring their message to each individual member. From a learning perspective, executives need to make sure they’re training their people on behavioral styles and presentation skills, Mattson said.

4. Setting expectations: Managers also have to outline what they need from their employees. This might seem redundant after onboarding, but making sure leaders and their employees understand what’s expected of them has to continue long after their initiation into a company. People want to know timeframes and see examples of success without ambiguity, Mattson said. Even in something as small as a group meeting, setting an agenda for what should be accomplished in a set amount of time boosts productivity and makes a leader seem more in control of a situation.

That’s not to say they should become micromanagers, however. Instead, Mattson said the stereotypical supervisor role has to be redefined. Many leaders see it as someone who dictates everything employees do, and that’s as wrong as totally ignoring direct reports.

So what are managers doing right? Mattson said the highest-rated managers recognize their need for self-improvement and look for ways to improve their performance, even though 8 out of 10 said they were expected to jump into leadership without any formal training.

“Give kudos to those doing the best they can with what they have,” Mattson said. “We have to continually grow individuals. … We understand what’s necessary to help grow an organization, and I think people are doing their best. We should be satisfied, but we have a lot to grow into.”