They loomed large in the Leadership, Employment and Direction (L.E.A.D.) research last year, it says, so smart managers will have them top of mind in 2012. LMA warns that failure to address these issues will have detrimental effect in 2012.
Job Satisfaction
In 2011, almost 60 percent of the workforce said they either hated their jobs or had ho-hum attitude towards work. This year, leaders and managers will need to ask themselves whether they’re providing the right work environment for their people. With only third of employees and middle managers/supervisors (37 percent) feeling positive about their job satisfaction, LMA says there’s huge opportunity to create more satisfying workplace experience.
Staff Turnover
According to last year’s L.E.A.D. Survey, half the workforce had considered looking for job elsewhere in the last six months and around one in eight had actually applied for new job elsewhere. Better salary/pay, better opportunities for career development/growth and more interesting or challenging position/role/work were the key reasons for considering working elsewhere.
Skills Shortages
The reality of skill shortages hit home in 2011. Around two-thirds of leaders (57 percent), managers (70 percent) and non-managerial employees (66 percent) in Australasian organisations fessed up to skills shortages in their organisations. Two of the top six problem areas were leadership and management.
Clearly leaders and managers need to look closely at their own skill base and ensure their skills are up to scratch, says LMA. They must look to potential future leadership and management successors in their organisations, and identify and develop talent for future growth.
Generational Disharmony
In 2011, the L.E.A.D. Survey showed the relationships between, and with, baby boomers were far more fractious than those with, and between, Gen-Yers: traditionally seen as the ‘problem children’ in the workplace.
Most in the baby boomer generation don’t want to work with (87 percent) or report to (59 percent) their own generation. The vast majority in other generations also don’t want to work with baby boomers (Gen-X 96 percent, Gen-Y 96 percent) or report to them (Gen-X 94 percent, Gen-Y 92 percent) in the future.
Given that baby boomers will still fill most leadership and senior management positions for at least another decade, this is disturbing news.
HR Management
2011 saw rise in the prominence and importance of HR management. Ninety-three percent of leaders and senior managers now say they regard HR departments and/or professionals seriously and support them in their work. LMA reckons there’s still plenty of upside for HR to play key role in helping leaders and managers in critical areas.
