Representative survey: managers overestimate their abilities
A recent representative survey by the Pinktum Institute on management style in Germany reveals considerable discrepancies between the perception of employees and managers themselves on the basis of 34 facets. In the overall situation, which is exhausting for the majority of respondents, the necessary empowerment measures taken by managers are not sufficiently received by employees.
The workforce continues to lose strength. The Pinktum Institute's Power Index has fallen for the third time in a row. 59% percent of the 1,348 respondents in the representative survey entitled "Empowerment Leadership" state that they have less power than three years ago. Managers (69%) are particularly affected compared to employees (58%), with the index rising significantly by 10 percentage points within a year. In fall 2023, 49% of employees felt a gradual loss of strength.
The loss of strength poses serious challenges for companies. As previous surveys by the Pinktum Institute have shown, the causes are not just to do with work. The crises in the world and the economic situation in Germany are also sapping companies' energy. Exhaustion has such far-reaching consequences that we even found a significant impact on sick leave in our latest study.
Increasing demands on leadership
Joachim Pawlik, CEO of the Pawlik Group, who commissioned the study: "The overall situation, which is now very stressful for many people, presents managers with growing challenges. On the one hand, they have to prevent disruptive factors such as power struggles or individual setbacks. On the other hand, they need to be approachable, develop community and give individuals responsibility and scope for decision-making." With the increasing pressure, managers have lost more strength than employees in recent years, says Pawlik. Nevertheless, their leadership quality is crucial for the strength of the company, especially now.
Leadership style influences power balance - self-efficacy and power struggles are top issues
Pinktum Institute asked managers and employees 34 questions each on leadership factors that bosses use to influence the balance of power. For example, both sides answered eight questions on the factor of "letting employees play a part", asking to what extent employees can contribute their own ideas and potential to the job, are personally recognized and are part of the company story. This topic, which can also be described as self-efficacy, and internal power struggles have the greatest impact on employees' energy levels. The fewer power struggles were actively prevented, the less power people had.
The five strongest empowerment factors:
- Reduce internal power struggles: Invest energy and strength in the best solution in terms of content
- Take life into account: See the person and not just the function or KPIs
- Take the losers with you: Encourage the losers and keep the winners brave
- Transferring responsibility: responsibility for anyone who wants it
- Developing community: Creating personal closeness
Lack of awareness of the problem
Overall, managers rated their own empowerment skills significantly better than employees perceive them. The answers differed by up to more than 30 percentage points. For example, 85 % of managers believe they actively prevent internal power struggles, which only 54 % of employees confirm and 46% deny. Almost one in four (23%) criticize that the manager adorns himself with the results of the employees without mentioning them. 93 % of managers, on the other hand, believe that they ensure that employees are recognized for their performance. Another example: 35 % of employees have already felt like losers, although it is important to 90 % of managers that nobody in their team feels like a loser.
Managers do not see themselves more positively than their employees in all respects. For example, 39 % of employees believe that a good personal relationship with their boss is more important for a promotion than their performance. The majority of managers even state this (51 %).
Approaches for more empowerment
Joachim Pawlik: "First of all, managers should realize that most people think they are better than average and therefore overestimate themselves. So there is always a chance that you won't do a lot of things 100 percent right, even though you are convinced of yourself," says Pawlik. Managers should communicate better and create an atmosphere free of fear in order to make it easy for their employees to give critical feedback: "As a boss, I have to actively seek out critical perceptions because most people are not used to honest criticism." This means explicitly asking how your own behavior is perceived and asking for examples in order to understand what is behind it. "In this way, managers can overcome superficiality and get to the bottom of the true assessment of their employees," says Pawlik.
The perceived reality must be negotiated between managers and employees as equals.
Source: www.pinktum.com
