One in five managers are not encouraged to learn new skills – Mind Tools

According to research conducted by Mind Tools and YouGov, 19% of UK managers revealed they are not expected to learn new things regularly, despite the skills gap facing many organisations.

This issue was more pronounced in industries with a large percentage of ‘deskless’ workers, rising to 25%.

Mind Tools’ ‘Building Better Managers’ report uncovered challenges in management development across 12 key industries.

It highlighted that half of managers struggled to grow professionally due to too many competing priorities.

Additionally, 31% reported that they received little to no support from their organisation or direct managers in developing the skills they needed.

Moreover, 50% received no support from their organisations when they first stepped into their roles.

Shabnam Shahani, CEO at Mind Tools, said: “These findings underscore the critical gap in leadership development, particularly as organisations increasingly rely on managers to drive performance and retention.

“Organisations risk losing talent and productivity without a clear focus on managerial development.

“Our findings illustrate the pressing need for managers to have both the time and the resources to grow their skills effectively.”

When asked about further barriers to their professional development, 13% of managers said they did not know what skills they needed to be more effective – 13% stated the content they have access to is not relevant, while 12% could not find the resources they needed to learn.

Shahani added: “Our report highlights a key irony in modern leadership: while managers are expected to champion learning within their teams, they are often deprived of the necessary support from their own leaders.

“They also often know they need to improve, but many don’t know where to begin.

“With our assessment tools, we provide a structured approach to learning that empowers managers to take ownership of their development.

“With nearly two-thirds of managers willing to leave a company due to inadequate learning opportunities, businesses must invest in their leaders to stay competitive.

“After all, supported managers become better leaders, which translates to higher employee engagement and improved business outcomes.”