Thousands of Welsh workers are currently being asked how good they think their bosses are at their jobs and if they really have the skills to get the best out of their team.
The question is being posed in order to establish whether Welsh managers are as effective as they need to be or what training they might need in order to boost their performance in the office, shop or factory.
People are being asked if their boss is approachable, if he or she is good at delegating, managing people, discussing staff’s training needs and explaining to people what is expected of them.
Six thousand people will take part in face-to-face interviews in their homes and their identity will remain confidential. Researchers hope this exercise will get to the heart of what people really feel about those who organise their working lives for them.
The question is being asked as part of the in-depth Future Skills Wales 2003 survey which continues until the end of July. The first results are expected to be published in October.
The project is being carried out to help identify the skills which exist in Wales today, what will be needed in the future and also what skills people expect they will need over the next few years.
This is the first time workers have been asked to rate their bosses' skills as well as their own.
In particular the survey, which also covers 6,000 employers, will focus on "generic skills," - those general skills, such as literacy, communication, teamworking or leadership skills, which can be used in many different occupations.
The presence or absence of these skills is regarded as a good barometer of how well placed Wales will be to take advantage of new economic opportunities in the future.
This European-funded project is spearheaded by a broad-based partnership including the Welsh Assembly Government, the National Council – ELWa, the WDA, TUC, Careers Wales, the Welsh Local Government Association and Jobcentre Plus.
The information on how people view their bosses is being gathered at a time when management development is seen as an increasingly important element in creating a successful economy.
In its most recent Employment Trends Survey, industry body the CBI said “Employers are now ranking management skills as the key driver of competitive advantage. They believe it is the quality of this leadership that gives them the edge over their competitors.”
Jo McCallum, Research Manager at the National Council – ELWa and Manager of Future Skills Wales 2003 said this was the first time people’s opinions of their managers and supervisors has been included in the Future Skills Wales survey.
“There is a fear that once people are promoted into management positions they don’t make the time to find out about new developments in management or raising their own skills levels. It can be difficult to assess your own skills so it is important to ask staff what they think,” she said.
“This study aims to reveal how the Welsh workforce feel about their managers. This confidential questionnaire will give employees a rare opportunity to assess their boss’ performance. So far we have found people are giving thoughtful and constructive responses which should yield some very useful information,” she added.
Christopher Ward, Chief Executive of the Wales Management Council, which promotes improved management and leadership in Wales welcomed the research.
“However good a manager we think we are the acid test is whether our staff think so too. In order to achieve better management in Wales we need to know where we stand today and this research will give us a valuable insight.
“I believe that managers in Wales take their role seriously and want to improve their performance. Good managers are constantly evaluating and upgrading their skills and aspiring towards best practice in their sector of industry,” he added.
Management Development is also high on the agenda for The National Council – ELWa which aims to help around 2,500 companies to boost the skills of their managers this year alone.
