From this article you will learn:

• which areas are currently being dealt with in particular by Polish managers,
• what challenges the new times pose to them,
• what competencies should they have today,
• what problems they face and how the company can support them.

The report of the House of Skills company, which surveyed Polish managers in 2021/2022, shows that Currently, they spend the most time and energy building trust among the team 33%, and the need to motivate employees was also highly rated 27% [1]. Not surprisingly — both of these issues have been compromised during the troubled times of the pandemic. Care of these areas fell precisely to the managers. So let's take a look at the challenges that recent years have presented to them and the new skills they need to acquire today.

The most difficult tasks of modern managers

1. Rethinking communication

Generation Z is entering the labour market, demanding simple and concrete messages. Moreover, it collides with other generations in a completely new hybrid work environment (you can read more about ways to integrate teams in today's realities HERE). Such realities make it a necessity for managers to rethink communication. Thankfully, they themselves They understand the importance of transparency in communication. They emphasize that in times of crisis and unpredictability, honesty and clarity should become a pillar of managerial authority [1].

2. A new way of motivation

Research has shown that managers today are unlikely to include motivation in long-term plans [1]. Very often they see this issue through a material prism, while their teams are already demanding other solutions. Even if the generation of the youngest employees highly values access to new knowledge, reliable feedback or solutions that build their psychological well-being (read more about Generation Z HERE).

Also The majority of employees today demand motivation by increasing support for physical activity and a healthy lifestyle and providing psychological support (48%) [2].

It may therefore turn out that benefits, allowing to take care of well-being, will be — in a broader perspective — a stronger motivational tool than just bonuses or bonuses. Fortunately, the managers themselves are slowly noticing this and offering to participate in training (39% of indications) place very high on the list of activities to take care of the team [1].

3. The science of inclusivity

Inclusivity is a trend that cannot be missed by following the latest reports on the activities of global companies. However, research shows that today a large proportion of managers do not see the power inherent in diversity and building an inclusive work culture (inclusion) [1] This approach can unfortunately have a negative impact not only on the teams, but also on the entire image of the company, especially among the talents of the younger generation.

4. Focus on the psyche

This issue has already been raised by the WHO [3]. Fortunately, Polish managers did not overlook this trend and the psychological well-being of employees is definitely in the circle of their interests. The problem, however, is that When asked if and what measures they take to take care of the mental condition of employees, most often indicated the answer “I do not know” (41%) [1]. This means that they need training support provided by organizations in this regard.

5. Distributed teams

In front of modern bosses, they are also challenges associated with remote work. Integrating teams in new conditions is extremely complicated. Managers also raise the problem of onboarding and employee implementation (27% of appointments in the group of remote managers versus 13% of the total). More often than “stationary” also have trouble engaging teams and getting them to achieve their goals (35% versus 23% among full-time workers). [1]

How can a company help managers?

As you can see, Various difficulties arise before managers, the need to adapt the management style to changing conditions in an agile way and constantly acquire competencies. This is a huge burden for people who were previously considered to be particularly vulnerable to stress.

So what can a company do for managers?

According to a study by the House of Skills, only 10% of managers describe their mental condition as poor, while 14% declare a complete absence of problems in this area. However, the authors of the report emphasize that if you take into account access to sources on the general population, this data seems overly optimistic. This is reflected, for example, by research in a group of novice managers, of which Only 3% reported good mental health [1].

The concern of the authors of the report is confirmed, for example, by the American research of the company Slack, known for its software supporting the company, among others, in remote work. According to them, until 43% of middle managers surveyed found that she was experiencing burnout as a result of chronic stress in the workplace. This is more than in other groups of employees [4].

Solution: It is therefore worthwhile to surround the management with special care in this regard. In what way? Even through access to experts (psychologists), but also courses and applications, which benefit MultiLife has a wide range of offers.

Managers are a professional group that devotes far too little time to rest and relaxation [5]. They are professionally exposed to the so-called overload. It is a condition characterized by, among other things, the use of excess time for work and conscious restriction of leisure [6].

Solution: Through MultiLife we gain access to, among others, courses mindedness, legal whether breathing. And also applications that support constant progress in this regard.

In the US and Europe, more and more companies are offering their employees mindfulness classes as part of a program to combat stress in the workplace. All because the practice of mindfulness has proven to be an extremely effective method of combating stress.

Why is it so important? It turns out that people who train “mindfulness” are better at teamwork, resolve conflicts, concentrate and communicate more easily, and make beneficial decisions effectively [5]. All these issues coincide with, as mentioned earlier, the challenges of modern management.

Constant exposure to stress is a real curse of management. All the more so that tension is followed by numerous body responses. They can appear, for example, musculoskeletal pain, neck pain, back pain or problems with clenched jaws. Experts point out that these are the first and only less serious warning signs [5].

In the case of managers, this is often the case. There is also the so-called weekend neurosis. It is a condition characterized by anxiety and other complaints that occur during leisure time [5].

This creates a vicious circle — because if the cure for stress is relaxation, such a person is simply not able to achieve it. Eventually, other stress-induced diseases can also appear, at the forefront of cardiovascular problems.

Solution: Of course, prevention is better than cure, but it is also better to put the tools that serve the latter in the hands of managers. This is what the creators of modern benefits thought about. Among the services available as part of MultiLife, we will find, among others: Diagnostics — with useful laboratory test packages - whether Telemedia — with the option of quick online medical consultations.

Finally, advice, perhaps banal, but we often forget it - it is worth treating managers... like people. If we shift to them taking care of the well-being of employees, it is worth asking ourselves the constant question - who will take care of the well-being of this extremely important pillar of the company. Stress among employees is a growing problem. Let's not forget that its quantity often increases with each subsequent rung of the corporate ladder.

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Bibliography:

1. situ https://www.houseofskills.pl/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Polski-menedzer.-Praktyki-wyzwania-rozwoj.-Raport-House-of-Skills.pdf.
2. Benefit Systems report “Tired, indifferent, unengaged. Post-pandemic needs of workers”, 2022.
3. situ https://wartowiedziec.pl/polityka-zdrowotna/66109-who-o-rozwiazywaniu-problemow-ze-zdrowiem-psychicznym-w-pracy.
4. https://futureforum.com/research/pulse-report-fall-2022-executives-feel-strain-leading-in-new-normal/ - quote for: https://businessinsider.com.pl/twoje-pieniadze/praca/twoj-menedzer-jest-jeszcze-bardziej-wypalony-niz-ty/rvgysrg.
5. situ http://mindful.com.pl/artykuly/stres-managera/.
6. situ https://hrstandard.pl/2019/04/17/dlaczego-menadzerowie-ledwo-zyja/.