According to research by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), as many as 82% of new managers in the United Kingdom are accidental managers—employees who assume managerial roles without any formal training. Managers who take on the role of leading teams without adequate training and leadership skills development can negatively impact employee engagement, which may have long-term consequences on return on investment (ROI) and economic efficiency.
Local research has shown that Croatian companies, particularly during the transitional period, faced challenges in developing leadership skills. Many managers lacked adequate training in team management, leading to ineffective decision-making, poor team management, and higher turnover within teams.
Why do managers need additional training?
In many organizations, a managerial position is perceived as a reward for excellent work and results in a particular field, rather than as an entirely new task requiring specific skills and approach. As a result of this perception, many employees are promoted but only to their "level of incompetence," a concept known as the Peter Principle. Namely, Employers promote employees based on their performance in previous roles. Once these employees reach a position for which they lack the necessary skills or abilities, they stop progressing. Employees can climb the hierarchical ladder until they reach a position where they become incompetent, as the demands of the new job differ from those of previous roles.
New managers often face roles requiring a completely different skill set from those they used before being promoted. In team leadership, technical expertise, competencies, or outstanding sales results that brought them to the position may no longer suffice. As a result, individuals who excelled in their operational roles often struggle to adapt to the new responsibilities of leading and managing people. Managers' struggles and lack of leadership skills can lead to disengagement not only for themselves but also for their teams.
Without adequate training and coaching, new managers may not even understand why they fail to achieve success. They often feel pressured, believing they should intuitively be able to lead successfully, and when they fail, they might conclude that they are simply "not managerial material." This not only undermines their morale but also erodes trust within the team, leading to greater dissatisfaction and employee turnover.
Understanding roles through Belbin
One useful way to address these challenges is by using the Belbin Team Roles® model. It is a globally recognized methodology and gold standard for building effective teams and better understanding team dynamics. Designed by Dr Meredith Belbin, it categorizes employees (team members) into nine team roles, each with specific strengths and communication styles.
For example, an employee excelling as a Resource Investigator or Teamworker might be highly successful in building relationships with clients but feel trapped in a new role requiring tough decisions and team leadership. Similarly, an employee with a strong Specialist role, possessing deep technical knowledge, might struggle when required to think broadly and make strategic decisions, as they are unaccustomed to leading and coordinating the work of an entire team. Without proper support and training, such specialists may become disengaged or even demotivated.
What is expected of managers?
Managers are the crucial link between an organization’s strategic goals and the team’s daily operations. They must effectively communicate the vision and directives to the operational level, organize resources, delegate tasks, and solve problems. Additionally, they are tasked with developing and mentoring team members, ensuring both their productivity and well-being.
According to Gallup research, as much as 70% of variations in employee engagement can be attributed to managers. They play a key role in fostering a positive work environment and encouraging engagement, which directly impacts team success. Good managers enable their employees to do what they do best, delegating tasks in a way that optimally utilizes the team's and organization’s resources.
Belbin as a tool for managerial success
For decades, the Belbin Team Roles model has helped managers worldwide better understand their roles and strengths within a team. Using this tool, managers can identify their behavioural tendencies and adjust their management style to maximize effectiveness.
Key advantages of using the Belbin tool for managers include:
self-assessment – through the Belbin questionnaire, managers can identify their strengths and weaknesses and develop a management style aligned with their natural tendencies,
feedback – by seeking feedback from their team, managers gain a clearer and more comprehensive view of how others perceive them, allowing them to align their perception with their strengths,
team understanding – using Belbin team reports, managers can better understand the roles and strengths of individuals within their team and delegate tasks more effectively based on these insights.
Employees are six times more engaged when working in line with their strengths, and Belbin is an ideal tool for identifying these strengths. This approach not only leads to greater engagement and lower employee turnover but also delivers better results across the organization.
Belbin in succession planning
The Belbin model enables companies to align the behavioural requirements of a specific position with the individual preferences and strengths of employees. In this way, companies can strategically develop future managers, focusing on cultivating traits essential for success in leading people rather than relying solely on current job performance as the only criterion for promotion.
By using Belbin methodology, companies can create a successful succession planning model that not only minimizes the risk of incompetence after promotion but also develops leaders who are well-prepared for the challenges of managerial roles in the long term. If you’d like to learn more about how the Belbin Team Roles model can transform your teams, contact us!
