And this grim reality can get grimmer at work. When was the last time your boss sat you down to tell you how you could do better? The last time your colleagues gathered—willingly, voluntarily, and of their own initiative—to critique one another so they could improve? The last time you got honest, critical feedback outside an HR-mandated performance review (or sometimes even in one)? Wait, you can’t think of a time where that happened? You’re not alone.
Absolutely true. We don't select managers well. We give them almost no support during the critical role transition. We barely train them. So they figure things out on their own and follow old role models. The Industrial Age wanted supervisors to catch people doing things wrong and fix things. Our age calls for a manager who helps the team and team members succeed. But until we fix the selection, transition, support, and training issues, we'll have to depend on luck to wind up with good bosses.
