Employees feel managers aren't helping them develop skills, survey shows

Only four out of ten employees believe their manager is helping them develop the skills they need to perform their work, according to new Gartner findings; fewer still believe they’re being readied for the future. In a survey of more than 7,000 employees in 25 industries, Gartner identified the best manager approaches to development. Four major managerial styles were discussed: "connector managers;" "teacher managers;" "always-on managers" and "cheerleader managers." The data suggests connector managers’ employees are three times more likely to be top performers.
The connector manager, according to Gartner, gives coaching and feedback where needed; focuses on skills, interests and needs; and understands that some learning is better served self-taught. They also create an environment of transparency where skill sharing among the group is valued and reliance on the manager for every type of learning is not needed.