CMI: We must eliminate the 'Accidental Manager'
Chartered Management Institute
Ahead of the General Election, the Chartered Management Institute is calling on the next government to drive forward three key policy priorities: Embed employability at every stage of UK education, drive-up management and leadership skills and make the UK No.1 for Inclusive Workplaces.
The Brexit policies of the two main parties mean that, regardless of who forms the next government, uncertainty over our future relationship with the EU is set to continue. As we’ve seen in the past three years, this will cause damage to business confidence and lead to a cooling off of investment decisions.
Against this backdrop, the next government must use every lever available to maximise the UK’s productivity and weather a slow-growth future. Upskilling the UK's managers is a key way of generating tangible economic benefit.
CMI is calling on the next government to drive forward three key policy priorities: Embed employability at every stage of UK education, drive-up management and leadership skills and make the UK No.1 for Inclusive Workplaces.
Why it matters
You’ve definitely met them before: managers who struggle to manage and lead because they have been promoted without any coaching or support from their employer. At CMI, we call them ‘accidental managers’, and we estimate there are more than 2.4million of them across the UK.
The important thing to note about investing in management and leadership skills is that it’s within an employer’s power to make a difference.
Creating better led and managed organisations also means creating more diverse, balanced and inclusive workplaces and we know this will deliver economic benefits to the UK.
What is CMI doing to help?
CMI is at the forefront of tackling the accidental manager, and we are making progress. Since 2018, we’ve seen a 55% growth in our learner community to 81,183, made up of both students taking their first steps towards a career in management, and current managers who want to up- or re-skill.
We’re not just another business body. We work in true partnership with nearly 600 education providers to change people’s lives. Through our nationwide regional board structure, our network of c-suite CMI Companions, and our thought leadership, we regularly communicate with thousands of managers at all levels and stages of their careers.
Our ambitions for the next government
The CMI is calling on the next Government to eliminate the ‘Accidental Manager’. If the Government commits to increasing the number and standard of qualified managers and leaders across the UK, this will boost productivity and deliver tangible benefits to employees by ensuring inclusive workplaces are embedded into our working culture.
UK education needs to keep up with quickly changing employability needs - by 2030, around 14% of the global workforce may need to find new jobs and careers as automation and advances in AI transform the world of work. This will require retraining and reskilling on an unprecedented scale. Professional bodies are ready to work closely with the government on the roll-out of new education routes (such as T-levels) and in the development of occupational standards.
Efforts must be made to accelerate the reduction in pay gaps. The government should extend reporting requirements to include more organisations, require employers to set targets for closing the gap, and to report annually on progress, with additional measures including ethnicity, availability and use of flexible working, and shared parental leave and pay.
To ensure we make progress CMI is calling for ‘Transparency with Teeth’. When firms fail to meet their transparency and reporting commitments regarding diversity and inclusion, the government should have the power to impose sanctions. As the talent pipeline remains broken, Government should also consider introducing incentives for firms to invest in female leaders and upskilling women returners.
To Read CMI’s full manifesto click HERE.
PoliticsHome Newsletters
Get the inside track on what MPs and Peers are talking about. Sign up to The House's morning email for the latest insight and reaction from Parliamentarians, policy-makers and organisations.
