Are you setting your managers up to fail?

Most organisations would say they value their managers, but how often do they stop and consider everything managers are actually expected to do?

Today’s managers aren’t just responsible for performance, productivity and keeping work on track like they once were. They’re now also expected to support employee wellbeing, navigate conflict, manage change, spot potential misconduct, develop careers, maintain engagement and create positive team cultures.

The question is whether we’ve quietly expanded the role without providing the support needed to succeed.

From what we see on the employment law advice line, many managers are trying to juggle an ever-growing range of responsibilities while lacking the training, resources and authority needed to handle them confidently. And the result is often delayed conversations, unresolved concerns and workplace issues that become far more difficult to manage than they needed to be.

The changing role of managers

Not so long ago, management was largely about supervision.

A manager’s role was to oversee work, monitor performance and make sure tasks were completed to the best standard. Today, that’s only a small part of the job.

Modern managers are expected to coach employees, support career development, manage hybrid teams, promote wellbeing, handle difficult conversations and help people navigate organisational change. At the same time, they’re still expected to deliver against operational goals and business targets.

The shift from manager-as-supervisor to manager-as-coach has brought many benefits. Organisations are placing greater emphasis on collaboration, employee development and engagement.

But it’s also created a challenge, with many managers now carrying responsibilities that would once have sat across several different roles.

The emotional burden of management

One of the clearest changes is the emotional burden many managers now carry. It’s increasingly common for managers to find themselves supporting employees through mental health challenges, wellbeing concerns or difficult personal circumstances. Often, they’re the first person an employee turns to.

On the advice line, we regularly speak to managers who are genuinely worried about members of their team. In some cases, those concerns stay with them long after the working day has finished.

They’re trying to do the right thing and they’re trying to support their people, but many have never been trained to deal with situations like these.

Alongside this, managers are expected to:

• Resolve workplace conflict
• Handle sensitive conversations
• Support diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives
• Manage performance issues
• Implement organisational change
• Maintain engagement in hybrid or remote teams

Those are specialist skills, yet many managers are expected to develop them on the job and on their own.

Where things go wrong

The consequences of this aren’t always obvious until something goes wrong. Take harassment concerns as an example. Most managers would recognise overt examples of inappropriate behaviour. But workplace issues are often more subtle than that.

An employee may raise a concern that doesn’t immediately appear serious. Without training, a manager may not recognise the potential implications and dismiss it as a minor issue. Weeks or months later, the employee raises a formal grievance and explains they flagged the issue earlier.

Suddenly, what seemed like a simple conversation becomes a significant employee relations matter.

Importantly, this isn’t usually because the manager acted maliciously or deliberately ignored the concern. More often, it’s because they didn’t have the knowledge or confidence to recognise the warning signs.

The same pattern can emerge in conflict resolution, investigations, performance management and change programmes. Managers are expected to make difficult judgement calls without always being equipped to make them.

So, are organisations setting managers up to fail?

In many cases, yes, but often unintentionally. One of the most common mistakes organisations make is promoting someone because they’re excellent at their job and assuming they’ll automatically be an effective manager.

Technical expertise doesn’t always translate into people management skills.

Another common issue is giving managers accountability without authority. They’re responsible for team performance and employee outcomes but don’t always have the time, resources, training or decision-making powers needed to influence those outcomes.

Eventually, managers become reactive. They spend their days firefighting rather than leading. Important conversations get delayed, issues escalate unnecessarily, and everyone feels frustrated as a result.

What employers can do differently

The good news is that most of these problems are preventable.

The first step is recognising how much the manager role has changed. Many of today’s responsibilities have gradually accumulated over years of shifting workplace expectations. As a result, some organisations haven’t stopped to reassess what managers are actually responsible for and what support they need.

Start by asking:

‘What do we expect our managers to do today, and have we equipped them to do it?’

From there, organisations should focus on providing:

Practical training

Managers need more than policy awareness. They need confidence in handling real-world situations, from wellbeing conversations and conflict resolution to investigations and harassment concerns.

Clear escalation routes

Managers shouldn’t be expected to be mental health experts, HR specialists or employment lawyers.

Providing clear guidance on what to do, who to contact and where to escalate concerns removes uncertainty and helps managers act quickly and appropriately.

Access to support

Whether that’s HR support, mentoring, Employee Assistance Programmes or mental health first aiders, managers need somewhere to turn when situations fall outside their expertise.

Time to lead

Managers are often incredibly time-poor. Reviewing workloads, removing unnecessary administration and simplifying processes can create more time for the leadership activities that matter most.

Opportunities to learn from each other

Not every manager has the same strengths. Some excel at coaching, while others are highly skilled in conflict resolution or career development. Creating opportunities to share knowledge and support one another can be hugely valuable.

Invest in your managers

Perhaps the most important lesson is that strong managers rarely emerge by accident.

Organisations are often willing to invest heavily in technical capability, but management skills are expected to develop organically. Yet management is a skillset in its own right and one that requires training, support and ongoing development.

When managers are properly equipped, the benefits are felt across the business. Teams are more engaged, employee relations issues are less likely to escalate, and organisations are better positioned to navigate change successfully.

As I often tell employers: organisations don’t get the managers they hope for; they get the managers they invest in.