The online MITSloan Management Review has an interesting article that recommends managers should go ‘a step further’ than being sponsors or coaches to employees and act as advocates. *

Through research and conversations with leaders, Dani Johnson writes that advocacy can help increase employee productivity, retention, and improve relationships inside and outside the organisation.

Examples of manager-employee advocacy would include sharing networks with employees and providing learning and development opportunities outside their current role.

There are risks involved in that the employee may choose to move to a different role or even leave the organisation altogether, but the article suggests... (More)

You will all be aware that we are celebrating our 75th anniversary of striving to inspire ‘great leadership, everywhere’, and we are, of course, extremely proud of what has been achieved over these years.

I was therefore interested to read a recent article by Detert, J. (2022)* et al that suggests there is currently an obsession with visionary, inspirational leadership at the expense of good management practices and everyday management skills.

That is, management and management practices have been devalued by this obsession with leadership, even though management is “incredibly difficult and valuable” and vital in these times of disruption... (More)

Many of you will have read in today's newspapers that British workers will take part in a four-day week trial in what is thought to be the world's biggest pilot scheme.

'The Times' newspaper reports that more than 3,000 employees at 60 companies will take part in the scheme, which will examine the impact of shorter working weeks on conditions and productivity.

The aim of the trial is to allow employees to work full-time for four days rather than five, and with no loss of pay.

We have discussed four-day weeks several times on the Hub, and it is a... (More)