Benefits November 9, 2006

Study: Middle Managers Have Executive Training Gap

November 9, 2006 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - A new study has found that a majority of middle managers lack the range of emotional intelligence (EQ) skills they will need to perform as stellar leaders.
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Not only that, according to a news release about the research, the least contented middle managers are also the least likely to accept with open arms the training or coaching that would boost their on-the-job performance.

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According to the announcement, the study looked at several hundred middle managers from Fortune 1000 companies and other major corporations using a multidimensional personality analysis tool called CORE PEP.

CORE PEP pinpoints how individuals use the personality tools available to them and how well they cope in situations of varying stress levels. CORE PEP assesses the degree to which individuals have developed their EQ and points to the specific training and coaching each individual needs for maximum improvement.

The news release said that among the study’s early findings for each of the four personalities measured were:

  • Commander – only 24% of respondents are well-developed in this authoritative attribute. Yet 39% of respondents believe they are strong in this area.
  • Organizer – fewer than 13% have this problem-solving attribute well developed. Yet 26% believe they are well developed in this area.
  • Relater – just 5% have this team-building, people-oriented attribute well developed, which is in line with the 7% of respondents who believe they are strong in this area.
  • Entertainer – only 21% have this creative attribute well-developed. Ironically, only 7% believe they are well-developed in this area.

Most important, fewer than half of respondents (42%) demonstrated an ability to shift between all four styles in order to deal effectively with a range of personalities in different settings and situations. Of those most unhappy with their current jobs, more than 61% said they did not think they would benefit from coaching or training.

“While most companies realize that top managers have well-developed EQ, they don’t know how their managers’ specific EQs stack up,” said Monica Wofford, president of Monica Wofford International, the Orlando, Florida-based firm that sponsored and conducted the research. “Without knowing the exact EQ areas in which their managers need help, businesses cannot provide the individually tailored leadership training that results in improvements in job performance that can be measured.”

Copies of the study, scheduled to be published in January 2007, may be requested by sending an e-mail to study@monicawofford.com .

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