People management improved with communication skills training, says report

Communication skills training would improve the people management capabilities of a large proportion of British bosses, new research on global productivity trends suggests.

Published by multinational company Proudfoot Consulting, the Global Productivity Report identifies the UK as having one of the world's most motivated workforces, but productivity levels appear to be hampered by various factors - including "ineffective internal communications".

Based on a survey of 1,276 managers across 12 countries, the study also indicates that leaders spend over a third of their time on administrative tasks and only ten per cent on training and "active supervision" of their staff.

Acknowledging that adequate learning and development programmes can impact various barriers to productivity, the report states: "Effective training can improve communication (internal and external), boost staff motivation, improve the quality of supervisors [and] give employees greater ability to embrace and adopt change programmes."

Making staff feel more valued - which can in turn promote reduced turnover rates - is also singled out as a benefit.

In another report released this week, entitled Getting More from the Same, the Management Consultancies Association identifies increased involvement of frontline managers and ongoing coaching and training as key to productivity improvement.