Survey Says: Bosses get a 'B' for management skills

A new survey from Sandler Training put the red pen in the hands of American employees, giving them chance to "grade" the performance of their manager. The results were passing, but not exactly good enough for the refrigerator. One of the most interesting findings revealed that 7 out of 10 Americans 'like' or 'love' their manager. In the end, the survey revealed that the majority of Americans would give their manager a B. This grade tells management training experts that we're on the right track and performing at an above average level. Still, holding steady at a B is essential as slipping to a C could be detrimental for companies. Aside from assigning letter grades, participants were asked to describe their manager based on options like a leader, micromanager, best friend, power-tripper or someone who is missing in action. Companies around the country can breathe a sigh a relief as the majority of employees named their boss as a 'leader.' However, we're not out of the woods yet, 46 percent of workers described their manager as "missing in action," a "micromanager" or a "power tripper." Sandler Training sees this as something for all companies to be wary of, as creating an inviting culture and empowering employees is a major productivity driver that impacts the bottom line. In some cases, making the case for training can be a challenge as eight in 10 employees agreed that "my company expects that managers know how to lead and manage without providing them formal training." Sandler Training teaches the concept that everyone is capable of being a strong leader or manager. Management is not always an inherent gift to a fortunate few. It's something that can be taught and learned by reinforcing certain behaviors, attitudes and techniques. Sandler wants to know if you have had a favorite boss. If so, what was it about him or her that left an impression