This session looked at why line managers feel overwhelmed and what people teams can do to help them build trust, engagement and performance. Host James Marsh was joined by Alex Clinton of Thomas and Jennifer Robinson of Canopius Group.
Alex Clinton, Global Training Specialist, Thomas; Jennifer Robinson, Organisational Development Manager, Canopius Group. Hosted by James Marsh, HRreview.
Alex Clinton said first-line managers are still mostly promoted for expertise, results or length of service, and none of these predicts how well someone will manage. Be open with aspiring managers that the role is pastoral as well as operational, and give them a people-skills toolkit before they step up.
Jennifer Robinson said delegation is one of the biggest hurdles for new managers, who are used to holding all the technical knowledge. Clinton argued for building delegation capability and letting team members make more decisions; otherwise managers do the work because it is quicker, and lose the time they need for one-to-ones and coaching.
Robinson described managers as stuck in a sandwich, managing expectations upwards while supporting their team. Because they control workload and capacity, they have a direct effect on stress and burnout. Handing extra tasks to existing staff as a 'growth opportunity' creates both a wellbeing risk and a performance risk.
Robinson cited LinkedIn research from 2024 that 40% of employees aged 55 and over had not talked to a Gen Z colleague in the past year. Clinton suggested reverse mentoring, where younger staff help experienced colleagues with new technology and ways of working, while their experience is still respected.
Robinson runs team sessions using psychometrics, where managers learn how each person likes to receive feedback and to work in hybrid settings. Both speakers stressed that consent comes first and participation should never be mandatory, and that any assessment is indicative, not definitive.
Robinson's team holds a 15-minute daily check-in, borrowed from Agile and Scrum, which has helped build connection and surface capacity problems early. Protect time for face-to-face connection, and ask your team for feedback, not just give it.
LinkedIn research found 40% of employees aged 55 and over had not spoken to a Gen Z colleague in a year. Managers can close that gap.
The audience Q&A: what trust actually means in a team, manager-to-employee ratios, and how to manage contractors alongside a core team.
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