You are the glue

John Purcell, of the University of Warwick, led a six-year study into the relationship between human resources and organisational performance, a relationship called the “black box” because it’s a mystery.

He showed that HR initiatives fail unless they’re brought to life by line managers whom staff like and respect.* Many studies show managers have a big impact on staff satisfaction, commitment, and “positive discretionary behaviours”, or, in plain language, going the extra mile.

Do we need academics to tell us this? We’ve all gritted our teeth through stints under a bad manager.

Deep and deliberate delegation is a way to inject fresh purpose and dynamism into your working relationships. Anyone can do it, and you can start right away.

* Purcell, Kinnie, Hutchinson, Rayton, and Swart. 2003. Understanding the People and Performance Link: Unlocking the black box. CIPD