积极进取的员工准备不足的管理者：日益加剧的组织风险+Ambitious+Employees.+Underprepared+Managers.+A+Growing+Organizational+Risk

AMARESEARCH

Ambitious

Employees.

Underprepared

Managers.

AGrowing

OrganizationalRisk

AMAGLOBAR

AmericanManagementAssociation

AmbitiousEmployees.UnderpreparedManagers.AGrowingOrganizationalRisk.1

Organizationstodayfaceaparadoxintalentdevelopment.Employeesremain

highlymotivatedtogrow,developnewskills,andadvanceintheircareers,yet

manyreporttheyarenotreceivingtheperformancesupport,leadershipguidance,ordevelopmentalopportunitiesnecessarytofullysucceed.Atatimewhen

organizationsarenavigatingrapidtechnologicalchange,workforcetransformation,andincreasingcomplexity,theabilitytodeveloppeopleeffectivelyhasbecomeacriticalbusinessimperative.

Thefindingsinthisresearchrevealanencouragingbuturgentreality:Employeesarenotdisengagedbutoptimistic,ambitious,andeagertolearn.However,manyorganizationsfallshortincreatingthesystems,managerialcapability,andlearningculturerequiredtoharnessthatmotivationintosustainedperformanceand

organizationalgrowth.

Thisresearchhighlightsawideninggapbetweenemployeeaspirationand

organizationalsupport.Employeesconsistentlyidentifiedtheneedforstrongercommunication,moreeffectivecoaching,clearerexpectations,andgreater

leadershipdevelopment.Atthesametime,manymanagersreportedbeingpromotedintoleadershiproleswithoutsufficientpreparationortraining.

Theimplicationsextendfarbeyondemployeesatisfaction.Organizationsthatfailtoequipmanagersandembeddevelopmentintotheflowofworkriskdecreasedengagement,reducedproductivity,weakenedleadershippipelines,lowerretention,anddiminishedorganizationalagility.Conversely,organizationsthatprioritize

continuouslearning,managerdevelopment,andhumanleadershipcapabilities

arebetterpositionedtoattracttalent,improveperformance,fosterinnovation,andoutperformcompetitors.

ResearchOverview

The2026AMATalentDevelopmentStudyexaminedemployeeandmanager

perspectivesrelatedtotalentdevelopment,leadershippreparedness,workplace

performancesupport,andorganizationallearningculture.Over1,000respondentsgloballyrepresentedabroadrangeofprofessionalbackgrounds,industries,and

organizationalexperiences,providinginsightintothecurrentstateofworkforcedevelopmentandmanagerialeffectiveness.

SummaryofFindings

Severalclearthemesemergedfromtheresearch,whichwillbedescribedinmoredetailinthefollowingpages:

Employeesarehighlymotivatedtogrowanddevelopprofessionally

Employeeswantmoresupport,guidance,andcoachingfrommanagers

Manymanagersfeelunderpreparedforleadershipresponsibilities

Foundationalhumancapabilitiesremainthemostsignificantskillgaps

Employeedevelopmentismosteffectivewhenlearning

isreinforcedthroughapplicationinthedailyflowofworkOrganizationalbarrierscontinuetolimitdevelopment

opportunities

4

2

3

6

5

1

WhyThisMatters

Thefuturecompetitivenessoforganizationsincreasinglydependsontheirabilitytodevelopadaptable,capable,andresilientpeople.Technicalexpertisealoneisnolongersufficient.Employeesandmanagersalikemustnavigateambiguity,

communicateeffectively,makesounddecisionsunderpressure,collaborateacrossteams,andcontinuouslylearnnewskills.

Organizationsthatintentionallydevelopthesecapabilitieswillgainsignificantadvantagesinthesekeyareas:

Higheremployeeengagementandretention

Increasedproductivityandperformance

Improvedcollaborationandinnovation

Enhancedemployeewell-beingandmotivation

Strongerabilitytoattracttoptalent

Strongerleadershippipelines

Greaterorganizationaladaptability

Thefindingsoftheresearchprovideevidencethatemployeesareeagertodeveloptherightskillsettosupporttheircareeraspirations.Thechallengefororganizationsistoensuretheyareequallypreparedsystematicallytonurturethatgrowth.

EmployeesAreOptimisticandMotivatedtoGrow

Oneofthemostencouragingfindingsfromthisresearchisthatemployees

remainhighlymotivatedtolearn,grow,andadvanceintheircareers.Contrary

tocommonnarrativessurroundingdisengagementorworkforcedetachment,

respondentsdemonstratedastrongdesireforprofessionaldevelopmentandfutureadvancement.

Whenaskedwhatmattersmosttothemprofessionally,respondentsidentified

opportunitiesforgrowth,work-lifebalanceanddevelopingnewskillsaspriorities.Additionally,confidenceinfuturecareeradvancementremainedremarkably

high,with87%reportingfeelingsomewhattoveryconfidentabouttheirfutureadvancementopportunities,whileonly12.9%reportedfeelingnotveryconfidentornotconfidentatall.

Thesefindingsrevealaworkforcethatisnotpassiveordisengaged,butinsteadhighlyambitiousandproactiveabouttheirpersonalgrowth.

Thefuturecompetitivenessoforganizationsincreasingly dependsontheirabilitytodevelopadaptable,capable,andresilientpeople.

AmbitiousEmployees.UnderpreparedManagers.AGrowingOrganizationalRisk.2

EmployeesWantMore

PerformanceSupportfromManagers

Whileemployeesexpressedstrongmotivationtogrow,manyalsoreportednotfeelingadequatelysupportedintheirday-to-dayperformanceorlong-term

developmentaspirations.Managersplayacentralroleinshapingemployee

experience,engagement,andperformance.Yetthefindingssuggestmany

managersarenotfullyequippedtoprovidethecoaching,communication,andguidanceemployeesneed.

Theresearchrevealedthatonly27%ofrespondentssaidtheirmanagerswerehighlyeffective,while66%reportednotreceivingfrequentsupport,guidanceorfeedbackfrommanagers.Employeesalsoidentifiedseveralkeyareasthatwouldmostimprovetheirmanager’seffectiveness.

WhyEmployeeMotivationMatterstoOrganizations

Employeemotivationandoptimismarecriticalorganizationalassets.Highlymotivatedemployeesaremorelikelyto:

Takeinitiativeandpursueinnovation

Engagemoredeeplyintheirwork

Seekopportunitiestoimproveperformance

Contributepositivelytoorganizationalculture

Remaincommittedduringperiodsofchangeanduncertainty

Investinlong-termcareergrowthwithintheorganization

Whenorganizationsfailtosupportmotivatedemployeeswithmeaningful

developmentopportunities,theconsequencescanbesignificant.Employeeswhofeelunsupportedmaybecomefrustrated,disengaged,ormorelikelytoseekgrowthopportunitieselsewhere.

WHATWOULDMOSTIMPROVEMANAGEREFFECTIVENESS?

Bettercommunicationandclarityofexpectations

55%

Thisresearchsuggestsorganizationscurrentlypossessavaluableopportunity.

Employeesarealreadymotivatedtogrow.Thecompetitiveadvantageliesin

effectivelychannelingthatmotivationintomeaningfulcapabilitydevelopmentandperformanceoutcomes.

Strongerdecisionmaking

43%

Moreconsistentfeedbackandcoaching

40%

Greaterempathyandemotionalintelligence

32%

Improvedabilitytonavigatechangeandambiguity

31%

AmbitiousEmployees.UnderpreparedManagers.AGrowingOrganizationalRisk.3

AmbitiousEmployees.UnderpreparedManagers.AGrowingOrganizationalRisk.4

Thesefindingsareconsistentwithanecdotalcommentsfromparticipantsin

managerandleadershipdevelopmentcourses,andfurthersuggestemployeesareseekingmanagerswhocanprovideclarity,direction,coaching,andconfidence

duringincreasinglycomplexworkplaceconditions.

TheExpandingRoleofManagers

Today’smanagersareexpectedtodofarmorethansupervisetasksormanageoperations.Increasingly,managersareexpectedtoserveas:

Coachesandmentors

Communicatorsandtranslatorsoforganizationalpriorities

Performancefacilitators

Capabilitybuilders

Changenavigators

Cultureinfluencers

Whenmanagerslacktheskillsorpreparationtofulfilltheseresponsibilities,

organizationscanseeanimpactinmetricssuchasreducedemployeeengagement,lowerperformanceandproductivity,increasedconfusionandmisalignment,

reducedlearningtransferandskillapplication,anddecreasedtrustandcommunication,resultinginhigherturnoverandburnout.

Organizationsthatproactivelyinvestinstrengtheningmanagerialcommunication,coaching,anddecision-makingcapabilitiesaremorelikelytocreatehigher-

performingandmoreresilientteams.

CoreHumanLeadership

CapabilitiesRepresenttheGreatestSkillsGaps

Theresearchrevealedthatemployeesperceivetheirlargestskillgapsnotin

technicalexpertise,butinfoundationalhumancapabilities.Surveyrespondentsidentifiedtheirtoppersonalskillgaps.

Employeesseek

managerswho

communicateclearexpectations,makestrongdecisions,andprovideconsistent

feedbackandcoaching.

MOSTHELPFULTOPERFORMEFFECTIVELY

Communicatingclearlywithdiplomacyandtact

47%

Leadershipandpeoplemanagement

46%

Criticalthinkingandproblemsolving

43%

Timemanagementandprioritization

43%

AmbitiousEmployees.UnderpreparedManagers.AGrowingOrganizationalRisk.5

MOSTCHALLENGINGINDAY-TO-DAYWORK

Makingdecisionswithlimitedinformation

46%

Workingeffectivelywithothers

38%

Communicatinginsensitiveorchallengingsituations

37%

MOSTVALUABLEDEVELOPMENTNEEDEDTODAY

DigitalandAItraining

44%

Communicationskills

35%

Leadershipandmanagementtraining

34%

Prioritizingandmanagingworkload

36%

HumanCapabilitiesAreBecomingMoreValuable,NotLess

AsautomationandAIcontinuetoreshapetheworkplace,

uniquelyhumancapabilitiesarebecomingincreasinglyimportantdifferentiators.Organizationsoftenfocusheavilyontechnical

upskilling,butthisresearchsuggestsemployeesandmanagers

continuetostrugglemostwithcommunication,leadership,decisionmaking,collaboration,coaching,criticalthinking,prioritization,andnavigatingambiguity.

Thesecapabilitiesdirectlyinfluenceteamperformance,culture,

innovation,customerrelationships,andorganizationaladaptability.Thefindingssuggestorganizationswouldbenefitfromrecognizingtheseskillsasessentialbusinesscapabilitiesthatdriveoperationaleffectivenessandlong-termorganizationalsuccess.

Employeesandmanagersbothstruggleto

communicate,makedecisions,andleadothers.

ManagersFeelInsufficientlyPreparedforLeadershipRoles

Oneofthemostsignificantfindingsinthisresearchinvolvesthepreparednessofmanagersenteringpeopleleadershiproles.Manyorganizationscontinue

promotinghigh-performingindividualcontributorsintomanagementpositionswithoutadequatelypreparingthemtoleadothers.Thefindingsrevealed51%ofrespondentsreportedbeingpromotedintopeoplemanagementwithoutformalleadershiptraining.

Thiscreateswhatmanyorganizationsexperienceasthe“accidentalmanager”phenomenon—individualswhopossesstechnicalexpertiseorstrongindividualperformance,butwhomaylacktheleadership,coaching,communication,andperformancemanagementcapabilitiesrequiredtoleadteamseffectively.

AmbitiousEmployees.UnderpreparedManagers.AGrowingOrganizationalRisk.6

TheLeadershipPipelineRisk

Whenmanagersareinsufficientlyprepared,organizationsfacesignificantrisks,includinginconsistentemployeeexperiences,reducedteamperformance,poorcommunicationandfeedbackpractices,loweremployeeengagement,increasedturnoveramonghigh-potentialtalent,weaksuccessionpipelines,andreducedorganizationalagility.

Managersareexpectedtodeveloppeople,facilitateperformance,navigate

change,andstrengthenculture.Yetmanyreceivelittleformalpreparationbeforeassumingtheseresponsibilities.Consequently,managersmayendupspendingadisproportionateamountoftheirtimeresolvingperformanceissues,ratherthanproactivelyfocusingonstrategicwaystoimproveteameffectiveness.

Organizationsthatfailtoinvestinfirst-timemanagerreadinessoften

unintentionallycreatedownstreamperformanceandengagementchallengesthroughouttheorganization.

Managersareexpectedtodevelopothersbutaren’tbeingtrained.

HIGHPERFORMER

FIRST-TIMEMANAGER

Promotedwithoutpreparation

PERFORMANCESTRAIN

OPERATIONALIMPACT

Inconsistentfeedback

Unclear

expectationsWeak

coaching

Poor

prioritization

The“AccidentalManager”Pipeline

BUSINESSIMPACT

TurnoverWeak

leadership

pipeline

Lower

productivityReduced

agility

EMPLOYEEIMPACT

DisengagementFrustration

Low

confidenceReducedgrowth

AmbitiousEmployees.UnderpreparedManagers.AGrowingOrganizationalRisk.7

TheNeedforIntentionalManagerDevelopment

Preparingmanagerscannotbetreatedasaone-timetrainingevent.Effective

managerdevelopmentbeginswithstructuredonboardingintoleadershiproles,

ongoingcoachingandmentoring,andpracticalapplicationopportunities.Combinethiswithfeedbackandreflectionmechanisms,developmentembeddedintodailyworkflow,andreinforcementofleadershipexpectationsovertime.Managerswhoexperienceprofessionaldevelopmentthemselvesarebetterequippedtopassitontotheirteamsandmodelsupportfortheiremployees.

Organizationsthatintentionallypreparemanagerscreatestrongerleadershippipelinesandmoresustainableorganizationalperformance.

BarrierstoDevelopmentContinuetoLimitGrowth

Despitestrongemployeemotivationandcleardevelopmentneeds,many

respondentsreportedlimitedaccesstomeaningfulgrowthopportunities.Only30%reportedhavingsufficientopportunitiestodevelopnewskills.Themostsignificantbarriersincludedlackoftime,limitedmanagersupport,competingworkplace

prioritiesandinsufficientintegrationoflearningintodailywork.

Thesefindingssuggestmanyorganizationsstilltreatdevelopmentasanisolatedeventthatisseparatefromwork,ratherthanasanintegratedcomponentof

performanceandoperations.

DailyPracticeFostersaLearningCulture

Traditionalapproachestoemployeedevelopment,suchasformalworkshops,

provideahighlevelofvalueontheirownandcanbefurtherreinforcedbyon-

demandlearningtools,microlearningopportunities,andmanager-leddevelopmentintegratedintodailyresponsibilitiesconnectingnewskillstotheirroleand

organizationalgoals.Combinetheseavailableexperiences,toolswithreal-time

coachingandfeedback,stretchassignments,experientiallearning,andcontinuousperformanceconversationstoachievethegreatestimpact.

Learningorganizationsembedopportunitiesfordevelopmentintotheflowofworkateverylevelandintotheculture.

Training|Workshops|eLearning

Reinforcedby

DAILYAPPLICATION

Practice|Feedback|Coaching

Creates

ORGANIZATIONALOUTCOMES

Performance|Retention|Adaptability

LearningBecomesCapability

WhenReinforcedThroughDailyWork

FORMALLEARNING

AmbitiousEmployees.UnderpreparedManagers.AGrowingOrganizationalRisk.8

OrganizationalBenefitsofaLearningCulture

Organizationsthatbuildstronglearningculturesoftenexperiencefasterskill

development,strongerinnovationandadaptability,andhigheremployee

satisfactionandengagement,whichleadstoincreasedretentionofhigh-

performingemployees.Atthehighestlevels,theseorganizationsseeimproved

organizationalresilience,enhancedleadershipcapabilityateverylevel,andoverallgreaterbusinessperformanceandcompetitiveadvantage.

Learningorganizationsrecognizethatdevelopmentisnotanoptionalactivity.Itisa coredriveroforganizational capability,performance,andlong-termsuccess.

Whenlearningisembeddedintotheflowofworkandcontinuedoutsideoftheclassroom,employeesaremorelikelytoapplynewskillsimmediately,retain

knowledgemoreeffectively,improveconfidenceandcapability,andexperiencegreatermotivationandengagement.Moreover,theywillseedevelopmentasrelevantandpracticaltotheireverydaywork.Thisfostersanorganizational

learningculture.

RecommendationsforOrganizations

Thefindingsfromthisresearchsuggestorganizationshaveampleopportunitiestostrengthenleadershipcapability,employeedevelopment,andorganizationalperformancebyinvestingmoreintentionallyinmanagersandlearningculture.

1RecognizeandHarnessEmployeeMotivation

Employeesarealreadymotivatedtogrowanddevelop.Organizationsshouldcapitalizeonthismomentumbyprovidingcomprehensiveformalandinformallearningpathways,careergrowthopportunities,continuouslearningresources,internalmobilityopportunities,andpersonalizeddevelopmentexperiences.

Organizationsthatproactivelyinvestinemployeegrowtharemorelikelytostrengthenengagement,retention,andorganizationalcommitment.

4DoubleDownOnFoundationalHumanCapabilities

Theresearchclearlydemonstratesthatcommunication,leadership,decision

making,collaboration,andcriticalthinkingremainamongthemostvaluable

organizationalcapabilities.Organizationswillbesetapartwhentheyintentionallydevelopcommunicationandinterpersonaleffectiveness,coachingandleadershipskills,decision-makingcapability,emotionalintelligence,collaborationandconflictmanagement,andadaptabilityandresilience.Thesecapabilitiesincreasingly

differentiatehigh-performingorganizations.

2StrengthenManagerCommunication,Coaching,andFeedbackSkillsManagers’impactonemployeeperformanceanddevelopmenttendstobe

underestimated.Organizationswouldbenefitfromprioritizingdeveloping

managers’abilitiestocommunicateexpectationsclearly,providemeaningful

feedback,coachemployeesconsistently,facilitatedifficultconversations,supportemployeegrowth,andnavigateambiguityandchange.Strongmanagerscreatestrongerteams.

5EnhancePreparationforFirst-TimeManagers

Byestablishingmoreintentionalpathwaysforleadershipreadinessbefore

employeesassumemanagementresponsibilities,organizationswillbeabletosetnewmanagersandtheirteamsupforsuccess.Readinesspathwaysmayincludeleadershipreadinessprograms,transition-to-managementonboarding,mentorshipandpeersupport,leadershipsimulationsandexperientiallearning,andongoingreinforcementandcoaching.Preparingmanagersearlyhelpspreventleadershipcapabilitygapslater.

3ReinforceEffectiveFormalLearningwithDailyPractice

Developmentisnotseparatefromwork.Whenaconceptislearnedinaformal

experienceandlaterappliedandreinforcedthroughpracticeonthejob,itis

morelikelytobeintegratedintoeverydayoperations.Leaderscansupportthis

integrationthroughreal-timecoaching,intentionalon-dem