Portsmouth's managers face a new leadership challenge

Portsmouth has a diverse local economy, with thousands of businesses operating across sectors including construction and manufacturing, hospitality, finance, education and health.

According to Portsmouth City Council, the city had 7,630 businesses in 2023, with microbusinesses accounting for 80.3% of the business base. The council is also investing in employment, learning and skills support as part of its wider ambition to help people build skills for the future.

For a business landscape dominated by smaller organisations as well as larger employers, managers can have a particularly visible influence on workplace culture and employee development.

But becoming a manager does not automatically mean someone has learned how to lead.

The transition from employee to manager involves a shift from completing tasks personally to helping other people perform well. That can require a completely different set of skills, from giving feedback and managing conflict to coaching employees and communicating during periods of change.

Five Skills Portsmouth Managers Should Develop

The CIPD says management development involves identifying the areas where managers need to improve and providing appropriate support and development. It also highlights the importance of linking management development with wider business strategy.

For Portsmouth's managers, five skills could be especially important:

1. Communication

Clear communication helps managers explain priorities, provide feedback and prevent misunderstandings from affecting teams.

2. Employee development

Managers can play an important role in helping employees build skills, recognise opportunities and prepare for greater responsibilities.

3. Conflict management

Managers need to recognise workplace tensions and have the confidence to address difficult conversations before disagreements become larger problems.

4. Strategic thinking

Effective managers need to look beyond the immediate task list and understand how decisions affect customers, employees and the organisation as a whole.

5. Adaptability

With Portsmouth's economy spanning multiple industries, managers may face different forms of technological, economic and organisational change. The ability to help teams adapt can therefore be just as important as technical expertise.

US Managers Are Facing Expanding Responsibilities

Recent US research suggests Portsmouth's management challenge is part of a much wider workplace trend.

A Campbellsville University survey of 609 employed US professionals found that 89% of managers considered management a very demanding job. Nearly three in five managers, 59%, said they are now expected to oversee their team's use of AI, while 14% of those managers said they had received no guidance or training for that responsibility.

The research also found that workers identified conflict management, decision-making under uncertainty, motivating teams, coaching employees and giving effective feedback among the skills organisations should prioritise when training new managers.

That suggests the role of a manager is changing. Managers are no longer simply responsible for organising workloads. They may also be expected to help employees navigate new technology, changing expectations and more complex workplace pressures.

The Global Picture

The trend can also be seen at an international level. The OECD's Global Management Academy focuses on foundational leadership capabilities including team management, communication and operational excellence, reflecting the need for managers to lead effectively in changing environments.

For Portsmouth employers, this reinforces the value of treating management development as an ongoing process rather than something that ends when an employee receives a promotion.

A strong technical employee may become a manager because they understand their job exceptionally well. But leading a team requires another layer of capability.

As Portsmouth continues to develop its workforce and support employment and skills, giving managers the opportunity to strengthen those leadership capabilities could help local organisations build teams that are better prepared for the challenges ahead.