5 Ways Bosses Will Be Different in the Future, According to Experts

Ever feel like your boss’s management style is a thing of the past? You may be right.

Many people upkeep outdated management norms that can date back to a hundred years. A manager used to mean "someone who controls all or part of a company and manipulates resources and expenditures." But today, "manager" is starting to take on a whole new meaning.

Gallup has just declared “the end of the traditional manager,” with a report calling for change within companies resisting modernization. Today’s modern workplaces are defined by flexibility. According to Gallup, seventy-four percent of employees are able to work in different locations, fifty-two percent are able to choose when their own hours, and fourty-three percent are able to work away from the office at least some of the time.

These changes in the traditional workplace are calling for changes in the traditional manager. Gallup's report shows us that in the future,  "managers" will be different in five ways. 

1. Managers will allow employees to lead.

Today’s workers require the independence to lead. That means managers will no longer be micromanaging their employee's every move while standing over their shoulder. Today’s workers want to solve their own problems in their own ways without asking their bosses to do so. And according to Gallup, managers will "think more 'big picture' like executives."

2. Managers will give employees autonomy.

Employees now perform better when they are given more autonomy over where and when they work. But managers will not simply give freedom and run away – they need to be available for any questions and necessary problem solving.

3. Managers will be relationship driven.

Gallup claims that “the personal relationship [employees] have with their supervisor is the most meaningful relationship they have with their organization.” Employees who have poor relationships with their managers come to work each day miserable and unmotivated, which will in turn negatively affect team morale. Gallup even discovered that “having a bad manager is often a one-two punch: Employees feel miserable while at work, and that misery follows them home, compounding their stress and putting their well-being in peril.”

With this information, managers of the future will recognize the importance of their personal relationships with their employees – and will foster positive relationships around the office.

4. Managers will be coaches.

Managers will give employees the individual attention they need and focus on their personal strengths, weaknesses, and goals, as a career coach would.

"Today's manager needs to be a coach, holding employees accountable while encouraging development and growth,” Gallup said. Managers will check in on employees to make them feel noticed and cared for, and to help them stay motivated. 

5. Managers will be specialized.

Gallup predicts that companies will switch from having one generalized middle manager to managers with designated specializations.

"Instead of having one 'manager,' imagine your best employees interacting with a team of specialized managers - one a technical expert, another an interpersonal relationship guru, another a career coach, etc."

In the future, "different managers address specific roadblocks to performance, while also consulting with one another to make sure that they are seeing each employee holistically and objectively," Gallup wrote.