By AMA Staff

The role of the manager is changing.

Overseeing operations and keeping work on track remain important responsibilities. But today’s managers are increasingly expected to do much more. They must help employees perform, develop new capabilities, navigate change, and understand how organizational priorities translate into everyday work.

In many organizations, that means the manager has become one of the most important links between business strategy and employee performance.

Managers Are Taking On a Broader Role

According to AMA’s 2026 Talent Development research, today’s managers are increasingly expected to serve as:

• Coaches and mentors
• Communicators and translators of organizational priorities
• Performance facilitators
• Capability builders
• Change navigators
• Culture influencers

Each of these responsibilities requires capabilities that go beyond technical expertise or operational knowledge.

A manager may need to clarify expectations one moment, coach an employee through a performance challenge the next, and then help the team adapt to a shifting business priority. Effective management increasingly depends on the ability to communicate clearly, make sound decisions, provide useful feedback, and help employees succeed under changing conditions.

The Manager Capability Gap Has Business Consequences

The challenge is that managers are not always prepared for this expanded role.

AMA's research found that only 27% of respondents described their managers as highly effective, while 66% said they were not receiving frequent support, guidance, or feedback from their managers. Respondents said better communication and clearer expectations would do the most to improve manager effectiveness, followed by stronger decision making and more consistent feedback and coaching.

When managers lack these capabilities, the effects can extend across the organization. The research identifies potential consequences including lower engagement and productivity, greater confusion and misalignment, reduced application of learning, weaker trust and communication, and increased turnover and burnout.

In other words, manager effectiveness can become a performance issue.

Developing People Is Part of the Manager’s Job

As the manager role expands, employee development can no longer be viewed as something that happens only within formal training programs.

Managers help employees put new capabilities into practice through everyday conversations, coaching, feedback, and reinforcement. They can connect organizational priorities with individual responsibilities, help remove barriers to performance, and give employees greater clarity about what success looks like.

That makes manager development especially important. Organizations that strengthen managers' communication, coaching and decision-making capabilities are better positioned to build resilient, higher-performing teams.

The broader lesson is straightforward: Developing people is not separate from managing performance. Increasingly, it is central to it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the role of the manager changing?
Managers are increasingly responsible for more than supervising work. They are being asked to coach and mentor employees, communicate organizational priorities, facilitate performance, build capabilities, navigate change, and influence workplace culture.

Why are coaching skills important for managers?
Coaching allows managers to help employees improve performance, apply new skills, and address challenges as they occur. AMA's research also indicates that employees want more consistent feedback and coaching from their managers.

What skills are most important for today's managers?
The research points particularly to communication, decision making, feedback and coaching, empathy and emotional intelligence, and the ability to navigate change and ambiguity.

How does manager effectiveness affect employee performance?
Managers influence employees' clarity, development, confidence, and ability to apply skills in their work. When managers are not adequately prepared, organizations may experience lower productivity and engagement, weaker communication, and greater misalignment.

What can organizations do to prepare managers for their expanding responsibilities?
Organizations can intentionally strengthen managerial capabilities such as communication, coaching, feedback, and decision making, while helping managers understand that developing employees is a core component of improving team performance.