Forget training - well-paid staff work far better without bosses

Bosses? Who needs them? They're a bit over-rated, according to a new study.

It shows that instead of a good manager influencing their workers, it is more likely to be the other way round - which means that it could be more beneficial to train workers to be better rather than send executives on expensive leadership courses.

Research by psychologists at Sweden's Lund University believe the secret of success is all in the interaction between the boss and his or her staff.

Psychologists looked at 200 employees working for an airport in Stockholm, examining levels of job satisfaction, performance, management techniques and conditions.

How well the staff performed was directly linked to job satisfaction which in turn was linked to their own responsibilities and rewards rather than how good or bad their manager is. If they feel they contribute more than others but are not paid more nor get greater recognition for doing so, then they are less satisfied, according to psychologist Johan Bertlett.

He said: "Stop wasting money on expensive training courses for managers. Send the entire team instead.

"This produces better results. Of course you need a good manager if the interaction between the manager and the staff is to work.

"But it is important to understand that the manager's situation is also influenced by the staff.

"Simply focusing on the manager means turning a blind eye to the contributions of the staff, and in doing so you exclude a lot of the potential that exists within the company."

Where managers can help is in creating good conditions for their staff to work in - delegating rather than bossing, found the study.

This allows staff to make decisions themselves and feel more important as they solve problems rather than leave it to someone higher up to sort out.

The golden rule, according to the researchers, is to ensure that staff were properly rewarded.