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    Interactive assessment

    Manager Support Needs Assessment

    A diagnostic tool for identifying where your middle managers need support most.

    Manager engagement has dropped to 27%, the lowest of any leadership level (Gallup, 2025). 44% have never received formal management training (DDI, 2025). This assessment helps your organisation understand what managers actually need.

    Questions or items
    16 questions or items
    Completion time
    Around 8 minutes
    Dimensions
    Workload & Capacity, Capability & Confidence, AI Readiness, Support & Connection
    What you receive
    Personalised results with result bands, section scores and development guidance.

    What it covers

    • Workload & Capacity
    • Capability & Confidence
    • AI Readiness
    • Support & Connection

    Rate each statement from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree). Be honest, this is a development tool, not a performance assessment.

    Results: Personalised results with result bands, section scores and development guidance.

    How this interactive diagnostic works

    Read what it covers here first. Nothing is saved or sent until you continue. Your result is calculated once every required item is answered.

    If it asks for your first name and work email, you enter them in the diagnostic itself. This page sends nothing.

    Statements in this diagnostic

    Statements are grouped by section. Answer each one for the situation named in the instructions, using the scale shown.

    Workload & Capacity

    Assessing whether managers have the capacity to manage effectively (WorldatWork, 2025).

    1. I have sufficient time to genuinely develop and support my direct reports
    2. My span of control allows for meaningful management
    3. I can focus on people leadership without being overwhelmed by individual contributor work
    4. I have protected time for my own learning and development

    Capability & Confidence

    Assessing managers' confidence in core people leadership capabilities.

    1. I feel confident having difficult conversations with team members
    2. I feel equipped to coach and develop my team members effectively
    3. I can effectively lead my team through periods of significant change
    4. I understand how to build and maintain psychological safety in my team

    AI Readiness

    Assessing managers' specific confidence in leading through AI-driven change.

    1. I understand how AI could benefit my team's work processes
    2. I feel confident helping my team experiment with and adopt AI tools
    3. I can make good decisions about when to rely on AI recommendations
    4. I feel supported by my organisation in developing my own AI understanding

    Support & Connection

    Assessing whether managers feel supported, connected, and valued.

    1. I have a peer group of managers where I can discuss challenges openly
    2. I receive regular coaching or mentoring support
    3. I feel that my organisation genuinely invests in my development as a manager
    4. I feel connected to the organisation's strategic direction and my role in delivering it

    How the result is read

    Your answers are totalled for each section and overall. Each total falls into one of the bands below.

    • Critical, 16 to 32: Managers need urgent support across multiple areas.
    • Developing, 33 to 48: Some foundations but significant gaps remain.
    • Capable, 49 to 64: Reasonable support with room to strengthen.
    • Strong, 65 to 80: Managers feel well-supported. Maintain investment.

    Sources named in this diagnostic

    • DDI (2025) Global Leadership Forecast 2025. Pittsburgh, PA: Development Dimensions International.
    • Gallup (2025) State of the Global Workplace Report. Washington, DC: Gallup Press.
    • WorldatWork (2025) Span of Control and Organisational Design Survey. Scottsdale, AZ: WorldatWork.
    • Zenger, J.H. and Folkman, J. (2014) The Extraordinary Leader. 2nd edn. New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Where to take the next step

    Our management development programmes build practical skills, confidence and capability for managers and leaders.

    Explore Management Development

    Frequently asked questions

    What does the Manager Support Needs Assessment measure?

    Manager engagement has dropped to 27%, the lowest of any leadership level (Gallup, 2025). 44% have never received formal management training (DDI, 2025). This assessment helps your organisation understand what managers actually need.

    How many questions are in the Manager Support Needs Assessment?

    It contains 16 questions grouped into 4 dimensions: Workload & Capacity, Capability & Confidence, AI Readiness, Support & Connection.

    How is the Manager Support Needs Assessment scored?

    Responses are totalled within each section and across the diagnostic, and each total falls into a result band.

    What happens after I complete the Manager Support Needs Assessment?

    Once the required items are answered, you enter your first name and email to see your results: an overall interpretation, section scores and development guidance.

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