U.S. Workers Rely on Each Other, Not Managers

The Value of Managers: Workers at large American companies rely more on one another than on management to solve problems and get business done. In fact, workers often will forgo company rules altogether and do things their own way if they believe it is more effective at completing work, according to Katzenbach Partners, a New York-based management consulting firm.

Nearly two-thirds “rely on themselves and co-workers to provide solutions and solve problems,” with only 30 percent turning to supervisors or managers. And 37 percent say they sometimes ignore company rules “because they’ve developed better ways of getting work done.” The survey of 510 workers, which was released in July, suggests companies can boost retention of key employees by granting them autonomy to work independently of formal organizational rules.