7 Proven Ways to Use Data to Fix Dysfunction Between Managers and Clients

2. Create Continuous Feedback Loops to Address Managerial Accountability

Simply reporting the wrong data once a year won’t fix the problem. Leaders must move beyond surface-level metrics and establish consistent feedback loops that track manager performance and client satisfaction in real-time. Feedback must be specific to client-manager interactions to expose where managers are failing to be accountable.

How to Apply This:

• Set up regular check-ins between clients and managers, and ensure that feedback is captured and reviewed by HR.
• Utilize sentiment analysis tools like the Love of Workplace Index™ (LOWI) to monitor patterns in client feedback related to managerial performance, identifying where interventions are needed​​.
• Provide continuous feedback to managers, ensuring that issues are addressed before clients escalate complaints to senior management​.
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3. Stop Relying on Senior Leadership to Fix Problems: Shift Accountability to Managers

One common problem is that managers aren’t held accountable for their performance with clients because they know that senior leadership will step in to resolve escalated issues. This creates a cycle where managers feel they have a safety net and don’t take responsibility for their actions, worsening client relationships.

How to Apply This:

• Use data to expose instances where managers are relying on senior executives to resolve client issues, rather than handling problems themselves​.
• Shift the focus to hold managers accountable for client satisfaction metrics, rather than senior leadership stepping in to take control. Establish data-driven accountability measures that track client interactions at the managerial level​.
• Empower managers with the tools and resources to handle client problems directly, ensuring that executive leaders only intervene when absolutely necessary​​.
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4. Tailor Data Collection to Each Division or Location to Identify Specific Problems

A one-size-fits-all approach to data collection and reporting often misses the specific problems happening at the department or location level. Each business unit faces unique challenges that require customized interventions, particularly when it comes to the relationships between managers and clients.

How to Apply This:

• Collect client satisfaction data that is specific to each location or department to uncover where the breakdowns in manager accountability are occurring​.
• Tailor feedback loops and action plans to address the unique needs of each division, rather than relying on blanket metrics that don’t capture local problems​.
• Use data to inform localized solutions that empower managers to take ownership of client issues​.

5. Focus on Data That Tells the Right Story: Client Satisfaction, Not Just Employee Engagement

It’s crucial to use data that tells a compelling story—one that highlights the specific breakdowns between managers and clients, not just general employee engagement scores. HR leaders often miss the real issue by focusing too heavily on metrics that don’t speak to the client experience, like overall job satisfaction.

How to Apply This:

• Use client satisfaction scores as a key metric to assess manager performance, alongside employee engagement data, to provide a clearer picture of where accountability is breaking down​.
• Frame the data in terms of client outcomes, such as missed deliverables or delays caused by poor management, to show the real impact of managerial dysfunction​.
• Use qualitative data to illustrate the disconnect between what clients need and what managers are delivering, turning raw data into a story that resonates with senior leaders​.
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6. Use Data-Driven Insights to Improve Managerial Accountability

HR leaders must leverage academic research and advanced tools like the Love of Workplace Index™ to predict and prevent issues related to managerial accountability. Relying on gut instinct or surface-level metrics is insufficient—data-backed insights are essential for identifying the root causes of dysfunction.

How to Apply This:

• Use predictive analytics from platforms like LOWI to identify where manager-client relationships are breaking down and proactively address those issues​​.
• Leverage qualitative feedback to refine intervention strategies that specifically target managerial weaknesses, such as poor communication or lack of client follow-through​.
• Regularly review research-backed insights to ensure that your approach to improving accountability is grounded in evidence, not assumptions​​.

7. Hold Formal Review Meetings Focused on the Right Data

The wrong data, like overall employee satisfaction scores, will only mask the true issues. Instead, formal reviews should focus on metrics that reflect client satisfaction and manager accountability. These review meetings should center on the progress managers are making in handling client relationships and reducing escalations to senior leadership.

How to Apply This:

• Hold regular review meetings where managers present data on client satisfaction, escalations, and how they are resolving client issues independently​​.
• Use these meetings to highlight managers who are making improvements and hold those who aren’t accountable, ensuring that progress is tracked and measured continuously​​.

Conclusion: Using the Right Data to Drive Accountability

HR leaders must stop reporting surface-level data that only reflects symptoms of deeper dysfunctions. Instead, they should focus on data that exposes the root cause of client dissatisfaction—managerial accountability. By following these steps, HR leaders can ensure that data is being used to foster real, sustainable change, improving both client relationships and manager performance without unnecessary escalation to senior leadership​​.