Corporate E-Learning

Effective, high-quality management i key to organizational success. No matter what your industry, your organization needs to have skilled managers in place to be the best it can be. But managers don’t just appear out of nowhere, equipped with the skills to succeed. Managers need to be developed. And while your organization is likely to do a mix of external hiring and internal promotion, taking the time to develop new managers from within the organization is a worthwhile time investment. There are several strategies that can help you develop new managers, which ensures not just the success of individual employees but of the organization as a whole.

While it may seem that management skills come naturally to some people, in reality management is a set of skills which can be learned. Perhaps the most important part of developing new managers is giving them opportunities to develop key management skills, empowering them to take charge of their professional development, and providing chances for them to apply what they have learned. Developing new managers is a continuous process.

Does your organization have a roadmap for employees who want to move into managerial positions? If you have such a roadmap, do employees know how to access it? Creating a clear management track is a vital tool for developing new managers. It provides employees who want to advance into management with a guide for the skills, experiences, and professional development they will need in order to become managers. Even more, it serves as a way to develop employees with managerial aspirations and potential.

The skills for effective management can be learned and built. However, they can only be learned and built if those who aspire to management know what those skills and competencies are. Taking time to define the core competencies needed for management, and then creating opportunities to build and practice those competencies, is a valuable investment in developing new managers. Incorporating these clearly defined competencies into the management track is also vital.

If you ask a good manager where he or she learned how to manage, the answer is likely to be from a manager who was important to their own career. While courses and training on management skills are valuable and should be used, people appear to learn the most about managing by being managed. And while a bad manager can provide valuable lessons in what not to do, people learn more about management by being managed well. Employees who are managed effectively tend to be happier and more productive. As a result, when they enter management, they want to recreate that environment for their own employees or direct reports.

A key component to developing new managers is providing them with the tools they need in order to be successful. Just as you wouldn't expect an employee to do a job without supplies or necessary technology, you cannot expect managers to manage effectively without a tool kit. Take the time to create or locate the tools managers need to manage effectively, as well as to develop their skills and competencies. These might include technology, documents and policies, opportunities, and relationships. When new managers are well equipped to not only execute their duties but continuously develop, the entire organization benefits.

New managers need support as they build their skills and transition to their new roles. However, they may sometimes be reluctant to ask for help, for fear of appearing less competent. When creating a plan to develop new managers, be sure to build in some support systems. When there are support systems in place, and those systems are readily accessible, employees are much more likely to access them. Having the support of peers and mentors is key to a new manager's success. In turn, today's new managers will become tomorrow's support system for the next generation of managers.

While every organization is likely to do a mix of internal promotions and outside hiring, oftentimes the best candidates for management are already within your organization. If you wait to develop potential new managers until you have to fill a vacant position, however, you may miss out on some talented employees. Identifying strong candidates for management roles should be an ongoing process, and employees with management aspirations and potential should be identified as early as possible. This allows the organization and the employee to invest time and resources in developing that potential.

Oftentimes, employees have an interest in transitioning to management but don't understand the process. This may keep talented people from pursuing managerial positions. Having a clearly laid out management track in place is invaluable in developing new managers. When employees can see the path to management, including expectations and competencies, they can plan their professional development accordingly. A clearly defined management track is also useful for those in the role of developing new managers, as it provides a roadmap for mentors, managers, and supervisors.

One of the most important things you can do to develop new managers is to empower them. New managers may be hesitant or nervous to take on their new responsibilities and authority. It is not enough to simply put someone in a managerial position – they must be empowered to do the job. Find ways to empower new managers from the outset, balancing empowerment with support. This helps new managers develop their skills and their confidence.

We are never done growing. Even when an employee has grown into a management position, the development process must continue. Employees who feel they cannot grow in their current position or organization are likely to be unhappy, and may ultimately not stay. New managers need to be given opportunities to grow and develop within their managerial role, whether this is in order to eventually move into even higher positions or simply to become more skilled at managing. Continuously challenging new managers to grow, strengthen their current skills, and develop new ones will benefit not only the individual managers but the organization as a whole.

Although this workshop is coming to a close, we hope that your journey to learning how to develop new managers is just beginning. Please take a moment to review and update your action plan. This will be a key tool to guide your progress in the days, weeks, months, and years to come. We wish you the best of luck on the rest of your travels!