Almost all of us have experienced a bad manager at some point in our careers. Whether it was the person who failed to give you adequate support in your first job, or the manager with poor communication skills who left you feeling uninspired when you were trying to take the next step on the career ladder, you’ll know that bad leadership can lead to poor morale and a lack of motivation.
However, while there are undoubtedly people out there who don’t have the necessary skills for management, in our experience, the majority of managers have simply never been shown how to be good. Poor or low-quality training can leave even talented people without the skills they need to succeed in a management role. This can have a huge impact on their performance, especially if it’s their first time in a management position.
Challenges for First-Time Managers
First time managers face a lot of challenges. If they’ve been promoted within their organisation, they’ll have to cope with transitioning from a peer to a leader and learn how to manage former colleagues. It’s also likely that they’ll be making strategic decisions for the first time; something that comes with a lot of added responsibility and pressure.
If first-time managers don’t receive comprehensive training, they will start their new position without the skills they need to thrive. This can impact their confidence and their performance and have a negative influence on every member of their team.
Benefits of Leadership Training
Giving first-time managers high-quality leadership training will benefit them, the people under them and the business as a whole. Leadership training will help to improve communication skills, build confidence and, by putting the manager at ease with their position and their objectives, improve team dynamics.
Effective training will give first-time managers the skills they need to align their team with their organisation’s goals. This can significantly improve productivity and create a positive and dynamic work environment.
Key Components of Effective Training
Although the exact content of leadership training courses can vary, there are four key components that every first-time manager should be given in order to develop. These are:
1.Hands-on learning – getting real world experience is essential if participants are going to hone their management skills and find out what works. This practical training should always be carried out in a safe environment and support and feedback should be provided.
2.Mentoring – having a designated person they can look up to and go to for support - who isn’t necessarily their line manager - can help new managers work through the issues they will inevitably face. Ideally, existing people within the organisation should be trained on how to provide this mentoring effectively.
3.Continuous learning – first-time managers need to know that acquiring leadership skills is an ongoing process. Mentoring and further training helps participants gain the experience and expertise they need and enables them to understand it’s OK to make mistakes as long as we learn from them.
4.Regular performance reviews – reviews and feedback are crucial to the skills development process and should be done on a regular basis.
The Impact of Good Leadership
Having skilled and effective managers in place leads to higher employee retention and increased productivity. What’s more, with new managers able to handle their role with skill and dexterity, it frees middle managers up to focus on their own responsibilities, further streamlining your business.
No one wants to be a bad manager, however few are born with the skills or instincts required to be a good one. Investing in new managers gives everyone the opportunity to reach their potential. And, as these first-timers are the future of your organisation, setting them up for success has to be good for business.
To learn more about leadership training and the benefits it can bring to your business, get in touch with a member of our expert team today.
