Why Training & Development Is So Important For New Managers

The promotion trap for new managers is that they were promoted because they were good at their job not because they are good managers. They have been more used to doing the task than managing a group of people.

Providing training and developmentfor new managers before or as soon as they are managers is a great investment for the future. This article therefore aims to suggest further reasons why it is so vital for your organisation.

Prevent Bad Habits

The most common and most natural way to learn is through trial and error. This is okay is you are happy for your new managers to learn in a haphazard way, learn bad habits and make mistakes.

Like any other professional, managers need to learn how to manage, lead and motivate the people in their teams. They need to understand the psychology of motivation and performance and in this way they can harness the personal power of each employee.

Develop Confidence

Becoming managers for the first time can be scary! Suddenly taking responsibility for other people’s work as well as your own can be overwhelming. It requires confidence in your ability to manage people effectively. Providing learning and development helps new managers to discover whether what they are doing is right and to develop skills in the right way.

Reduce Mistakes

We have already established that the trial and error method for learning inherently means that we will make mistakes just to learn. If we work in an industry where mistakes can be fatal for our customers and our workers then we cannot afford to let people learn this way. Doctors are a very good example of this.

Plan For The Future

When we develop our new managers we are planning for the future of the organisation. The way that new managers develop will have a significant impact on the success of the organisation. As the more experienced managers leave it will be up to the more junior managers to step into their shoes. Having a structured and planned approach to this development is more likely to reduce problems later on.

Generate Loyalty

This is should not be underestimated. Loyal managers provide the backbone to any organisation and this stability has an impact on the people who work there. Managers are role models for employees and seeing a manager is loyal creates more loyal employees.

If your organisation is one that encourages and provides learning and development then you are more likely to attract good people who want to be part of it.

When choosing learning and development activity for new managers consider arrange of methods. External open courses enable the new manager to mix with a range of managers from other organisations. This provides a wealth of different perspectives and experience.

In-house training sessions also have their value in that the new manager has the chance to form relationships with other people in the organisation who are in the same position. These connections can help to form a ready-made support group specific to the organisation.

Whichever activity you prefer MTD is able to help. Contact us now for more information – call us on 0333 320 2883 or email us at [email protected] for more information on our training solutions for new managers.

Many thanks

Mark Williams

Head of Training

MTD Training   | Image courtesy by D Dpavumba of FreeDigitalPhotos.Net