Enhancing success: Why you should invest in managerial training
In today’s dynamic business landscape, strong management is more important than ever, serving as a point of stability for employees and colleagues. Despite this importance, many businesses fail to invest in managerial training, overlooking this vital area despite recognising how important leadership is. Leadership and management training may not be something that will always have a tangible effect on the bottom line, but its impact will be evident and can significantly reinvigorate your team
The complexity and skills needed to be an effective manager are often underestimated and, as a consequence of this, only 30% of employers took steps to improve the people skills of their line managers, according to the CIPD’s Resourcing and Talent Planning Survey 2022. This lack of managerial training can hurt your business, potentially costing you talent and slowing growth, which is why we’ll be looking at this topic in greater detail, telling you everything you need to know about leadership and management training.
What is management training?
To take managerial training seriously, we first need to fully understand what it is and how it can be delivered effectively. It’s often the case that newly appointed managers have great technical skills and understand the business well, but they may have no experience managing others, which is where conflict and confusion can arise. Management training courses aim to address this shortcoming, giving managers the skills they need to lead with confidence and sound reasoning, no matter how experienced they may be.
It’s commonly quoted that “employees leave managers, not companies”, and given how important a line manager is to their team’s engagement, development and well-being, organisations can see incredible benefits from investing directly into their managerial training and development plans. Providing management training not only helps managers feel invested in, but also provides them with the necessary skills and knowledge required to successfully carry out their role, operating with greater confidence.
Managerial training can come in several different forms, which we’ll look at in greater detail below.
Championing equality and diversity
While we all understand the importance of organisational equality and diversity, knowing how to enact this can prove challenging for managers. Courses in management can provide the leadership team with the tools and skills needed to put equality and diversity plans into place, rather than simply paying lip service.
Managing conflict
Conflict management training is a key area where many businesses should look to invest, especially if they experience a high staff turnover rate. Internal strife can massively hurt a team’s productivity and culture, reducing output and pushing away key talent, which is why conflict management training is such a necessity.
Managing absence
While absence is something that many businesses have to deal with, knowing how to better manage this area can help businesses improve efficiency and improve employee engagement. Effective leadership and management training provides you with the tools to improve communication and morale, reducing the likelihood of truancy.
Strategic recruitment
To grow as a business, you need to be able to hire the best possible candidates, but poor management is visible from a mile away and could dissuade applicants. An effective recruitment process, coupled with managers with the right skills, can reduce recruitment costs and enhance brand reputation.
Effective communication
Effective communication is key, whether it be to colleagues and teams, in meetings, interviews or during negotiations. Communication also plays a huge part in forming good working relationships between your team, but it doesn’t always come naturally, which is where line management training can help.
Managing performance reviews
Understanding the importance of managing performance reviews is essential for any manager, but it isn’t something that you would typically learn about before becoming a manager. Educating managers to focus on quality conversations during performance reviews can strengthen their level of engagement.
Managing disciplinary issues
Conduct issues and subsequent disciplinary action will inevitably be required at some point. Managerial training aims to help managers understand and implement the correct disciplinary process and procedures, which are vital to minimising risks. A badly handled disciplinary could lead to an employment tribunal claim against your business.
What is an example of manager training?
A common example of somebody who would need managerial training is when a high-performing salesperson is promoted to lead the sales team. While they may know everything there is about the delivery side of the role, they may lack the communication and leadership attributes that will allow them to thrive. Manager training can help them work on this by giving them the tools and frameworks to ensure that they don’t slip into the role of a senior salesperson, and can fulfil their role as a manager.
The hidden impact of effective management: insights from the CIPD’s Resourcing and Talent Planning Survey
Effective management can be hard to find, with 77% of surveyed businesses experiencing difficulties when looking to attract candidates. This is why many businesses look to promote internally, but this can have its downsides as these staff members are less likely to be ready-made leaders, emphasising the importance of managerial training. If you can’t recruit externally, invest in your people and shape them into what you need them to be, providing support and guidance as they adapt and develop.
Development is a key area to focus on, with many candidates being concerned about their career progression and pathway. While being promoted to a managerial role may come with additional benefits, this could prove to be a backwards step if they are not provided with the management training that is needed when making such a significant step upwards. Many businesses have been receptive to this feedback, with 38% increasing efforts to meet their talent requirements by developing in-house talent.
38% of respondents stated that their CEO has had talent management as a key priority over the last 12 months, up from 30% in 2021, showing that managers are aware of how important development is treated by those at the top. While leadership and management training can be easily overlooked by those running the businesses daily, the managers who would most benefit from this investment are paying attention.
Identifying the gaps: the challenges of people management
The role of a manager is varied, so it’s unfair to assume that there is a one-size-fits-all approach to managerial training that would give everybody the skills they need to succeed. Managers will also vary in terms of seniority and responsibility, so a course that would positively impact a department lead may do little for a sales team leader, which is why it’s important to look at a range of different options, including leadership training and line management training.
Managing people within an organisation can come with many challenges for both managers and businesses. Ensuring employee engagement and motivation is an ongoing struggle, as disengaged employees can lead to reduced productivity and high turnover. Additionally, managers often grapple with resolving interpersonal conflicts, maintaining effective communication, and managing performance, striking a balance between accountability and support, which is why conflict management training is so vital.
Benefits of managerial training and management training courses
For an organisation looking to empower its managerial and leadership team, management training can be an incredibly powerful investment that can have a wide-reaching impact on the business as a whole.
Improved leadership skills
Managerial training helps managers develop the leadership qualities they need to succeed, including effective communication, decision-making, problem-solving, and motivation, so they’re better equipped to succeed in their leadership role.
Enhanced employee productivity
A well-trained manager who has received leadership and management training is better able to set clear goals that are in line with their team’s capabilities, improving productivity and morale as a result.
Better decision-making
Managerial training provides your business’s leaders with the skills and knowledge needed to make informed and strategic decisions, allowing them to cut through the noise and make changes that can have a measurable impact.
Adaptability to change
Managers who receive ongoing management training are better prepared to adapt to rapidly changing business environments and will be able to make decisions confidently, without putting excessive amounts of pressure on their team, reducing the likelihood of high staff turnover.
Key managerial training areas to enhance organisational success
There must be a strategic and well-considered approach when looking to enact changes to how your organisation approaches managerial training and development.
Team leaders
Team leaders might have a great operational skillset, but knowing how to guide their staff and push them forward is a different skill entirely. Line management training aims to bridge this gap, providing them with the skills needed to make decisions confidently while also being able to improve in other key areas, such as conflict resolution and team development planning.
Department heads
As a department head, being able to lead others in managerial roles may not come naturally. After all, they may be leading people who are naturally better at managing, so ensuring that all communication is effective and strategic is essential. This will move away from looking at performance-based managing and instead look at development and giving their sub-managers the support they need to succeed with their team.
Operational leaders
As somebody in a leadership role, knowing how to manage not just people but also the business is a vital skill. Leadership and management training can help those at the top work efficiently so don’t lose sight of vital business KPIs, while still having the skills needed to serve as a leader for those needing direction and guidance.
How Moore Kingston Smith can help
Our managerial training modules are designed to develop knowledge and skills, encouraging managers to reflect on areas they often don’t have time to think about. For more intensive, one-to-one development needs, we have qualified coaches who run regular sessions over a longer period to enhance learning, ensuring leaders receive bespoke advice tailored to their distinct concerns
If you’d like to learn more about the manager training, contact Joe Regan today to discover how People Advisory can elevate your company’s leadership capabilities.