David James is CLO at 360Learning, host of The Learning & Development Podcast and former Director of L&D for The Walt Disney Company.
Like many other learning and development professionals, I designed and delivered management programs before I actually became a manager. So it wasn’t until I reached that level that I saw the glaring holes in my programs. They didn’t truly address how to do the actual job of manager, like managing upward, the importance of developing an authentic and functioning network, meeting client and stakeholder expectations, handling crises in any particular field and managing a budget. This is just for starters.
After launching a flagship first-line management e-learning course during my time at Disney, my heart sank when I realized the production’s allure wasn’t matched by relevant content. It was the same old management development topics packaged in sound bites alongside frustratingly irrelevant exercises that focused on how leaders can develop their team members, rather than helping them understand the whole role.
Of course, I’ve also been on the other side of the classroom. There have been many well-intended courses I’ve participated in that had oversimplified models. The lessons seemed to pass the initial test of applicability, only to fall flat in real life.
Considering the missteps I’ve seen—and made—in my 15 years of designing, delivering, sourcing and leading management development programs, I don’t think they equated to enough impact to justify the spend and effort. So how can we align our efforts and investments to have a planned, demonstrable effect on leaders?
Why We Fail To Design Practical, Applicable Programming
It’s almost funny how often people development teams miss a lot of the reality of what it means to be a manager or the aspects that their success is defined by and measured on. Too often, we’re designing management development for leaders to support others’ growth. When this is the case, how can we really provide all the support and guidance our managers need?
Though employee development is an important aspect of the manager’s role, it’s not the only part. Arguably, it’s deemed as a lesser success factor compared to delivering results for clients and stakeholders or quantifiably contributing to organizational effectiveness. If we want to design programming that can actually be used on the job, understanding what managers across your organization are accountable for should be the starting point. The development experience should reflect a manager’s real-world experience—what they’re expected to do and what they will need help with—and close the gap between theory and practice.
Limited resources in learning and development have led us to believe that common, one-size-fits-all learning experiences will lead to more skilled performance. But that’s just not true. We have to admit that, for example, an IT manager has a very different role than a retail manager. If we don’t take into account the unique needs and challenges of different managers, how can we really help them?
How To Improve Management Development Effectiveness
If your learning and development programming for managers aren’t having the impact you’re looking for, here are some strategies to employ.
Evaluate And Measure
Without clear metrics for success, it becomes difficult—if not impossible—to determine whether our management development efforts are producing desired outcomes. But first, you need to determine what managers are really responsible and accountable for. What are their key performance indicators? You don’t need to align your development efforts with every KPI, but you most certainly need to explore them with a view to appreciating differences. It’s then that you can seek commonalities and where a nuanced approach is required.
Address Your Unique Culture
Most management development initiatives overlook the importance of cultural factors within an organization. This can lead to a misalignment of the cultural norms and values of departments and the organization as a whole. This ultimately limits the effectiveness of the learning experience. What are the expected and rewarded behaviors that are unique to your culture? Can you say for sure the culture is the same between, say, your commercial teams and your software developers? Because it’s likely not.
Be Timely And Continuous
New managers rarely get the right guidance and support to help them assimilate into their new role, anticipate challenges and navigate the unpredictable. While this can be easier than it seems, it requires intentional focus on being there at the moment of need—not just when it’s convenient to the L&D team.
When somebody transitions to a management role, they should be placed into a well-designed supportive experience. It should answer important questions like: What is this new role? How should managers establish themselves? How do they connect with other new managers as a support group? What conversations can they be party to so they can navigate this period?
Addressing these points requires a data- and evidence-based approach to development, one that emphasizes both technical skills and leadership capabilities. You must tailor your programs to the real needs of different managers and the organization as a whole. Thanks to advances in L&D practices and technology, this goal is more achievable than ever. By planning and measuring the impact of management development initiatives, as well as creating continuous development experiences to meet needs as they happen, you can ensure that your organization’s managers adapt and grow over time.
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