Every employee should be able to develop in their job if they want to but for those in a leadership or managerial position, it is even more crucial to ensure they have the ‘soft’ skills that will help them build and develop a successful team.
As Jack Welch once said “Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.”
There are two common reasons why people leave jobs:
- Being poorly managed – with a general lack of guidance, career development and feedback.
- They weren’t learning anything – the company wasn’t investing in their employees.
A strong management development programme can address both issues and ensure you develop and retain your most important business asset … your PEOPLE!
Read on to understand why your SME should be investing in an effective management development programme.
- Encourages open communication
Not all managers are expected to automatically have the delicate balance of empathy, communication and leadership, and indeed even experienced managers sometimes fail to demonstrate strong communication skills – yet they are the foundation of a strong employee/manager relationship.
Managers who exercise open and candid communication with their employees actually facilitate a two-way dialogue which is critical to help resolve conflicts, build trust and ensure that everyone is working towards the common goal.
- It helps attract great employees
Employee development attracts good people. When potential new hires can see that you invest in your staff, you will attract people who are keen to grow themselves …and that can only be a benefit in itself to your business!
- Good managers boost morale
Respected and well-trained managers boost morale which in turn boosts employee retention. Good managers recognise achievement and success which motivates employees to go above and beyond to get further recognition and reward.
- Litigation protection
Employment law and compliance can be complex and ever-changing, but the responsibility to comply doesn’t just lie with HR. Managers too are on the front line when it comes to protecting your employees AND your business, so it is essential managers have a basic understanding of employment law.
- Improved employee engagement
FACT…employees don’t leave a bad company… they leave bad managers. That’s why an employee’s relationship with his or her direct manager is the single most important factor in employee engagement.
Developing Managers who are upskilled and confident quickly translates to more positive relationships with subordinates and peers and improves overall employee satisfaction.
- Foster a learning culture
A truly effective learning culture starts from the top and is cascaded throughout all levels of an organisation. If team members see that their manager is consciously fostering a learning culture and are themselves on a continuous journey to self-development, others will want to follow.
- Facilitate the development of others
Being a manager also means being a coach. When a manager has motivating coaching conversations with their employees (rather than giving them instructions or commands), everyone is focused on continually developing themselves as people and they take ownership for their own performance, which in turn reaps great benefits for your business.
By investing in training and development for your managers, everyone and every THING gets better!
Our Clarity7 Management Development Programme is a series of seven one-day masterclasses designed to help your managers – new and existing – be absolutely brilliant at getting the best out of their team, and their team the best out of them! It’s a two-way street after all! View the full 2020 programme here >>
