Stepping into a management role for the first time? It can be exhilarating and intimidating all at the same time. You’re pumped for the challenge, but a seed of doubt lingers. Where do you even begin with your new role and how do you get new manager training?
Most managers can recall those early days. That blend of anticipation and uncertainty made every day different. When companies promote new managers, they often charter them to lead their teams without a roadmap or a clue on how to overcome the inevitable obstacles that come with managing others. As a result, leadership success suffers when managers struggle to keep their teams cohesive.
Why New Manager Training Isn’t Just Nice, It’s Necessary
A common theme in promoting people in the business world; you are the best technical or individual contributor and you’re promoted based on that stellar individual performance. Then you’re expected to guide a team without the proper management skills and leadership training. Your management toolbox is empty. It’s amazing that nearly 82% of new managers feel unequipped, according to Indeed.
Additionally, half of all newly promoted managers who get thrown into the role without proper training fail within a year. It’s not just the individual manager and their employees who suffer – the entire organization feels the strain. You can reduce the uncertainty of on-the-job learning and proactively invest in new manager training – your leaders will thank you.
The Domino Effect of Poor Management: More Than Just a Bad Day at the Office
Poor management skills can disengage employees, impact project outcomes, and create a work environment where stress is an ongoing underlying factor. The Gallup organization found that bad management costs the global economy trillions of dollars each year. Sub-par management performance, team results and employee feedback are a reminder that manager training isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s a must-have.
Common Challenges New Managers Face (and How Training Can Help)
Let’s face it, being a manager isn’t just about managing spreadsheets and hitting deadlines. Trust must be created and supported with one’s team and peers to ensure organizational support is in place. Let’s unpack some common pitfalls and how targeted new manager training programs provide a lifeline:
1. The Silent Epidemic: Battling Employee Stress and Quiet Quitting
You inherit a team that’s running on fumes and moral is low. The Great Resignation opened our eyes to a silent crisis brewing in workplaces—rampant burnout and disengagement. In an ongoing attempt to create and maintain employee happiness, managers hold the power to boost or bust morale.
Training helps equip managers to identify the red flags of burnout: slumped shoulders, missed deadlines, extra time off, and the “I’m fine, really” that are all indicators of a demotivated team. Developing strong teamwork is a top priority, figuring out how to assign tasks fairly, encouraging everybody to speak up, and prioritize team goals are ongoing elements of management.
2. Building Bridges: Trust and Communication in the Age of Remote Work
In the pre-pandemic days when face-to-face interactions were the norm, it was easy to connect with people in the moment for in-person interactions. For many, those days are minimized or gone. The way we communicate—often through screens—has created a breeding ground for misunderstandings and missed connections.
With training focused on the new paradigm of managing remote workers, new managers get the communication skills and strategies they need to thrive in this uncharted territory. They learn how to foster trust, give clear and concise directions and offer feedback that is tailored to their audience—no matter where team members are logging in from.
3. Generational Shifts: Bridging the Gap
From Baby Boomers to Gen Z, today’s workplace is a melting pot of perspectives and preferences. It’s like trying to assemble a jigsaw puzzle where the pieces constantly change shape. Throw in remote or hybrid models, and it’s easy to see why navigating generational differences can leave new managers scratching their heads.
New manager training programs should address these generational differences head-on. This isn’t just about being “hip” to the latest trends (although a little understanding goes a long way). Effective management hinges on being able to identify and tap into individual motivators that each generation has. Formal management training can help you break free from the miscommunications and misunderstandings that plague so many teams.
Level Up: Five Must-Have Skills Every New Manager Needs (and How Training Can Deliver)
While some people are born with natural management skills, most managers have had to work hard to develop the skills they have. Here are five core skills where proper training should be non-negotiable:
1. Prioritization: Not Just Doing Tasks, But the *Right* Tasks
Business today is complex and has a multitude of projects and goals. Managers are required to be agile and flexible in an effort to support all the moving targets. The challenge most managers face is which task or project gets priority. Prioritization is a key management skill, that lets them see through the chaos, identify what truly moves the needle, and to be able delegate with purpose.
With feedback-based training and receiving hands-on guidance, individuals can pinpoint their weaknesses and fine-tune their strengths. By introducing tools like the Pareto Principle (The 80/20 rule) managers can stay focused on the 20% most important tasks daily. Armed with clarity and focus, new leaders can tackle the right, most important projects and challenges head-on.
2. The Art of Delegation: Your Secret Weapon to Success (and Sanity)
Delegation—it sounds easy, but it’s where so many new managers stall. It’s a common challenge amongst all levels of managers, and for new managers, it’s even harder as they used to do much the technical work they now manage. It’s much easier to do a task than to teach others to take it on. This may be okay for a task or two, but when there are multiples things that need to be delegated, new managers can quickly get into The Danger Zone, or overload. Strategically assigning and delegating work based on their team’s strengths and areas for growth is one way out. Other options include asking for more resources, connecting with their manager to align priorities and evaluate time management.
As a result of effective delegation, work can be distributed evenly, team members are challenged and motivated with new tasks and you actually can free up time to invest in key management duties, such as coaching, training and planning. As a result, it is possible to create a workplace where creativity is encouraged and every team member is empowered to own their work. That’s the magic managers can create when they can delegate, grow and empower their teams.
3. Cracking the Code: Mastering the Human Side of Management
Numbers are important, but behind every business project or goal, there’s a human that has involvement and impact on its outcome. Effective new manager training emphasizes building genuine connections with people, navigating conflict resolution, and creating a workplace where respect is given and gained. Settling disputes and building relationships power a team that functions at a high level and it all starts with having effective conflict resolution skills.
4. The Feedback Loop: Where Growth Happens
Most employees crave feedback—and it’s not just the “good job” recognition. What if you provide your team with positive and constructive feedback that can spark an individual’s growth? Feedback provided in the right way can fuel motivation, maximize potential and focus team members in the right direction for their personal performance growth.
New manager training should include modules how to provide performance feedback and coaching to staff. Fear-based feedback in years past had been used as way to motivate people into doing what they needed to. Today, that method is antiquated and can actually drive people out. Instead, providing feedback with autonomy, mastery and purpose (See the DRIVE process by Daniel Pink) with staff provides managers with the skills to give ongoing, constructive feedback that empowers—not demoralizes. Direct feedback is essential for managers to make their team members feel seen, appreciated and empowered.
5. Cultivating a Growth Mindset
A true growth mindset permeates everything a manager does. New manager training nurtures this mindset—one that values continuous learning, embraces challenges, and sees setbacks not as failures, but as stepping stones to improvement. Organizations that constantly adapt to shifting circumstances are the ones that build resilient managers and teams and stay ahead of the curve.
Investing in Your Front Line
Ignoring the need for formal new manager training isn’t just a risky move; it’s a costly one. Imagine your managers are facing a critical challenge, and instead of faltering, they’re firing on all cylinders. That’s what happens when you commit to high-quality training – they get the confidence boost they need to drive real results.
Companies that get ahead are those that recognize the value of strong leadership. By investing in their managers, they’re investing in their own future. When a manager is confident in their leadership style, they can lead their teams more effectively.
Conclusion
New manager training should be seen as an investment, not an expense. By supporting their front-line leaders, companies can realize a positive shift in the confidence and clarity their new managers have in their new role. When employees are fully invested in, productivity increases and the whole organization can be positively impacted as a result. With satisfaction on the rise, turnover is minimized, and a more stable organization emerges – a win for everyone involved.
Think of new manager training as not just about filling skills gaps—it’s about fostering a culture of growth, trust, and excellence. Helping your managers grow professionally and personally is crucial to success and to see them thrive and reach their full potential.
Resources and Support
Empowering new managers with tools beyond their training is just as critical. They need a go-to hub for everyday essentials, like conversation starters for tough talks, performance review guidelines, and advice for tackling common obstacles. With self-assurance and practice, they can move forward with real time application. Frequent check-ins become a safety net, catching issues before they escalate and sparking a constant stream of growth.
Formal training with the right program can be a game-changer. Guided by the experience of seasoned facilitators and great content, new leaders can emerge with clarity and confidence in their new role.
New Manager Training FAQs
What are common pitfalls to avoid during new manager training?
Avoiding generic, one-size-fits-all approaches is crucial. New manager training should:
- Address specific needs within your organization.
- Gain the skills you need to tackle everyday challenges head-on.
- Incorporate hands-on exercises like simulations and role-playing.
- Foster an atmosphere where new managers can ask for help without fear of judgment.
- Remember to emphasize soft skills.
- Prioritize diversity and inclusion training to navigate a multigenerational workforce.
- Leverage technology but prioritize engagement.
What’s the secret sauce to make new manager training engaging?
If we can link a situational concept to a familiar experience, suddenly it’s relatable – and that’s powerful. New manager training programs need to be balanced with some theory, management tools and interactive learning.
Remember to make training actionable, incorporating takeaway tools or techniques for practical application back on the job.
