Why is Management Training Important?
Management training can be a major investment for many organizations, no matter their size. Larger organizations may have internal training programs, but these require continuous updating and compensation for the developers and training leaders. A smaller company may choose to outsource their training, but this will still involve paying the consulting company and allowing the employees to participate during normal work hours. However, this type of training is important and in the changing business world, having well-trained managers can be critical to success. There are a few key reasons that it is imperative to provide management training including allowing managers to get the best performance from their employees, the ability to respond to issues quickly, improved communications with internal and external stakeholders and finally, grooming the next generation of leaders.
One of the best skills a manager can develop in training is the ability to engage and effectively motivate their subordinates. This will create a more involved and committed workforce, resulting in higher quality results, often in less time. Proper training can not only teach managers different techniques to motivate, but can also inform them how to identify which methods will work with which employees. A happy and engaged workforce will not only be more effective, but it has been shown that they will have fewer sick days or unplanned absences. They also have less staff turnover and are more productive in their everyday jobs.
In an environment where circumstances change in a matter of hours and not weeks, it is important that a manager is prepared to make and implement important decisions. This is not to say that managers should act without the influence of upper management, but they should be able to make short term decisions and act when needed. This would include dealing with customer service issues that could easily spiral out of control due to platforms like social media. A skilled manager will be able to take appropriate actions to address the concerns of a customer before the issue goes "viral" or makes headlines. These types of situations are guided by overall values of the organization but cannot always wait for specific guidance from executives.
Another skill that is developed by management training is the ability to clearly and concisely communicate information. Any manager that works with external people like clients, vendors, suppliers or investors will need to communicate in a way that portrays competence and confidence in the company. This will cast the company in a good light and will make the manager an effective and trust-worthy representative of the organization. Internal communication is equally as important. Many times, managers are responsible for conveying information about their departments or segments to executives. This information is used to make strategic decisions that affect the entire company. If the information is delivered incorrectly or in a way that can be misunderstood, the executives will be utilizing inaccurate information that could lead to detrimental decisions.
Finally, any organization with long-term goals will need to consider succession planning. Most companies will determine that they would prefer to keep leadership promotions internal because these are people who already know the business inside and out and have often worked their way up through the ranks. However, internal promotion to executive levels is not possible without having managers with the requisite skills. Many of these skills are acquired via on the job experience. However, some skills need to be taught in formal educational courses and then further developed through practice. By continuing to train managers and develop their skill sets, an organization will be better aligned to pick their future executive leaders from within their own ranks.
Though it can be expensive and sometimes time-consuming, management training is clearly very important for an organization of any size. The company will reap immediate benefits of happier and more productive employees and often better customer relationships. They will also find that their long-term goals are more attainable when there is a strong group of rising leaders in the organization.
