First Line Manager Training
I was recently running a management training course – most of the participants were existing managers who were there to enhance and develop their skills – but one of the group was a newly created manager and he had little experience of managing people. He related the story of how he became a manager:
“One of our existing managers had left the business and the boss said he did not have time to recruit someone new as we are very busy. He just said to me one Friday ‘from Monday you had better just get into that department and manage them’!”
That was it. Zero preparation and thrown in at the deep end!
Whilst this example may be at the extreme, how often is it the case that people are not prepared, trained and coached to take on new roles? They are just left to get on with it, having no training and very little direction about what is expected from them.
At Axio Development our First Line Manager training course helps ensure that new managers are trained and developed early into the role to enable them to get up to speed quickly and also produce results which positively affect the bottom line performance of the business.
Why is it important to train First Line Managers early into their role?
Hiring or promoting new managers without providing them with the proper training can be a great disservice to your company, with serious negative consequences. An unskilled manager can have a detrimental effect on the employees he or she manages.
The impacts of poor management on the team include decreased morale, poor communication, worker dissatisfaction, and a general decrease in efficiency and
Are your new managers ready? Use our quick guide in order to ensure that you have put in place the steps needed to support them:
- Have you developed their business communication skills?
Business communication skills are some of the most important skills to master as managers, whether experienced or new. The problem is, this vital skill is rarely considered. Not only is it important in the presentation, proposal and reporting functions of the role but also in the management of teams, and relationships in the workplace.
- Have they had a grounding in self-management and self-leadership skills?
The most profound lesson a first-line manager can learn is that in order to manage others you must first manage yourself. In today’s business environment managers are expected to lead by example and leading by example hinges on one major thing: consistency.
Everything from personal behaviour and thinking to decision making and relationship skills should be driven by a focus on personal values that do not shift and change in any given situation. Effective managers do not sell out on their personal values.
- Have you made it clear what you want from them?
The most common reason why people fail in their roles is that it is not made clear enough what is expected of them and so the results did not come. This lack of results leads to reduced self-confidence and increased self-doubt in new managers.
- Are you encouraging and coaching them?
The second most common reason why people fail in their roles is that they are given no feedback, either positive or negative, on their performance. This leads to strained relationships with their manager and a lack of motivation. Indeed poor performers begin to think that their work output is OK and acceptable.
If you cannot answer these four questions in the affirmative then it is likely that you new managers will not perform well. Our First Line Manager training course will begin to solve these problems for you. Get in touch here to find out more.