Leadership Development

Author: Regina Rabenhorst

Imagine this: your C-Suite executives spend over a year mapping out a corporate growth strategy. They identify priorities, budgets, and production schedules, and an extensive list of to-do’s and to-don’t’s. Then it’s go time. They call in the team that can make it all happen – their trusted allies who will lead by example. They will put plans into action, push for buy-in from associates at all levels of the business, and cascade direction, ideas, and lessons learned, both up and down. They are your organizational rockstars – also known as your middle managers - the ones who can ultimately make the stars align, again and again.

I’ve been part of the Training & Development Solutions team (TDS) for about four years and in that time, I have facilitated countless courses and training sessions for leader and managers. Those experiences have given me valid perspective on why it’s so important for companies to invest in training for managers. Among the reasons:

1. Managers really are the action layer, and backbone of the organization. There isn’t much that happens that doesn’t involve this team. They are a critical link among people at various levels, and bridge the gap between people and processes, in many ways.
2. The job changes significantly when an employee makes the transition from associate to manager. You can be the best of the best when it comes to functional or technical ability. But management requires a completely different skill set. Training and ongoing education are critical for success.
3. Middle managers will likely someday become the organization’s senior leaders. They are a built-in succession pipeline, worth investing in.
4. Managers can offer invaluable perspective to guide decision making by senior leaders. They know, hear, and experience operations at a more granular level. Their input can be especially valuable in mapping out “where we are” vs. “where we want to be.”
5. Managers play a significant role in how the entire team shapes up. They are hiring staff, delegating tasks, managing their performance, and identifying those with the potential to do more.
6. Together, a group of middle managers create a powerful team that can bring creativity, problem solving, process refinement, and synergy to the table. They are committed to helping each other and identifying win-wins that benefit all.
7. Middle managers can cultivate a culture of open communication, trust, and collaboration. When this happens, the ripple effect that can take place within your business is amazing.
8. Not everyone appreciates training or an invitation to pursue ongoing education. Middle managers do. They see it as an opportunity for growth, and typically genuinely appreciate their employer’s investment in them as professionals.

For these reasons and many others, more and more organizations are reaching out to Training & Development Solutions by HCC, in search of customized training and professional development opportunities for managers. We’ve got what they – and possibly you – need, to support managers, so they can best support your business.