Upskilling managers is crucial for success in times of organisational and economic change, say experts
Extending the remit of the L&D profession to improve the skills of managers is the key to successfully guiding employees through periods of economic and professional change, crowds at the CIPD L&D Show heard this week.
Businesses that fail to equip managers with the skills to support staff and take initiative during periods of organisational change may find themselves struggling to adapt, argued Alexandra Bode-Tunji, programme lead for skills and capabilities at Transport for London, and Mark Cole, head of learning and development at Camden & Islington NHS Foundation Trust.
In a joint session, Bode-Tunji and Cole described the pitfalls that organisations often encounter with management and leadership structures, and shared their experiences of providing line managers with the skills to tackle organisational culture.
“Traditional views of management no longer work for a lot of businesses,” said Cole. “We must recognise the importance of leadership in all areas of an organisation, but particularly the importance of a middle manager leading effectively, and in a practical way.”
A common concern is that staff members find themselves promoted to a managerial position overnight, with no previous experience of leadership and little understanding of how to manage their teams. Putting a business through a phase of organisational change – led by managers who lack the skills to drive their teams through – makes transitions difficult and costly, they said.
“Getting line managers on board at the start of any change process is critical if you want it to be successful,” Bode-Tunji said, describing the industry challenges TfL had faced since 2011, such as a lack of confidence among leaders in delivering management effectively, and employees reporting a lack of consistency and quality in leadership.
“One criticism is that people invest in L&D training for their staff after they have passed a threshold into management – but don’t prepare them before they take on that new responsibility,” Cole said.
To ensure that managers can take the lead in times of change, organisations must develop a clear specification of their role responsibilities and expectations, and train them to lead a team – before they take on management roles, they argued. Clear communication throughout the business is essential, with managers accepting regular feedback from their teams, and having open discussions about organisational challenges.
“We must extend the reach of learning and development, both for training managers and on a more general basis,” Cole said. “Be supportive rather than directive – if we don’t do this, we will struggle to beat the challenges of the future, and deliver the services our users expect.”