Recruiting new managers can be an arduous, lengthy and expensive process. So why aren’t more companies preparing staff for management roles?
If you or one of your managers resigns, takes early retirement or falls sick, who from inside the organization could step up? How quickly could they fill vacancies with confidence and skill?
Robust succession planning includes identifying and then preparing internal candidates as potential successors. Ideally, there is a succession planning team that meets regularly.
Remember that preparing staff for management roles means you are preparing them to be future leaders, not just the best at the job they’re doing currently. Too often, folks are promoted to leadership roles because they’re really good at doing X, but then they don’t have experience managing people.
Here are ways to develop talent from within your organization:
- Find opportunities that offer experience and professional growth. What specific experience would help someone prepare to take on a more senior role? Start there and look for ways to build capacity with education and practical experience. This might include running meetings, managing projects, undertaking challenging new assignments and overseeing junior staff. If a management role requires public speaking, for example, a potential successor could be given the opportunity to first watch the current manager present and then help with a presentation – and perhaps ultimately do the presentation solo. Having team members fill in for managers during vacation time is an excellent way to begin preparing staff for management roles with on-the-job experience (this is another reason why it’s really important for leaders to take a vacation and really unplug!). Job rotations are another way to develop leadership talent, broaden experience and build confidence. As part of your succession planning strategy, make leaders accountable for preparing staff for management roles.
- Watch for examples of effective leadership skills. As you offer potential leaders opportunities to develop their skills with challenging assignments (and the right support to help them be successful), this is a time to evaluate how they lead others. How do emerging leaders handle difficulties? Are they able to inspire others through adversity? What behaviour and attitudes do you see? What are their interests and values? Good natural leaders can become great. What would help someone learn to be a better leader? Help your other managers learn to recognize leadership potential, identify high-potential team members and develop their leadership skills.
- Allow emerging leaders to have real input and decision-making authority. Showing team members how to run a department or manage a project won’t work as well if they need approval for every idea or decision first. True empowerment comes with trust, responsibility and decision-making authority. In some organizations, key managers are given shares in the company. The Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) calls this the “what’s in it for me” element, whereby folks will run a business as if they own it when they’re allowed to actually own a piece of it. However it’s accomplished, creating an ownership mentality includes giving emerging leaders opportunities to make decisions – and even experience finding the emotional courage to make mistakes and learn from them.
- Recognize that some struggle is beneficial. It’s important to find the balance between supporting emerging leaders to learn new skills and not allowing them to figure things out on their own. When a team member needs help, it’s sometimes easier for leaders to direct them, take over or provide a resource. If you want them to learn to be leaders, they can’t be rescued in this way. At Padraig, we advocate helping others find their own answers by using a COACH Approach to leadership. For example, if someone is in charge of a project and comes to you for advice, don’t give the answers. Instead, ask open-ended questions. Prompt the emerging leader to brainstorm solutions. Shifting your role from problem-solver to sounding board encourages them to take ownership for solutions.
- Find mentorship opportunities. It’s very helpful for emerging leaders to have the opportunity to talk to and learn from the experience (good and bad!) of someone who has been in a similar role. Some organizations set up formalized mentoring programs, while others allow it to be a little more organic. An exceptional mentor is going to encourage and cultivate a sense of curiosity in their protégé. This includes helping the mentee find resources and supports, to build other connections and to encourage the mentee to ask questions (rather than offering advice or lecturing).
- Offer support through coaching. One-to-one coaching is an effective way to help emerging leaders learn and grow as leaders. When it’s done well, coaching can help to identify strengths and areas for potential gains. As we recently discussed, engaged manager support of coaching ensures valuable return on investment. Ideally, the coachee is given opportunities to apply what they’re learning, has the tools and resources to support their learning and gets real-time feedback that can be incorporated into coaching.
- Find ways to develop an executive presence. That intangible but important quality of a leader who is confident and inspires confidence is executive presence. Among our favourite tools to develop executive presence is being connected. The best way to help emerging leaders to build connections is to teach them how to network. This involves bringing them to networking events, client meetings, charity fundraisers, industry-wide events and other situations where they need to forge relationships with potential clients, investors and competitors. The art of conversation can be learned and honed, but it must be exercised in real-life scenarios. Along the way, they’ll gain not only people skills and confidence as they represent your company, but also valuable connections.
- Offer a structured learning program for future leaders. We find that the power of peer learning is an effective way to accelerate leadership success. It gives them a chance to learn, put theory into practice and acquire the skills of great leaders as they gain experience. It also offers them an opportunity to build connections so they have a network to turn to for support now and in the future.
Want to make it easy for yourself? At Padraig, we offer two peer group programs that can be either delivered in-house for your staff, or you can sign up individually through our public registration website at Odality.ca These are:
The Partnership — Our peer group program for experienced leaders. This program brings experienced leaders together in a small group with a certified executive coach for monthly group coached sessions and 4 private sessions of one-to-one coaching, over the course of the year.
The Network – This is our peer group for new leaders and those who aspire to leadership roles. The Network provides coach-led group discussions as well as four fundamental leadership courses, over one year. The program meets monthly, alternating between 90-minute group coaching sessions and full-day courses. Participants in this program develop peer bonds as they become leaders — solidifying their connections for years to come. Each successful participant graduates with our Certificate in Leadership Foundations. Our next program begins September 22, 2022, so register now!
Alternatively, you can opt to host one or more of the leadership coaching programs privately in your organization. To find out more about having the programs in-house, please click here and we’ll call you or email you (your choice).
Coach’s Questions:
What can you do to better prepare staff for management roles? What is something new that could be implemented? What would help in the long run?
