Personal empowerment key to manager's development - management development programs - Management Development

HR Magazine, Nov, 1993 by William K. Fitzgerald, Scott Allen

When there's commitment from the organization and the individuals to this five-phase learning process, the result is high-performance management.

For years, management development has been synonymous with training classes. New managers are pushed through a series of classes to build communication skills, value differences, learn to lead, coach and motivate their employees, manage teams and do strategic planning. However, the development experience is more than a menu of classes.

It is hard to argue against skill building, because there are certainly skills, knowledge and aptitudes managers must have if they are to be successful. Training classes are necessary, but they are insufficient. Development has very little to do with time spent in a classroom. Actually, development is much more personal. It is reflective, situational, spontaneous and unrehearsed. Personal development creates attitudes and beliefs or builds a philosophy that is essential if the management team is to grow and prosper outside the classroom. Management development requires two things: the personal commitment of the individual manager and facilitation by the organization.

Learning model

To fully grasp what is meant by management development is to enjoy the journey as much as the destination. It is the aspect of development that can only come from one's heart. It has to do with values, aspirations, dreams, the legacy one leaves as a manager and beliefs about people.

It is about making a commitment to experience the experience and grow to one's full potential. What is really needed for an organization and its management team to flourish is the desire to continually learn and grow. The quality of the management development experience is as much the manager's personal choice as it is the organization's responsibility.

Describing the management development learning model as a process would be misleading. Each circle represents a phase and each phase overlaps with the others. If one only focuses on skill-building classes and disregards the other phases, the amount of learning that transfers back to the job is significantly reduced.

Management development requires that managers understand how they learn. Managers who understand their own learning process can better orchestrate the process, selecting learning opportunities they know will be meaningful. Here are the five phases that capture the essence of the development process.

One: Assuming ownership

Personal empowerment--taking responsibility for one's own development--may be the most important aspect of the learning model. The classroom approach to management development makes us dependent on classes that other people believe are important and have scheduled. No class, no development.

Managers responsible for their own development view the organization as the stage for learning. They create a vision of the successful manager and work toward it. They let go of dependency on others and take control of their own destiny. These managers view each new experience as an opportunity for learning. They create as well as seize learning opportunities.

Development implies change, which is not always easy. Openness to change and a willingness to take risks lead to a greater self-awareness and insight. If there is also a willingness to understand and own what went wrong, one's mistakes can provide great lessons.

Two: Assessment

Skill assessment should be an ongoing process to determine what skills will be needed for continuing success. Honest feedback is essential to this process and, unfortunately, is at a premium in most organizations. There is a general unwillingness to share perceptions of the truth. The only way to get honest feedback is to continually ask for it.

Assessment must take a broader, strategic focus as well to include understanding of organizational direction and strategy as well as changing social and political forces.

Three: Setting priorities

Development objectives should be driven by long- and short-term business objectives. Job challenges are the best opportunity to develop new skills. If managers are good at setting business objectives, areas for personal development will become obvious. Managers should write their own development plans to encourage greater commitment and serve as visible reminders of what they are trying to accomplish.

Priorities should also be tied to each manager's personal vision of greatness. Each person's picture of the ideal manager, when shared with others, will evolve and serve the organization as it elevates the idea of effective management to new heights.

Four: Taking action

Assessing needs and setting priorities is not enough. Development is the result of action. Managers must take ownership for the process and create opportunities for learning that lead to success on the job. Taking a class now and then may also make sense. Personal development is hard work. Experimenting, taking risks, seeking feedback, creating opportunities and reflecting on weakness are all necessary steps on the path to becoming a successful manager.