Becoming a manager
We opened our series of features on management development, appropriately enough, by going back to the beginning and asking what happens when someone becomes a manager, and what should happen.
Mark Cole looks at the social, skills and performance aspects to becoming a manager, and wonders if we take any of these seriously enough.
Gwyn Evans of Leading Change looks at the problems that arise when new managers don't feel that they are part of a broader strategic context.
Kim Coe offers her analysis of the main obstacles to good management: arrogance, stupidity and fear.
Approaching management development
Dr Joe Espana looks at why so much management development expenditure fails to deliver, and suggests that training managers need to start by identifying the needs of particular managerial communities.
Evaluation expert Paul Kearns says that all the horse-whispering and fire-walking of the past twenty years haven't delivered reliable standards or improvements, while the need for management development has become ever greater. So what's the alternative?
Anthony Feely started a lively discussion by suggesting that management development can only work by focussing from the start on managers' core purpose: profit.
Leadership
Then we turned our attention to a crucial theme in management development: Leadership. Is there a difference between management and leadership? How do they relate to each other, and can you develop them together?
Read the responses from the TrainingZONE community to the question, What's the difference between management and leadership?.
Robert Ginnett of the Center for Creative Leadership looks at the distinction.
Jeremy Webster looks at what makes people follow leaders, and why we need them in organisations.
Tim Drewitt looks at how to choose management development, and concludes that new ways of learning, together with an understanding of the new leadership competencies, can facilitate success.
Management development and culture change
David Towler looks at the culture behind the growing demand for management development.
Robin Henry identifies the problems that prevent sustained improvement in management: "too many firms pay good money for people to attend MD programs but when they return, the management ethos, the glue that holds the fabric together, is still missing."
Interview of the month: Investors in People Chief Executive Ruth Spellman talks about the culture changes that can get management development moving.
Implementing management development
Joe Scott looks at how linking management development in with behaviour, psychology, culture and systems ensures that its effects - and its participants - are not lost to the organisation later on.
David Towler offers some advice on choosing a management development programme.
Larry Reynolds explains why different kinds of learning fill different functions in management development.
Dr Maria Yapp explores the particular challenges of managing and developing high potential people.
As facilitation continues to grow in popularity, Michael Dawson suggests that some commonly-held views about it need to be updated.
Research and surveys
We asked TrainingZONE members: what really gets in the way of successful implementation of management development programmes? You answered:
Getting commitment from participants 20%
Evaluating results effectively 18%
Choosing the right method 10%
Finding time for training 13%
Getting backing from senior management 38%
So the failure to develop management stems most of all from the failings of senior management! Can we break out of this circle?
A report by the Work Foundation looks at UK management problems, and suggests that there has been too much emphasis on MBAs and not enough on other management development channels.
MORI research for Investors in People points to a shortfall between aspiration and development opportunities.
Dr Catherine Bailey and Dr David Butcher of Cranfield School of Management share some of the results of their their research on where business leader development often loses its way.
A new survey of work and management shows widespread success in managing change, but growing disquiet about stress.
Training managers' views on management development
Tracey Toon explains how Abbey National handle management development.
Janis Cording gives the training manager's perspective on why would-be managers should be more open about which skills they need to work on.
Alexandra Sneyd, Training Manager at Portmeirion potteries, shares her views on management and management development by answering our 10 Questions for Training Managers.
Steve Mosley, Group Training Manager at William Wilson Ltd, answers our Ten Questions for a Training Manager.
Niall Gavin, IT Training Manager for Sussex Police, shares his views on management and on implementing management development programmes.
