Tips to organize managing managers training programs

According to 2023 Perceptyx report, compared to those with bad managers, employees with great managers are:

• 2.5x more engaged
• 5x more likely to handle workplace stress
• 12x more likely to cooperate with colleagues 

There is no doubt that better managers lead to better business outcomes. But are the managers in your organization supported properly and given the tools, resources and training they need? Are the employees on their team suffering as a result? All there’s left to do is make them great managers. To do that, you need to be a great manager of managers, too.

Now, what about managing managers? With each type of management comes nuances you need to account for. Do you know how many types of management roles there are?

There are:

• Managers of projects
• Managers of managers
• Managers of teams
• Managers of business strategy

When you are managing managers, your responsibilities are two-fold: you need to make sure they are producing good work (as with any employee) and that they are effectively supporting their teams. Therefore, managing managers training programs is very essential.

In a nutshell, managing managers training is all about equipping high-level managers with the tools and resources they need to effectively lead other managers. A managing managers training ensures smooth organizational operations and achieving organizational goals. The purpose is to oversee whether the management team is managing their team effectively so that their department’s goals align with the overall objectives of the organization.

Managing managers training programs focus on skills like,

• Strategic planning,
• Interpersonal communication,
• Problem-solving,
• Conflict resolution,
• Emotional intelligence,
• Team management,
• Leadership, etc.

Honing all these skills needs proper training that is aligned with your organizational values and goals.

You can have development programs that focus on managing managers to teach them how to drive performance and maintain high standards across various levels of management.

To make sure you’re on the right track, here are 6 actionable tips:

Let’s discuss this in detail.

Effectively managing the managers needs a different approach than managing a team. When they have clarity over what they do and what’s expected of them they will be more efficient in what they’re doing, right? Therefore, before beginning your managing managers training, start with outlining their key roles and responsibilities, the goals they should aim for, and the KPIs by which their performance (and so their team’s performance) will be assessed.

For example, suppose you want to focus on improving conversion rates, you need to specify that you expect the manager to identify gaps for improvement in the sales and marketing process and coach their team on best practices. Some resources that can help are a checklist with tips that will help them understand the nuances of their role. Pass them on to the managers reporting to you, especially if they’re new to their roles.

One-on-one meetings are the most important techniques for managing managers training, to give and get feedback, build trust and discuss growth and development with their direct reports. While every manager is different (and your one-on-ones should be tailored to the manager!) here are different types of one-on-one meetings you can do:

• Weekly one-on-one meeting,
• Monthly one-on-one meeting,
• Quarterly performance review one-on-one meeting,
• OKR goal setting one-on-one meeting,
• Peer-to-peer one-on-one meeting, etc.

Try asking the managers these questions to prompt discussions:

• Where do you need help?
• Are you happy with our level of communication? How would you change it?
• What professional and personal goals would you like to accomplish in the next 6 to 12 months, and what makes you say that?
• Are you happy in your role? What could make it better for you?
• What’s one thing we should start, stop and continue doing as a company?
• What resources, tools and budget do you need to achieve your goals?
• What is the biggest challenge you and your team are facing right now?
• What’s something my team or I can do to improve cross-departmental communication?

When managing the managers, you can’t just take their word for how well they’re getting on. You need to witness how they interact with their team, handle conflict situations, make decisions, and motivate their team members can provide invaluable insights into their effectiveness as leaders.

You can join their team meetings and brainstorming sessions so that you can make notes about where they could have handled something differently and what they could have done well. This hands-on approach helps you to offer timely feedback and guidance. It ensures that the managers under your wing are continuously developing and refining their leadership skills.

When you manage the managers, you need to become their both mentor and coach. You can even role-play difficult management scenarios that your managers are facing. Maybe they have a difficult conversation with their team coming up that they don’t know how to deal.

As a mentor, share your past experiences in similar situation, insights, and wisdom, guiding them through the complexities of their job role. If a manager struggles with delegation, for example, provide them with clear strategies and techniques to improve. And also if they are excelling in motivating their team, acknowledge it and discuss it with managers to further enhance that skill.

Supporting your managers effectively means not letting them navigate alone. And that needs regular, timely feedback. Regular constructive feedback is an opportunity for managers to improve their managing skills and align themselves with their team. Often, we think of feedback as a one-way communication with only managers providing feedback to their direct reports. but they need feedback too! We must remember that feedback is best utilized when it is a two-way street. It is equally important and valuable to provide feedback for managers.

This is mainly important given only 29% of employees say their team leader’s vision is aligned with the organization’s, and 16% of employees say their leader’s vision and values is never or rarely aligned. (Source) By fostering a culture in the organization of open communication, you can make sure that those stepping into managerial roles are genuinely enthusiastic and equipped for the conflicts ahead. If they change their mind about the role and responsibilities, they should feel comfortable telling you. But don’t forget to follow the golden rule of management: praise in public, criticize in private.

Real-life scenarios help solve unique challenges. It provides a detailed analysis of the positive outcomes achieved as a result of implementing your solution. For example, use can present a case study where a manager has to handle a conflict between team members. Managers can discuss them and come up with their unique solutions. Then, like a role-playing exercise, they can act out the situation. This helps them practice conflict resolution skills without creating any real conflicting situations in the organization. You can incorporate technology into it. Technology-enabled scenarios simplify the evaluation process and enhance engagement for amplified organizational success. You can incorporate scenario-based simulated e-learning in this process as well.

Do you like to add anything? Comment us below some strategies that you want to apply in your managing managers training programs!