Enable the Transition to Leadership for First-Time Managers

• Where development activities do exist, they are often delivered ineffectively, and aren’t engaging to learners. This leads to decreased learning retention and application, and represents a waste of valuable resources.
• Due to a lack of investment and attention, FTM development often comes in the form of self-help. FTMs receive little support in the transition into leadership, hindering them in future leadership roles.

Our Advice

Critical Insight

• Empower your organization’s future leaders. FTM development is a vital first step in priming employees to become leaders. Teach them to do things right now, so that they can do the right things later in the leadership lifecycle.
• It is up to HR to acknowledge the elephant in the room: FTMs may not know anything about people management and development. Reassure them that ongoing development and support will get them there.
• FTM development should not fall solely on HR as there are equally important roles to be played by direct managers and the FTMs themselves. It is HR’s responsibility to guide an FTM’s transition by setting expectations and connecting them with resources. Effective development requires shared accountability.
• When planning manager development, we tend to only think about formal training. Move beyond a do's and don’ts training deck to create a robust FTM development program, modeled after onboarding programs, that emphasizes continued development.

Impact and Result

• Outlining expectations and including various stakeholders in FTM development, not just the FTM themselves, creates a culture of support and development that sets new leaders on the path to success and drives organizational outcomes.
• Identify and address critical knowledge and competencies that your FTMs should be well versed in, to ensure their path to leadership begins on the right foot.
• Create an ongoing development program that engages learners and sustains and reinforces key concepts for demonstrated results.