17 management development cipd

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Management development

Revised September 2010

In this factsheet

The context for management development Why is developing managers different? Identifying individual management development needs Management development techniques The role of HR professionals Evaluation CIPD viewpoint References Further reading

The context for management development

There are a number of skills which are unique to all who manage others or resources, including the skills

of leadership. The term leadership is often used almost interchangeably with management, but

leadership is different: management tends to be thought about as using rational thinking, planning and

execution to achieve specific work outcomes, leadership tends towards the more emotional aspects, of

helping people to deliver and is more closely tied to individual personality and authenticity. Needless to

say, leadership is an important component of management.

Management development has to start right at the top with the organisations strategy and aims. In

particular the organisations culture is a determinant of management style, and planned change,particularly in challenging times makes demands on the way in which leaders and managers are

expected to act.

Management development needs arise partly from the day to day activities of managers, the need to

ensure there is a group of effective managers able to translate the organisations aims into action, and

also from the need to change and shape the organisations direction as the environment changes. Our

factsheets on identifying learning needs and learning and talent development strategy give more detail.

Often, the needs of existing and potential managers will be identified as part of the talent plan see out

talent management factsheet for more on this topic.

They may also arise from organisation development when it is seen that leadership and management

can drive organisational changes, for example to achieve new ways of working, look after customers, or

deal with market changes.

Why is developing managers different?
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Managers at all levels, and not just those at the top, need a common set of skills associated with their

management and leadership role, and these need to be developed. Just assuming that well qualified or

professional people will be able to assume the management role on promotion does not necessarily

help them become effective. Moreover personality and individual style is important.

There is a need for more individual solutions as the leadership/management cadre is small even in large

organisations. Some very senior people, such as CEOs, can feel isolated and have the perception that

others in the organisation dont understand the pressures they face. In addition senior managers often

need highly refined political skills to navigate and use influence across their organisation.

Managers at board level or at the senior ranks can be sensitive to their senior status, and may reject the

idea that they need to learn, but the neutrality of the term 'development' usually appeals.

Small firms are not simply smaller versions of big companies but have different priorities and needs, not

least the need to be entrepreneurial. Their management development needs may relate to functional

skills more normally demonstrated in large environments by specialists. They have to become a Jack

and Jill of all trades to an extent and therefore may require more skills based approaches.

Identifying individual management development needs

Once management learning needs have been identified in relation to the needs of the organisation as a

whole, it is possible both the refine these requirements for management as a group and for individuals.

Management / leadership competences

Larger organisations have the capacity to identify the requirements for effective management and

leadership in the form of specific competence frameworks, which will include many of the specialist

areas such as:

the skills of managing others knowledge of management techniques and the development of strategy interpersonal skills such as influencing, negotiating.

Performance management and development reviews

Individual and regular review of performance allows managers to discuss issues and achievement and

identify their personal learning plans. See our factsheets on performance management and appraisal for

more on these topics.

360 degree feedback

360 degree feedback is an excellent means of identifying individual management and leadership

development needs as it addresses the impact of managers behaviour on others. The questionnaire

used should be based on the organisations management competences. Interpreting the results may


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need a skilled external consultant/coach to assist the manager in making sense of the data and setting

learning objectives, particularly if some aspects challenge the individuals view of themselves. This data

can also be used in specific leadership development interventions such as coaching and mentoring, and

to inform team building across management levels.

For more information, see our factsheet on 360 feedback.

Psychometric profiling

Psychometrics are another way of giving feedback on how personal traits affect management and

influencing style. As with 360 degree feedback, external support from a coach or consultant may be

important in interpreting the results and planning appropriate development. Again, tests can be used to

inform, assess and evaluate development interventions.

Development centres

The purpose of development or assessment centres is to focus on opportunities for personal

development, as well as to gauge potential and help make selections for promotion. Although they take

place off the job, these centres include work-related activities and group work, as well as coaching and

psychometric assessments. They offer a detailed picture of individual capabilities in relation to required

competence.

Succession planning

In addition to the talent plan, some organisations draw up succession plans naming potential successors

for key roles. Ensuring that these individuals gain the skills and experience required to take up vacantroles is done via individual development plans.

At senior levels this type of individual work may be essential partly because their development is tied

up with the development of their areas of a business, and also because complex interactions between

technical or professional capability and the ability to manage or influence others can have strong

implications for a managers effectiveness.

For more information, see our succession planning factsheet.

Management development techniques

The techniques used for management development are wide and include both work-based methods and

formal training and education.

Work-based methods

Coaching and mentoring


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These are one-to-one methods which offer personally-tailored reflection and discussion in confidence

between a manager and another individual about that managers development. The terms are often

used almost interchangeably, but there are differences. See our factsheet on coaching and mentoring

for more information.

Coaching and mentoring are also skills that managers need to master themselves in order to manage

others effectively and they will also learn from their coachees/mentees. CIPD members can use

our onlin tool for assessing and enhancing the role and contribution of line managers in learning,

training and development.

Action learning

Most people learn best by doing, and if that process can be structured, so much the better. Action

learning sets help to achieve this by making their members focus on solving live issues in their normal

working environments by trying out different approaches, with discussion and support from colleagues

to help them reflect on.

Project working

Increasingly, managers work in cross-functional teams, exposing them to different functions and

enabling them to learn about different aspects of the organisation and ways of doing things. Putting

people on such teams is one way of broadening their experience and effectiveness.

Secondments and planned career moves

Taking another role via a secondment or planning career moves are ways of broadening experience. For

more information, see our factsheet on secondments.

Shadowing

A highly cost effective mode of learning is to pair up two managers. One spends the day following round

the other and then there is a de-brief where the shadower can feedback to their colleague what they

have observed. The roles are reversed for a subsequent day.

Formal learning interventions

Business schools and management training providers offer a wide range of education and training

courses for managers. These may be highly stimulating ways of acquiring knowledge or learning about

the techniques of management, though cost may be an issue.

Where the acquisition of skills is concerned, it is important to understand how much time is given to


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practice and feedback, and to check the relevance of learning. Work-based methods appear to be most

effective here: a CIPD survey UK Global Comparisons forecast, 2005-2006: best practices for tomorrows

leaders found that formal training interventions are rarely good at producing improvements in

interpersonal behaviour.

Managers also can undertake e-learning, or learn by reading or attending conferences.

The role of HR professionals

The best HR professionals are, through the development of coaching, facilitation and organisational

development skills, taking an increasing role in management development, especially when

organisations are constrained in the use of external resources. Many are also becoming accredited as

evaluators for basic psychometric and learning styles tests and developing skills in diagnostics. These

tasks are specialised so external support may be needed to develop HR people initially. Our online self-

assessment tool, My HR Map, based on the HR Profession Map, can help CIPD members analyse their

skills and development needs.

The need for external input

Developing competency frameworks, psychometrics and development centres are specialised tasks that

HRD professionals may not be qualified to undertake. Consultancy companies who have a wide

experience of these matters can provide a cost-effective means of delivery, and may also have a higher

level of credibility.

Some managers often feel the need to get inspiration from outside their own organisation or to talk to

people at the same level but from different organisations. Hence many senior managers prefer to go

outside the organisation altogether for formal programmes and glean new ideas and new perspectives

from external interaction.

Evaluation

HR professionals can evaluate development options prior to recommending them. Reports from

managers on their past learning and development may help in the choice of appropriate methods for

the future.

Questions arise over the effectiveness of leadership development despite an estimated 30billion global

spend on leadership development programmes (LDPs). CIPD surveys and other research indicate that

organisations are prioritising LDPs. Much evaluation of LDPs is carried out in sectors like the NHS and

education, and there is little evidence of the impact of practice in the private sector. A recent Ashridgearticle1 shows that the basis of improvement form LDP is towards knowledge outcomes rather than

behavioural outcomes.

Many management development options, particularly in the external market, can have a high cost. In

order to understand whether they offer value, these costs need to be compared to the value of

expected outcomes. If the latter are around specific task accomplishment then they may be

quantifiable, but developing the capacity to manage is less tangible. Questionnaires can be designed for


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managers to report on their learning and achievements, future appraisal reviews can identify the

application of new skills and knowledge, and in some cases changes in the scores of 360 degree

feedback can be used to establish the value gained.

For more on our work into the value of learning see our factsheet on the evaluation of training and

learning.

CIPD viewpoint

CIPD is committed to improving the people skills of line managers, as joint work with Acas and others

has shown. Managers are a diverse population: some are highly qualified with MBAs, huge industry

experience and proven leadership ability, while others have a need for fairly basic development.

According to research by the London School of Economics and McKinsey 41 % of UK managers have a

level of education at or below that of an average 16 year old school leaver, yet whatever the level of

managers, development is a constant need. Properly planned and structured management development

built around the needs of the organisation can make a critical difference. It builds the capability of the

individual and contributes to sustained organisation performance.

References

1. HAYWARD, I. and VOLLER, S. (2010) How effective is leadership development: the evidenceexamined. 360 journal. Summer.

Further reading

Books and reports

ASHRIDGE BUSINESS SCHOOL.(2010) Development at the top: who really cares? A survey of executiveteams [online]. Berkhampstead: Ashridge. Available at:

http://www.ashridge.org.uk/Website/IC.nsf/wFARPUB/Development%20at%20the%20top%3A%20Who

%20Really%20Cares?opendocument

CECIL, R.D. and ROTHWELL, W.J. (2007) Next generation management development: the complete guide

and resource. San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer.

GOLD, J., THORPE, R. and MUMFORD, A. (2010) Leadership and management development. 5th ed.

London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

HARRIS, H. and DICKMANN, M. (2005) International management development. A guide. London:Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Journal articles

Leadership development: one size does not fit all. (2009) T+D. Vol 63, No 3, March. pp50-55.
http://www.ashridge.org.uk/Website/IC.nsf/wFARPUB/Development%20at%20the%20top%3A%20Who%20Really%20Cares?opendocumenthttp://www.ashridge.org.uk/Website/IC.nsf/wFARPUB/Development%20at%20the%20top%3A%20Who%20Really%20Cares?opendocumenthttp://www.ashridge.org.uk/Website/IC.nsf/wFARPUB/Development%20at%20the%20top%3A%20Who%20Really%20Cares?opendocumenthttp://www.ashridge.org.uk/Website/IC.nsf/wFARPUB/Development%20at%20the%20top%3A%20Who%20Really%20Cares?opendocumenthttp://www.ashridge.org.uk/Website/IC.nsf/wFARPUB/Development%20at%20the%20top%3A%20Who%20Really%20Cares?opendocument


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NASH, T. (2008) Classroom at the top. Director. Vol 62, No 3, October. pp69-71,73,75.

WOLFF, C. (2008) Survey: leadership development trends 2008. IRS Employment Review. No 898, 9 June.

11pp.

This factsheet was originaly written by Mike Cannell. It has been updated by Jennifer Taylor and CIPD

staff.

17 management development cipd

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