Although people give management grief for being unnecessary bureaucrats that create bloat and stymie productivity and profits, the value of good managers to organizations is unquestionable. Management research shows that workers assigned to better managers are more productive and less likely to quit. Economics research has quantified the effect of managers on employee productivity: One study found that, compared to an average boss, the best bosses increase productivity by 6 units per hour. This study also discovered that replacing a bad manager (i.e., one in the bottom 10%) with a good one (i.e., one in the top 10%) increases a team’s output more than adding a worker to a 9-person team.
Given the value of a good manager, it’s clear that organizations should invest in training to develop their leadership at all levels. But in many organizations, it is a challenge to get top executives to make this training a priority and create a culture of learning. Even among those organizations that do invest in leader training, many HR professionals feel their training efforts don’t equip leaders with the critical skills they need in order to successfully lead themselves, others, and teams. So, how can organizations ensure that their leader training yields a positive return on investment?
One answer is that organizations should train leaders to be more supportive of employees. When employees believe that the organization values their contributions and cares about their well- being, they are more engaged and productive and less likely to burn out and quit. Fortunately, leaders can be trained to be more supportive. In one study, managers were given training on four supportive strategies: benevolence, sincerity, mindfulness, and fairness. Benevolence involves providing employees with assistance and emotional support beyond the manager’s role requirements—for example, by recognizing employee efforts and accepting their mistakes. Sincerity involves being authentic in words and actions. To show sincerity, managers could, for example, offer constructive feedback and follow through on their promises. Examples of being more mindful include using active listening skills, deferring judgment, and showing interest in employees. Finally, to demonstrate fairness at work, managers can establish rules and procedures that are neutral, unbiased, applied consistently, and reflect employee input.
The specific content of the training isn’t critical. Of course, training content will vary across organizations and industries. The study above is just one example of how to train leaders to be more effective. What’s more important for optimizing leader training, according to scientific evidence, is that organizations follow these 5 rules:
1. Offer leader training to organization members at all levels. Training isn’t just for keeping current leaders sharp, but for preparing tomorrow’s leaders today. Providing training to individual contributors, front-line supervisors, and middle managers ensures a strong pipeline of leadership talent. (Top executives can benefit from leader training too, of course, but given their experience and busy schedules may benefit more from 1-on-1 coaching.)
2. Despite the appeal of offering a single training session that tries to pack in everything managers need to know, training is more effective when there are multiple sessions that are spaced over time. It’s even better when these sessions are facilitated by a skilled expert and trainer.
3. Use multiple delivery methods. Specifically, training should provide information, demonstrate the skills being trained, and offer opportunities for practice. This “tell, show, do” method is a superior approach to keep learners engaged and achieve results.
4. Training should include both “hard” (i.e., business) and “soft” (i.e., interpersonal) skills. This is especially important to ensure that leaders put their skills to use on-the-job and drive business results.
5. Training should provide constructive feedback to trainees. For example, after a trainee performs a role-playing exercise, the trainer should discuss the performance using a behavioral checklist. This feedback allows trainees to correct and improve their skills and abilities.
To be sure, training requires time, money, and top management buy-in. But leader training, if done right, can ensure that management builds a positive workplace culture and contributes to the company’s bottom line. So if you want to harness the value of management, make sure your employees receive leadership training that works.
NOTE: The Mental Hygiene Project offers an online training course to foster “healthy leadership” in organizations. This is where the business focuses on health, wellness and overall engagement in order improve productivity and commitment. The program offers practical strategies for leaders that can be used by both private sector businesses and public municipalities. Get in touch with Michael L. Stahl or Ryan S. Gallik for questions.
Shannon G. Taylor, Ph.D. is Director of Research and Learning for the Mental Hygiene Project and a professor of Management at the University of Central Florida, where he teaches and researches leadership and workplace culture. Follow him on LinkedIn or learn more at www.mentalhygieneproject.com.
