Why Management Development and Training pays off ...

by Lucy Cadman @ Developing People Ltd

I’ve worked for a number of businesses during my career, including a fair few who have lived in the dark ages when it comes to management development and training – in fact, when it comes to training and development of any sort whatsoever!! One business in particular springs to mind, and upon doing a little bit of investigation, I discover that even now (more than ten years later), the same CEO is in place, and there is the same rate of staff turnover and low morale that there was in my days there. In fact, I still regularly see the job I used to do being advertised in the local papers – I would estimate a staff turnover of probably 4 to 5 people a year in that one role alone!

Businesses that invest in management development and training will not only find it easier to recruit quality personnel, but they will also enjoy lower rates of staff turnover. Management training can also help to improve business performance and the company bottom line. Management training can cover many areas such as leadership, personal effectiveness, managing performance, developing influence and team development.

There can be real benefits to organisations investing in management training – managers can achieve significant improvement in their ability to manage conflicting demands on their time, improve the leadership of their teams, and manage change more effectively, which in turn helps to improve staff morale and motivation.

There is also evidence of less direct business benefits. Regular training and development is seen as a sign of professionalism and helps to create a positive image for the business in its market place.

While training and development costs should be built into annual budgets, they do not need to be expensive. For example, groups of managers may have similar development needs and a training provider can be brought in to design a programme that specifically meets their needs. This bespoke approach is often more economical and far more effective than sending staff out of the office on “off the shelf” courses.

It is important that the organisation is clear about the objectives of any management training and development. Ultimately they should ask themselves “What is it that I want to see differently from this person or group of people?” In this way, it is possible to monitor the impact of training on individual performance – and just as importantly, on the company bottom line.

The ACAS annual report published in July 2010 shows record numbers of people using its helpline and website services to get advice and guidance on employee related issues. ACAS states that calls on a wide range of issues to its national helpline have risen from 700,000 in 2009 to over 1,000,000 in 2010.

This points to a great awareness of employees understanding and exercising their rights, but sadly also points to the fact that employers have not matched the associated improvement in skill and understanding about how to manage their staff appropriately.

If your business or organisation would like to learn more about the benefits of bespoke Management Training and Development, please call Developing People Ltd on 0845 409 2346 or send an email to markevenden@developingpeople.co.uk for further information.