According to flippo “ Managerial
development includes the processes by which
Managers and executives acquire not only
skills and competency in their present jobs but
also capacities for future managerial tasks”
According to Dale S.Beach “Management
development is a systemic process of training
and growth by which individuals gain and
apply knowledge,skills,insights and attitudes to
manage orientation effectively”.
The purpose of managerial skills development at various level of
management are:
1)
Top Management:
- To improve thought process and analytical ability in order to
uncover and examine problems and take decisions in the best
interest of the country and organization.
- To broader the outlook of the executives in regard to his role,
position and responsibility in the organization and outside.
- To think about various problems that may confront the organization
now or in future
- To understand economic, technical and institutional forces in order
to solve business problems
- To acquire knowledge about the problems of human relations.
2) Middle level Management:
- To establish a clear picture of executive functions and
responsibilities
- To bring about the awareness of the broader aspects of the
managerial problems and an acquaintance with and appreciation
of inter department relations
- To develop the ability to analyze problems and take appropriate
actions.
- To develop familiarity with the managerial uses of financial
accounting,psychology,business law and business statistics.
- To inculcate knowledge of human motivation and human
relationships
- To develop responsible leadership.
3) Middle functional Executive and Specialists:
- To increase knowledge of business functions and operations in
specific fields in marketing,production,finance and marketing
- To increase proficiency in management techniques such as work
study,inventory control,operation research ,quality control etc
- To stimulate creative thinking in order to improve methods and
procedures
- To understand the functions performed in a company
- To understand human relation problems
- To develop the ability to analyze problems in one’s area or functions
Assessing the
company’s
strategic Needs
Building the skills
and
competencies
of managers
Evolving
strategies for
Development of
Managers
Step:1 Assessing the company’s strategies needs:
The first step is to evaluate the future managerial requirements of
an organization on the basis of its business strategies .For eg: business
strategies like new product introduction,market expansion,merger and
Acquisition, all these type of activities require new skills among the
managers. However, it is difficult for an organization to determine
precisely the quantity and quality of the skills needed by the managers
for the future. This is because the business strategies are developed
mostly as immediate ,incremental and intuitive response of an
organization to the development in external environment rather than as
planned and deliberate reaction.
Step:2 Evaluating the skills and components of Managers:
Management development programmes consume a lot of time,
money and effort. It is therefore essential to find out whether the
programmes have been on track or not. Programmes evaluation will
cover the areas where changes need to be undertaken so that the
participants would find the same to be relevant and useful for enriching
their knowledge and experience of future.
In this step, the existing skills and abilities of the managers are assessed
in line with the future strategies of the organization. At this stage, key
competencies like what the manager can do at present and the
behaviour and competency necessary to complete the job effectively
as assessed. The competency level and skills gaps of managers are
usually assessed with the help of performance evaluation techniques.
The skill gaps found as managers normally form the basis for framing the
management development programmes.
Step:3 Evolving Strategies for Development of Managers:
In this final step, the organization decides about how it should proceed with the
process of developing the managers to and meet the future
manager requirements. It decides about the key aspects of the development
programmes like their objectives ,mode of delivery, place and duration, cost
and benefits and assessment techniques. Often the management development
activities are influenced by the size and nature of the organization, the
prevailing environment, the level of technology and the management
philosophy.
The process for management development programmes are usually
individual employee centered.
Foreg: Some organization may prefer to follow a pre mediated routine
development programme with result oriented assessment system.
Some organization may just ensure that their managers get ample
opportunities and support to develop themselves in their profession with the
least concern for the formalities and rituals.
In some cases there may be difference in the learning skills of the
managers and the opportunities available to them. For eg: some managers
may be endowed with better managerial abilities and motivation to learn
quickly as compared to others.
Various methods of managerial skills development are as follows
Methods of Managerial Skills Development
On the Job
Methods
Coaching
Job Rotation
Understudy
Mentoring
Committee Assignments
Planned Progression
Creation of Assistant to Positions
Temporary Promotions
Off the Job
methods
Case study
Incident Method
Role Playing
In basket Method
Business Games
Sensitivity Training
Simulation
Grid Training
Conferences
Lectures
Special Projects
1)On the Job Methods:
a)Coaching:
In coaching the trainee is placed under a particular supervisor who
acts as an instructor and teaches job knowledge and skills to the
trainee
b)Job Rotation:
This helps the development of managers when the match between
the skills the manager possess and those required in the new job is
well thought of.
c)Understudy;
This method is a form of Management modeling that assigns a
current of future manager to work with another manager for a certain
time period. If the organization is grooming the person for a specific
management positions the individual may understudy one particular
manager. For a large firm, understudies may rotate among several
managers.
d) Mentoring:
Mentoring is a relationship in which a senior manager in an
Organization assumes the responsibility for grooming a junior person.
Techical,interpersonal and political skills are generally conveyed in such
a relationship form the more experienced person. Mentoring is a tool
that organization can use to nurture and grow their people.
e) Committee Assignments:
It is also known as multiple management or junior board. A junior board
may be set up to shadow the board of directors in order to give younger
managers, some insight into how the company is governed, how
strategies are developed, how decisions are made and how policies are
formulated. The junior board learns how to take a strategic view of the
business and the policy making process. The main purpose of the junior
board is to develop rising stars for future senior management positions
within the company.
f)Planned Progression:
It gives a clear idea for path of development. Managers know where
they stand and where they are going. The manager knows the
requirements for advancement and the means of achieving it.
Unfortunately there may overemphasis on the next job instead of good
performance of person tasks. Planned progression may be perceived
by trainees as a smooth path to the top, but it really is a step by step
approach which requires that tasks to be done well at each level
g) Creation of Assistance to positions:
This is done to broaden the view points of trainees by allowing them to
work closely with experience managers who can give special attention
to the development needs of trainees. Managers give selected
assignments to test the judgment of trainees. This approach can be very
effective when superiors are also qualified teachers who can guide and
develop trainees until they are ready to assume full responsibilities as
managers.
f) Temporary Promotions:
Individuals are frequently appinted as “acting” managers For Eg: when
the permanent manager is on vacation is ill or making an essential trip
when a position is vacant. Thus temporary promotions are
developmental device as well as a convenience to the enterprise.
When the acting manager is given the authority to make decision and
to assume full responsibility the experience can be valuable.
2) Off the Job Methods:
a) Case Study:
This technique is particularly useful in the development of
executive’s analytical and decision making skills
b) Incident Method:
This method combines intellectual ability, practical judgement and
social awareness of the managers. Under this method trainees are
developed in a group process. Incidents are prepared on the basis
of actual situations which happened in different organisations.
c) Role Playing:
It helps executives in understanding people better by giving them
vicarious experience
d) In Basket method:
It places the trainees in a real life situation where they are asked to
perform typical management tasks and activities they face on a
day to day basis. This method facilitates in the area of problem
Solving ,organising and planning.
e) Business Games:
This is developed in order to develop organizational ability, quickness
of thinking and leadership
f) Sensitivity training:
It provides managers with increase awareness of their own behaviour
and how others perceive them, greater sensitivity to behaviours of
others and increased understanding of group processes.
g) Simulation:
Problem solving through decision making can be developed quite
well with the help of simulation.
h) Grid Training:
Grid training involves six phases. To develop leadership qualities in
executives over long period of time this technique is adopted.
i)Conferences:
This technique develops the ability in the executive to modify their
attitude when needed in the interest of the organisation.
j) Lectures:
This method focuses on transmission of knowledge. This is the biggest
technique giving more knowledge within short period of time to
large number of participants. Its major disadvantage is that it does
not provide for active participation on the part of the participants.
h)Special Projects:
In this method a trainee is put on a project closely related to the
objectives of the department. One such special project is called
action learning which derives its name from the fact that the trainees
can learn by doing. Candidates are given real problems generated
by management. Trainees might be given a written assignment that
specifies objectives, action plans targets dates, and the name of the
person responsible for monitoring the completions of the assignment.
It improves the quality of managers and the ability to meet problems
involved in managing human resources
2) It helps to develop effective managers who understand the basic
principles of supervision, planning and organising their work
effectively ,directing and coordinating the activities of workers with
materials, machines and time and acquiring knowhow about when
to delegate responsibility and authority
3) It helps to promote and maintain good employee relation through
knowledge of how to get along with people and inspire them to
greater achievement understanding their capacities and personal
characteristics, enhancing their proper attitude towards their works
and their company
4) It helps in spreading greater understanding of company policies and
rules, including the proper interpretation and application of
collective bargaining agreements.
5) It helps in providing more effective training to workers,both new and
old, in order to make them efficient in their present jobs and to
enable them to perform new operations demanded by changing
conditions
1)