Organizations need to remain viable and profitable indefinitely. It is only achievable if they have the appropriate plans and resources. They also need to acquire, develop, and retain the best talent to undertake operations and activities. What is a Manager Development Plan?
A manager development plan is a documented strategy to improve his performance and skills in the organization. It helps with the professional and personal development of a manager. It creates self-awareness about the present status of the professional in an organization and industry. In this article, we shall describe the benefits and steps required in the creation of this plan.
Benefits of a Manager Development Plan
Knowledge Base
Training and career development increase the knowledge of the manager. He acquires relevant information about the new trends in his area of expertise. He also learns new methodology for resolving problems and challenges. The increased knowledge base improves his emotional and intelligence quotient, which are essential in a leadership role. It helps him have better judgment when challenges arise and in decision-making.
Multiple Skills
The manager acquires an additional skill set that improves his abilities to work and resolve issues in his specialization area. His previously acquired skills may be redundant due to the changing business environment and client needs. The training programs and self-awareness help him identify areas of weakness and improve. As they acquire more knowledge, they improve their abilities and now possess diverse skills to handle various issues.
Competency
It gives the manager adequate information and abilities to perform their work and increase productivity. He becomes more effective and efficient in undertaking his roles and responsibilities. It helps him have a ride coverage area in less amount of time. It helps him resolve problems quickly to avoid interruptions in operations.
Forecasting
The plan helps prioritize decisions and actions for the future. It enables the manager to anticipate risk areas and develop mitigation measures when they occur. It ensures that they are prepared adequately for uncertainties in the department, organization, and business environment. The projection helps to determine the resources required to ensure the successful implementation of the plan. It will prevent unnecessary delays in the process.
Promotions
It is easy to notice high-performing managers because of their excellent quality in service delivery. Their impeccable abilities earn them recommendations for new positions in the organization. The plan gives them focus and direction, which helps them, boosts their performance and productivity. The training programs give them additional skills, which improve their problem-solving abilities and speed in problem resolution. Self-awareness also enhances their leadership and management abilities. All these improvements make them suitable candidates for higher-ranking positions.
Motivation
The plan improves the morale of the manager if positively perceived by them. It is a chance to improve on highlighted weaknesses rather than a source of discouragement. Self-awareness makes the manager want to be a better professional. As a result, they propel themselves to greater heights through self-improvement efforts. The plan also affirms that the organization values the manager and wants to retain him by investing in their abilities.
Innovation
Training and career development programs impart new skills to the manager. It helps him become more creative in service delivery and problem-solving. It enables him to develop new approaches and techniques in performing his work and meeting targets. It gives him a broader perspective on professional issues and solutions.
Challenges of a Manager Development Plan
Lack of Time
Conducting self-assessment, performance evaluation, and training require adequate time, which the managers and immediate supervisors may not have. It is due to the high workloads at the workplace that cannot accommodate absence from work. They have to choose between performing their core duties and creating the plans. Otherwise, the assessments yield inaccurate information when hurriedly done.
Lack of Resources
Training programs and career development opportunities require adequate money for funding. The targeted training program may be too expensive for the organization and manager. In addition, organizations have to sponsor the entire management team. Otherwise, there is the accusation of discrimination. The budget for these programs can be out of reach for company resources.
Competition
All managers expect equal and fair treatment. Each of them desires the opportunity for career development. As a result, they compete against each other for the limited opportunities and funding. They may use both ethical and unethical means of being the preferred option. It creates a toxic work environment and a breeding ground for conflict.
Biasness
Performance appraisal may have biases and favoritism from supervisors if not professionally conducted. They yield inaccurate results, which sideline the victims from personal and professional development. The plan developed will not meet the needs of the manager and organization since it is a false report. It wastes time and resources.
Low Self Esteem
Properly executed self-assessments and performance appraisals reveal gaps within the individual and department. The manager may perceive it negatively since he perceives it as a failure on their part. An emotionally weak personality may lose confidence due to highlighted weaknesses. It reduces their self-esteem if poorly managed by the immediate supervisor and other leaders.
Commitment Level
Despite adequately creating the manager development plan, the manager or organization may not follow the guidelines and requirements prescribed in the report. The low commitment may be due to time and budgetary constraints beyond the control of the organization. On the other hand, it may be a conscious effort to frustrate the manager or organization depending on the defaulter. Lack of seriousness from both parties will prevent proper implementation of the manager development plan.
Transfers and Promotions
In some organizations, managers have a volatile work schedule. They are often in the field, and sometimes they travel a lot while performing their duties and deployment to different workstations. In other cases, they acquire higher ranks. All these affect the implementation of the manager development plan since their roles and environments have changed. As a result, targets, goals, and abilities previously established no longer apply.
Steps in Creating a Manager Development Plan
Self-Evaluation Report
It is a self-assessment report, which creates self-awareness within the manager. He should evaluate his present and future professional status. He should identify his strengths, weaknesses, and ways of resolving them. He should establish his current and future state based on experience, skills, abilities, and knowledge. He should also identify areas of self-actualization and progression opportunities. Use a standardized template to summarize the self-assessment report.
Conduct Performance Appraisal
It is the process of establishing the productivity or output level of the manager in comparison with his job description and key performance indicators. The immediate supervisor to identify challenges in the manager work environment and improvements required conducts it. The job description and key performance indicators are prepared and issued several months in advance to allow the manager to meet the individual and department goals. Use a standardized template for the performance appraisal process.
The manager provides his responses first, while the immediate supervisor reviews the submissions and provides his evaluation of the performance in a given period. Establish the skills set and gaps within the manager such as soft skills, technical skills, emotional and intelligence quotients. Identify and implement areas and means of filling the gaps for professional development. The techniques used in filling gaps include training, exposure to a routine, benchmarking, exchange programs, mentorship, and coaching.
Review Organizational and Departmental Goals
Use the corporate strategy developed by senior executives to guide the operations and activities in an organization. It is the role and responsibility of the managers to ensure it is broken down into departmental tasks and understood by all employees. These tasks performed by employees lead to the realization of the corporate strategy in the end. It illustrates the importance of aligning individual and department goals with the corporate strategy. The plan should describe the organizational goals, which generate the department goals and activities. If they do not align, identify and implement mitigation measures to remedy the situation.
Identify Development Areas and Methods
The performance appraisal report highlights challenges and solutions for professional development. It may require adjusting the job description, working hours and patterns, conflict resolution, and setting new targets, among others. The immediate supervisor should discuss with the manager the various mitigation measures at their disposal. Some of the techniques for professional development include In-service Training, Benchmarking, Mentorship Programs, and Counselling Sessions depending on the needs of the individual and department.
Monitor and Evaluate Progress
It entails setting new timelines, targets, and goals for the manager. It gives them a chance to implement corrective measures to boost their performance. Undertake periodic reviews on a short-term basis to ensure they remain on track with the new agreement. Any challenges experienced should be resolved as soon as possible to avoid interrupting company operations.
Examples of Management Goals
Strategic Goals
They are long-term goals developed by senior executives of an organization to steer it in the desired direction. Strategic goals aim at giving the organization a competitive advantage in the industry. It eliminates or overcomes competition in the business environment. It influences departmental and individual goals. This goal aims at improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the organization. It focuses on attracting clients and investors. It improves the profitability of the organization. Some of these strategic goals include:
– Acquisitions and mergers
– Restructuring of the organization
– Downsizing or Upsizing the Workforce
– Retrenchment of workers
– Expansion measures in new locations
Tactical Goals
A tactical goal aims at problem resolution. It seeks to eliminate constraints and challenges in the work and business environment. It addresses risks and provides mitigation measures. They are short-term and flexible goals achieved quickly. They aim at avoiding interruption of business operations and reducing the impact of a specific risk. They are not prepared in advance since business environments are dynamic and forecasting is a challenge. There are abrupt circumstances that affect businesses and require swift resolution. Some examples of tactical goals include:
– Public statements to preserve the reputation of the organization
– Advertising to improve the image of a product or service
– Re-branding to give a new image
– Recalling faulty products in the market
– Free offers to compensate distraught customers
Operational Goals
Just as the title suggests, they are goals that determine the daily activities of an organization. The middle managers and supervisors in the various departments develop them. These goals aim at improving the methods and techniques used in undertaking activities in the organization on a routine basis. An operational goal aims at improving the department and individual performance to realize the strategic plan. It is department and role-specific and not generalized like the strategic goals. It addresses a specific need or challenge. Some of these operational goals include:
– Maintain daily product turnover
– Improve the quality of service delivery
– Improve health and safety standards
– Submission of daily reports to a supervisor
– Monitoring inventory and stocks
Conclusion
A manager development plan is a documented strategy to improve his performance and skills in the organization. It helps with the professional and personal development of a manager. It creates self-awareness about his present status in the organization and industry. This plan has benefits and challenges, and an essential component is establishing goals at all levels, which align with the corporate strategy. Strategic plans are long-term and prepared in advance by the senior executives. In addition, tactical plans are short-term and aim at problem resolution. Line managers develop them to address new issues as they emerge in the organization. Finally, middle managers and supervisors prepare operational plans. They guide the daily activities of the organization in their respective specialization areas. There are several steps to follow when creating a manager development plan. The steps are essential to ensure order and a better understanding of the individual potential.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a manager’s development plan?
A manager development plan is a documented strategy to improve his performance and skills in the organization.
What are the three types of management goals?
There are three types of management goals, namely: strategic, tactical, and operational goals.
