As a company dealing in Leadership and Management over not an inconsiderate number of years, we’ve come across various neat and interesting sayings and phrases that attempt to capture a particular issue or concept. One that has stayed with me and which I like to recount

every now and again is this:

"Do you have 25 years of management experience, or do you have one year of experience that's 25 years old?"

It's a deceptively simple observation, but it gets to the heart of a problem that, after nearly 25 years at HR Champions, we still encounter time and again. Too many managers aren't actually taught how to manage.

Instead, they're promoted because they are excellent at doing their current job. The outstanding salesperson becomes the sales manager. The best engineer becomes the engineering manager. The most capable administrator becomes the office manager. Promotion is seen as the natural reward for their competence; not necessarily for their leadership capabilities.

It's why we often say: "Your best salesperson becomes your worst sales manager."

The problem is that being good at a job and being good at managing people doing that job are two entirely different skill sets.

Without any formal training, new managers have little choice but to wing it. They draw upon the only experience they have, usually the way they themselves have been managed over the years. Unfortunately, because there has historically been so little investment in management development across many organisations, that experience isn't always based on best practice. Bad habits, poor communication and ineffective management styles are simply passed from one generation of managers to the next.

One exercise appears in almost every management course we deliver. We ask delegates to describe the qualities that make a good manager and leader. The answers are remarkably consistent.
People talk about good communication. They mention listening skills, fairness, empathy, integrity, approachability, consistency, coaching, conducting effective appraisals, dealing confidently with difficult conversations and being appropriately assertive.

Being a manager is a big ask. No-one is perfect and we all have strengths in different aspects, but a manager should be constantly aspiring to deliver their utmost leadership qualities in their role. It’s how they will be judged.
Promotion itself isn't the problem. In fact, recognising talent and rewarding high performers is exactly what organisations should be doing. People who demonstrate commitment, capability and reliability deserve opportunities to progress.

What isn't fair is promoting someone into a management role and then expecting them to succeed without investing in the skills they now need.

Suddenly they're expected to motivate people, manage performance, resolve conflict, conduct appraisals, delegate effectively, give constructive feedback, handle absence issues, manage wellbeing, navigate employment law, balance business priorities and maintain team morale.

None of those skills magically appear with a change in job title.

The organisation suffers through reduced productivity, lower morale, inconsistent decision-making and higher staff turnover. But the newly promoted manager often suffers just as much. They quickly realise they're operating in unfamiliar territory, worried about making mistakes and trying to establish authority amongst colleagues who, only days before, were their peers. It's an uncomfortable place to be.

Yet many organisations still behave as though management capability is somehow built into every employee, simply waiting to be activated by promotion. As though there's some magical switch that's flicked on over the weekend.

On Friday afternoon they're working on the shop floor. By Monday morning they've somehow acquired all the knowledge, confidence and judgement required to become an outstanding manager. If only it worked like that. The consequences of a lack of development can be burnout, stress and mental health issues as they lose motivation and continue to want to be one of the team.

The businesses that consistently outperform their competitors rarely leave management development to chance. Many of the organisations we've had the privilege of working with over the years have understood that succession planning is about far more than identifying future managers. It's about preparing them long before the vacancy exists. They develop managers in waiting.

They gradually build confidence, knowledge and practical skills so that when opportunities arise, people step into management ready to succeed rather than hoping they'll somehow figure it out along the way. The result is stronger leadership, happier teams, better productivity, improved staff retention and smoother transitions when promotions occur.

If you recognise people within your own organisation who would benefit from developing their management capability, now is the perfect time to invest. Whether it's through an accredited programme such as one of our ILM Leadership and Management qualifications or one of our flexible, practical management development programmes, we can help equip your managers with the confidence and skills they need to succeed.

Stop expecting miracles, start developing managers. Call us on 01452 331331, or complete the contact form.