Management Training: Developing Effective Leaders

Whether you’re a newly promoted manager or charting out the next steps in your career path, management training can help put you on the path to a rewarding career as a manager. 

Success in today’s complex business environment requires multiple skills, from data-driven skills to people-focused skills. Discover how management training programs help train managers to be leaders across industries by focusing on what you need to know to be effective in your job, whether it’s one you have or one you’re working to get. 

Explore more about management training and the different training options that can polish your skills and give you the confidence to tackle new opportunities.

What is management training?

Management training is a structured educational process designed by professionals to provide the skills and credentials people need to succeed as managers. Manager training is available for aspiring, new, and experienced managers. With programs offering in-person, online, or hybrid sessions, you can find the option that works best for your needs and schedule.

Definition and overview of management training

The core mission of management training is to teach you the essential skills you need to supervise, support, and motivate employees in pursuit of organizational objectives. You can then apply these skills in various settings, from a marketing manager for a manufacturing business to a human resources manager in an IT firm and more.

Business management courses cover topics such as strategic planning, accounting, human resources, project management, and conflict resolution. Although management training can be useful across industries, you can get the most out of your experience by determining how you want it to support your career path first.

Why is management training important?

Management training sets everyone up for success, from new employees to managers. It can improve productivity, enhance job satisfaction, and help companies retain top talent.

As you develop your coaching skills through a management training program, the people you supervise can feel more recognized by your company and become more engaged in their work. In addition, when you hone your emotional intelligence and become a better listener, you can be more responsive to employee concerns while keeping everyone on track with organizational goals. Your conflict resolution skills and knowledge of regulations can help you combat potential problems and stop trouble before it starts.

The result can be a happier, healthier, and more productive workplace, and management training can be a big part of making that happen.

What training should managers take?

Manager training can fill gaps in your education and experience and prepare you for the next steps in your career. If you’re more of a numbers person, pursuing training in managerial accounting can help put you on track for success. For those who thrive when working closely with others, emphasizing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training could be a better choice.

Essential skills for effective management

Even though the particulars of your training may vary, the following skills are generally seen as essential for managers:

• Listening and communicating skills

• Strategic planning

• Problem-solving

• Setting and sharing work goals

• People skills

• Delegation

• Self-knowledge

• Monitoring employee job performance and giving feedback

• Legal aspects of employee relations

Management training programs can help you learn how to work more effectively with others by sharpening your listening skills, enhancing your empathy, and providing you with tools to handle difficult situations. 

Types of management training programs

The corporate training market is a multi-billion-dollar-a-year industry. Finding the best manager training program for you can depend on your goals, needs, schedule, and budget. The strengths associated with each type of program include the following:

• Workplace-based programs: Workplace-based programs have the clear advantage of being tailored to provide skills your employer needs. If you have a limited budget, they will likely be convenient and low-cost, if not free. 

• College or university programs: These programs will likely have well-trained and highly qualified faculty, a wide variety of courses and specializations to choose from, and a comprehensive, well-reasoned perspective on issues in the field, plus a solid theoretical foundation. You can learn skills to adapt to many different fields and have the chance to build connections with others at similar stages in their careers. You can also take a multi-course series in high-priority areas, such as a Strategic Leadership and Management Specialization.

• Private sector programs: These programs can respond rapidly to emerging needs. Their platforms are flexible and designed to meet the needs of working people. Be sure to check reviews and instructor qualifications to make sure you find training that meets your needs. Private sector programs can offer specialized training for specific types of management opportunities, such as Security Awareness Training.

Effective management training can also take place outside of formal programs. Companies may implement manager training through mentoring programs, peer-to-peer coaching, and evaluating managers based on responses from multiple sources, such as direct reports and company leadership.

Recommended topics for aspiring managers

Consider exploring these topics to build your management skills: 

• Emotional intelligence

• Communication

• Conflict resolution

• Coaching

• Strategic planning

• Establishing a positive workplace culture

• Goal-setting and follow-through

• Financial reporting and budgeting

• Legal and ethical responsibilities

• Managing change

• Integrating new technologies

What is an example of managerial training?

Communication training is a good example of managerial training because communication is central to managers' work. Additionally, being an effective manager demands your communication skills in ways that may be new and surprising to you.

Training in managerial communication can show you how to connect with people who report to you in ways that show you value them and ensure they successfully complete their work. Yet, you’ll also need to be able to get your points across to other managers and company leadership. Training can show you how to practice authentic communication with different audiences.

Some management training programs focus on key aspects of managerial communication, such as developing interpersonal skills.

A good management training program in communication can guide you in providing helpful feedback to employees and help them grow in their careers. You’ll also learn how to continue conversations throughout your company, even when dealing with tough subjects.

As a manager, you’ll spend significant time negotiating, whether discussing vacation dates with your direct reports, budget allocations with a division head, or salaries with a new hire. Training can help you know how to tackle this vital part of your job.

Case studies of successful management training programs

The following are examples of successful management training programs:

• An innovative content marketing business found that its managerial staff lacked the expertise in people management that the company needed. The company contracted with a management training organization to provide the training their staff needed. The consultants designed six half-day training sessions covering interviewing, motivating, delegating, evaluating, and coaching employees. The sessions took place once a month, giving staff the time to absorb what they learned and put it into practice. Engagement in the training was high among all 25 participants, and the positive results reportedly extended throughout the company.

• A tech company that was lagging behind in sales implemented a training program that boosted person-to-person skills and provided background on the company’s newest products. The program also lets managers see which areas need improvement and which areas to recognize for their achievements. The company saw a substantial increase in sales in just a few months.

Common methods used in managerial training

Management training programs implement various methods to deliver content and build your knowledge, including: 

• Formal instruction

• Role-play

• Case studies

• Hands-on skills training

• Virtual training

• Coaching

Effective management training programs allow managers to use their newly acquired skills. This helps cement the learning, and your organization may see the positive impact of training more rapidly.

Role-playing and scenario-based training examples

Role-playing is a training technique in which you can play the part of yourself as a manager or someone you might interact with, such as a frustrated employee. This technique allows you to see what you might do or say in certain situations. Typically, you’ll receive immediate feedback during this exercise, which serves as an effective way to identify what you know and learn how to improve your skills.

Benefits of management training

Management training can increase profitability, productivity, and employee satisfaction while reducing staff turnover, according to a study of 25 small businesses [1]. Below are a few examples of the benefits of management training:

Improved employee performance and productivity

When employees have positive relationships with their managers, their motivation increases, and their job performance improves. Supervisors who have completed a management training program can also model productive habits and set achievable employee goals to help improve performance. 

Enhanced team dynamics and collaboration

Managers who understand what employees want from them and provide it manage happier and more productive teams. Based on interviews with over 10,000 employees and 1,000 managers, Dr. Jack Wiley found that managers rated the highest by their employees (in terms of meeting employee needs and managerial job performance) had the best results for employee engagement and job performance [2].

Greater employee retention and satisfaction

Making management training opportunities a priority can also pay off for a company because it results in more satisfied employees who are not so quick to move on. For example, when employers struggled with a lack of staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, a major national retailer reported full employment at all its sites, credited to its extensive training programs [3].

Who is management training for?

If you want to gain skills to advance your career and enjoy working with people in group situations, management might be right for you. A general introduction to management training could help you see if a managerial role suits you. The indicators below may also signal who might want to participate in management training and what kind of training they may want to pursue.

Identifying potential managers and leaders

If you’re wondering whether you’d make a good manager, consider what companies look for when identifying future leaders for their organizations. Strong relationship-building, problem-solving, and decision-making skills can help you excel as a manager. 

The skills needed to succeed as an individual differ from those needed to make a team successful, which is what managers do. Managers must work well with people, genuinely listen to them, and inspire them. They need to learn from their experience but be ready to change their way of working to meet the reality of their current circumstances. Managers also need to achieve company goals while making sure employees accomplish the day-to-day work to reach those goals.

Targeting training for specific managerial levels

Good managers learn and grow throughout their careers, so their training needs will also evolve. New managers need training in essential managerial tasks, including listening to staff, giving constructive feedback, offering encouragement, and striking a balance between guiding and empowering employees.

Seasoned managers can benefit from training that takes their skills to the next level by, for example, exploring strategy and aligning their work with broader organizational goals. Learning more about their influence can help experienced leaders become more effective. Training can help seasoned managers become more aware of their patterns so that they can make appropriate changes.

How to implement a management training program

You might think implementing a management training program is a job for upper management, but it can also be a focused task for someone just moving ahead in their career. Additionally, you can do it for yourself by following the steps described below and putting your own program together to advance your career.

Steps to design an effective training curriculum

The following steps can help you and your company develop a training curriculum that meets your goals:

• Set measurable goals to define what you want this training to accomplish.

• Use a blend of technological tools and personal contact.

• Include opportunities to put the training to work in real-life situations.

• Reflect on learning as an integral part of the process.

• Encourage participants to develop relationships and support each other.

• Use feedback to show participants how they’re progressing.

• Review the program and make changes as needed.

• Keep it positive by emphasizing the strengths the training builds on.

Measuring the success of management training initiatives

These techniques can help organizations evaluate the success of their manager training efforts:

• Gathering feedback with surveys, focus groups, or interviews

• Analyzing sales and productivity data

• Collecting data on employee engagement before and after training

• Studying turnover rates

• Selecting and measuring a specific performance indicator, such as absenteeism, before and after training

Learn more about management training on Coursera

Management training can help you learn the interpersonal, technical, and conceptual skills that can help you become an effective manager. Build your management skills on Coursera with Dartmouth’s Strategic Leadership: Impact, Change, and Decision-Making Specialization. There, you’ll learn how to balance the rational and the emotional to make the best possible decisions, while looking out for common leadership mistakes.