Manager & Supervisor Development · New to the Role
Kern and Partners / Los AngelesYou promoted them because they were good at the work. Now they have to lead the people doing it. We give them the skills nobody handed them on day one.
The problem
The day someone becomes a manager, the job changes completely and the training usually doesn’t come with it. So new managers do what they know. They keep doing the work themselves, avoid the awkward conversation and send decisions back up the line.
Preparation and support are a useful place to start.
What they learn
Moving from doing the work to leading the people who do it.
Giving feedback that’s clear and kind, and doesn’t wait for the annual review.
Setting expectations and holding people to them.
Delegating without dumping, and without taking it back.
Having the difficult conversation, including with former peers.
Making decisions within clear authority, and knowing when to escalate.
Working with the departments on either side of their team.
How it runs
Small cohorts meet over several months. Between sessions, managers use each skill on their own team and bring back what happened. Your experienced leaders co-teach, which tells every new manager in the room that this matters. We measure before and after on the same instrument.
In their words
Skills Development requires the right focus on developing human skills along with technical skills. Russell’s presentation was thought-provoking and very helpful.
Leanne BrewerManager of Learning and Development · Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance CompanyConference session feedback
Russell makes sure everyone is engaged and lets the group direct the conversation. The presentation was super fun but more importantly, very informative.
Brock HallHuman Resources Trainer · Wintrust Financial CorporationConference session feedback
Super engaging with valuable information on adult learning. I loved his concept on how to be magnificent myself which in turn will bring out the magnificence of others. I loved it!
Myriam CallahanLearning and Development · Pape-Dawson Engineers, Inc.Conference session feedback
Guide
90-day quick-start program
A 90-day quick-start program for peak team performance.
Questions
Ask how managers will practice between sessions, how their own leaders will support them and how progress will be measured. Our New to the Role program combines those elements over time.
Before the promotion if you can. Give them a small piece of leadership first, like running a project across two teams, then train them on feedback, delegation and decisions. After the promotion, pair the training with a leader who checks in on real situations.
It depends on the group. The first phase runs inside the 90-Day Change Sprint, and you can continue from there.
Next step