Empowerment through Knowledge: Training Topics for First-Time Managers
According to the Centre for Creative Leadership, almost 60 percent of new managers express they didn’t receive any training when they transitioned into their first leadership role. This sounds crazy when we consider that 70 percent of an employee’s engagement depends on their experience with their manager.
One of the biggest hurdles you’ll likely face in your career is making the move from individual contributor and into a new management position. For the first time, you’re having to think beyond your own workload, and a group of people are now dependent upon how you act, what you say, and most importantly, how you choose to help.
If your organization hasn’t set you up for success from the beginning, you may find this journey slightly uncomfortable and frustrating. But, this doesn’t necessarily have to be your experience of new management, and there are steps you can take to better equip yourself for success. All it takes is knowing where to look, and what to look for.
Here are four of the top training topics that every first-time manager should focus on, as well as some starting points that’ll support your success.
Topic 1: Understand the importance of cross-functional collaboration
A big part of your journey as a new manager is working collaboratively with the wider organization. Managing is not just about managing down. It’s about managing across and up too! That’s why we include this topic in our new manager training program. Whether you’re reporting into leadership on your team’s performance, or actively managing cross-functional projects like the launch of a new product, knowing how to navigate effective collaboration isn't just advantageous, it's imperative for success.
Cross-functional collaboration plays a pivotal role in fostering openness and breaking down information silos that hinder progress. But, here’s the catch: it doesn't happen by chance! Instead, it requires deliberate effort and a receptive environment.
To support you in developing this key skill, here are a few starting points I recommend:
Managing a Cross-Functional Team | LinkedIn Learning
Facilitating and Leading Cross-Functional Collaboration | Coursera
Webinar: How to Lead Cross-Functional Teams | Product School
Topic 2: Know how to handle conflict resolution, mediation, and difficult conversations
When it comes to the workplace, many people view “conflict” as a dirty word. But I’m here to tell you that it isn’t! Much like “teamwork” and “collaboration”, conflict is an inevitable and natural part of working with other people. What’s most important, though, is how conflict is managed.
According to Harvard Business Review, conflict can consume up to 40 percent of a manager’s time. Plus, check out these stats:
People spend ~2.8 hours/week on conflict (which costs ~$359 billion).
60 percent of team members never receive conflict training.
But 95 percent of people who received training believed it helped resolve conflict in a positive way.
So, as you step into your role as a new manager, it’s vital you learn how to mediate differences in opinion and deescalate disputes. Doing this successfully will help you foster a happy, healthy and productive work environment. (And chances are, it’ll save you lots of time, too!)
To support you in succeeding at conflict resolution and mediation, here are a few recommended learnings:
Kick ass at work without losing your humanity | Radical Candor
Communicating through Disagreement | LinkedIn Learning
The Guide to Saying No (Politely!) | Reframed Coaching
Topic 3: Lead with diversity, equity, and inclusion
In the U.S., only 41 percent of managers have received training or education around diversity, equity, inclusion, racism, racial justice, or other related topics. This poses a real problem, and it leaves many new managers unprepared and unable to foster a supportive culture of inclusion and belonging.
Just like any other soft skill that a new manager requires, training and education around diversity, equity and inclusion is vital for managers to feel comfortable and informed to have these important conversations. And the entry barrier for workplaces to prepare managers is extremely low! According to Gallup, “Participating in even one training event or company-wide meeting about race significantly strengthens a manager’s comfort with having these important conversations.”
When it comes to having open conversations and fostering diversity, equity and inclusion, I recommend these starting points:
Building an Inclusive Mindset | LinkedIn Learning
Organizational Leadership in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Specialization | Coursera
Managing People: Teamwork and Diversity | Future Learn
Anti-Racism Courses | Bakau Consulting
Topic 4: Building trust and psychological safety
It sounds basic and simple, but one of the most important areas for new managers is building psychological safety and trust. When Google studied their internal teams over two years, they wanted to determine what the most effective teams had in common. Was it their level of experience? Was it a level of autonomy? Nope. It was psychological safety – the feeling of being able to take risks, speak up, make mistakes, and challenge others without fear of retribution. Without safety, you can say goodbye to team morale, motivation, and productivity.
There are lots of scholars and authors who write about psychological safety and trust, including:
Knowledge is power, and knowledge shared is power multiplied
Without a doubt, effective training is essential for your own success as you embark on your first-time leadership journey. And hopefully, the above list will help you begin to strengthen a few fundamental areas that every new manager should know!
But, good training doesn’t just benefit you – it has a ripple effect that spreads across your whole organization. As Gartner discovered in a recent HR survey, employees who report to effective managers are 15.4 times more likely to be high performers and 3.2 times more likely to stay with their employer. What’s more, they also have 12.5 percent higher physical and mental well-being.
It’s essential, then, that every new manager has access to relevant and tactical training programs that help them learn and grow as they step into a new leadership role. As Padmasree Warrior, the CEO and Founder of Fable, once said:
“The ability to learn is the most important quality a leader can have.”
Explore my tactical training program for new and first-time managers and learn how you can become a better manager not only for yourself, but for everyone on your team.