When planning training, don't neglect managers

By Amanda Kramer

Q. Should human resources professionals implement training programs or training courses for managers?

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A. The answer is simple, said business consultant Eve Scheffenacker of ByWord in Madison: Even managers need to brush up on their managing.

Scheffenacker said she's beginning to see more human resource studies that show employee loyalty is tied directly to the relationship they have with their immediate supervisor.

"If you look at the younger generation of employees - the X's and the Y's -they're much more likely to work one-on-one and form a relationship with their manager rather than the organization," Scheffenacker said. "So, that connection is more personal than just being loyal to the organization."

Scheffenacker said because managers make such a huge impact on their employees, it's important that human resources professionals continually train their managers in several key areas:

•  Managers should know how to give different kinds of feedback to their employees.

•  Managers should understand how to "coach" employees through various work situations.

•  Managers should know how to integrate employees - particularly new ones - into the organization's work environment.

•  Managers should be able to assess employees' performance fairly.

•  Managers should understand how to help employees create and identify their own career paths.

•  Managers should be well versed in how to collaborate with others.

On a higher level, Scheffenacker said, human resources professionals should keep an eye on their managers. Managers should be regularly assessed to make sure they're not only meeting the company's standards but also adequately fulfilling the role of a supervisor.

"I think that what you find is that people end up becoming managers because they've gone up as far as they can go in whatever function they have," she said. "Let's say you've got this great salesperson and you want them to become the sales manager. Now you've lost your best salesperson and you've possibly put someone in charge who has no clue (how to manage other employees)."

Luke Whitburn, a branch manager with Manpower Inc. in Madison, said keeping managers trained is important because they're facing more unique challenges in today's work environment than ever before.

"So often these are the individuals charged with the frontline responsibilities � the difficult tasks (like) right-sizing one department while expanding another," he said. "Supervisors and managers at all levels are dealing with life balance issues around two-wage earner families raising children at the same."

In addition, Whitburn said, managers are juggling employer demands for efficiency, while being expected to demonstrate an environment where employees are viewed as "critical assets rather than a component of the expense line".

"The CEO and the board of directors set the direction; the managers and supervisors are paid to make it happen," Whitburn said. "Happy talk does not get it done. This is why it is so important to actively train and grow your internal managers...offering up new challenges and tasks that keep them focused on the goal at hand."