Toolkit: Empower Managers With Strategies and Tools for Growth
Employ proven methods to successfully develop people managers, the linchpin of organizational success, using this toolkit.
More than 90% of HR executives say that people managers are critical to organizational success, according to SHRM’s Effective People Managers report. Job satisfaction is nearly double among workers with highly effective managers, who play a pivotal role in shaping employee experience, career development, and talent retention.
However, the different paths people take to become managers, combined with a lack of proper training, often lead to poor preparation for the role. Just 64% of U.S. workers rated their manager as highly effective in the same report. Managers must have certain knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to achieve organizational goals and engage employees. Organizations should approach management development by including a variety of ongoing techniques to build managers’ knowledge and skills.
This toolkit includes strategies, practical tools, and proven resources designed to help today’s people managers succeed. Learn how to create and implement an effective management development program and track its progress to achieve measurable growth and impact.
Learning and Development Across the Employee Life Cycle
Learn how investing in development can help bridge key skills gaps, grow high-performing employees, and keep your workforce on the leading edge while remaining inclusive and cost-effective in this Honest HR podcast episode.
What Is Management Development?
Simply put, management development is the systematic process of creating effective managers. Although managers can and do develop on their own, applying tools, methods, and theories under the direction of other managers and HR professionals greatly facilitates the process.
Effective people managers understand what responsibilities to delegate. This allows them time to plan, collaborate with, and monitor the performance of their direct reports, making sure to give employees adequate feedback and development opportunities in the process.
Management vs. Leadership
Managers receive inspiration and direction from senior leadership. Although the two groups may share similar professional development growth areas, managers focus on facilitating processes and implementing strategies. Leadership development emphasizes vision, organizational influence, and business strategy, while management development focuses on equipping managers with the knowledge and skills to oversee teams and operations effectively.
Organizations charge managers with applying strategic principles to the day-to-day process of getting the job done. If those two things feel at odds, managers can feel caught in the middle between the executive vision and the practical reality of the work that needs to get done. Managers who often feel this way are more than twice as likely to be job hunting, the People Managers report noted.
Management Paths
Managers often rise from the rank-and-file, having distinguished themselves as individual contributors. Or they may come into an organization already as a manager, with relevant experience and a related academic degree. Still others who excel may advance to higher-level management positions or even become organizational leaders. Effective management development allows managers at any level to become more proficient and advance within the organization, no matter how they got there.
Pro Tip
Effective management development is simultaneously rigorous, academic, and practical, making it both adaptable and applicable to managers’ different levels of knowledge and skills.
The Business Case for Management Development
Managers today confront several intense workforce challenges. These include an accelerated pace of business driven partly by the rise of AI, workforce fragmentation and polyworking, and an inter-generational workplace with younger managers than in years past. A formal approach to management development will better equip managers to handle the modern workplace. Well-trained managers can:
- Advance strategies, shape workplace culture, and boost business outcomes.
- Impact employee performance significantly, increasing productivity and morale.
- Reduce recruiting costs by developing and promoting workers from within.
- Revitalize unmotivated employees, avoiding the disruption and costs of termination.
- Facilitate effective collaboration among different employee groups and with outside organizations.
Effective Managers Mean More Satisfied Employees
Compared to U.S. workers who say their manager is not highly effective, those workers with highly effective managers are:
· Nearly twice as likely to feel satisfied with and fulfilled by their jobs.
· More than twice as likely to feel a deep sense of commitment and belonging to their employer and to say they are valued at their organization.
Executives and Workers Agree: Developing Managers Is a Top Priority
Both workers and HR executives agree on the importance of strengthening leadership and management as a core strategy for improving the overall employee experience:
- Leadership and manager development is the clear top priority for CHROs (46%) for the second straight year according to SHRM’s 2026 CHRO Priorities and Perspectives report.
- More than 20% of workers cited leadership and manager development as a top priority in SHRM’s 2026 State of the Workplace report. Additionally, nearly a quarter of HR pros and executives cited managers’ ability to lead their direct reports effectively as the most important area of need.
Pro Tip
“When managers are given the tools to manage performance effectively, they feel empowered. This fuels their own engagement and cascades outward, creating more motivated, productive, and committed teams,” says Jim Link, SHRM-SCP, CHRO at SHRM.
Transitioning from Employee to Manager
A significant pain point in many organizations comes when someone who was not previously managing people becomes a manager. Organizations often fail to provide formal development or onboarding for new managers, or refresher training for existing ones, even though minimal efforts by HR in this area matter. For example, even providing a list of tips for new managers on how to make the best use of 1-1 meetings with direct reports can make a difference.
First-time managers who were promoted because they were strong individual contributors may be unprepared, find the shift unexpectedly difficult, and flounder. Factors include:
- Unclear expectations. Managers may believe they lack sufficient staff, funds, or support from upper management to get the job done, yet they must often learn to make do with what they have. Clear role expectations are a key driver of manager effectiveness; managers must know what is expected of them and their employees.
- Supervising former coworkers. Newly promoted managers may be too timid or overcompensate by being too aggressive with former peers regarding enforcing company policy or striving to meet established objectives. These tips can help.
- Increased workload. Without proper training, coaching, or mentoring, managers may be unprepared for how to handle their increased responsibilities without putting in excessive extra time, which can lead to burnout.
- Differing perceptions. Organizations may perceive their efforts to develop a particular manager as a generous benefit, while the manager may view these attempts as punitive, undermining the efficacy of the organization's approach.
- Lack of confidence. The manager's internal confidence level can be one of the greatest impediments to managerial success, particularly if they are negatively perceived. Nearly a third of people managers, 30%, rated themselves as merely average in the SHRM People Managers report.
- Skill gaps. New managers lacking in specific skills for their new role can benefit from “new skilling,” which helps them to become capable in a specific function.
- Mixed company signals. Companies that tout the importance of teamwork but recognize only individual achievers send a mixed message that can make it difficult for new managers and even result in the loss of valuable employees.
- Lack of compliance training. Managers who are fearful about how to handle an event with legal ramifications, such as a harassment charge, may resist admitting mistakes.
The most promising managers generally recognize their own deficiencies and address them before a crisis prompts a management development intervention. However, not every high performer may be management material. Dual career ladders offer an alternative path to promotion for these individuals.
How HR Can Support First-Time People Managers
Discover key insights to aid new people managers in overseeing their former peers, having difficult conversations, avoiding common mistakes, and more, in this Honest HR podcast episode. Gain strategies to help new managers measure their own success and growth to build stronger teams.
Pro Tip
Systematic, ongoing efforts to develop all managers deliver across-the-board value and reduce perceptions that a particular manager is being singled out.
SHRM Resources
- Common Pitfalls and Solutions in Learning and Development
- Complete Onboarding Guide
- Checklist: Developing & Onboarding/New Hire Practices
- Culture-Centric Onboarding Checklist
- Managing Political and Social Expression in the Workplace
- Managing Employee Assistance Programs: A Comprehensive Toolkit
- How to Conduct a Workplace Investigation
Pro Tip
Structured learning paths help managers stay current, competent, and effective. Build continuous learning, the latest technology tools, and ongoing accessible resources into the program.
People Manager Qualification
Sharpen your skills in communication, team leadership, performance management and situational judgment, the skills most in demand now — with this highly interactive e-learning course that uses entertainment to educate. Content covers:
- Build and Lead a Team
- Motivate and Engage Employees
- Set and Track Goals
- Increase Your and Your Team’s Productivity
- Enable a More Positive, Inclusive, and Unified Workplace Culture
Creating a Management Development Strategy
A successful management development strategy begins with a needs assessment and alignment with the organization’s strategic plan and business goals. Then, during plan development, customizing programs to organizational culture and future needs is essential.
Key Tasks
Designing and implementing a management development strategy involves:
- Assessing managers' existing skill levels and conducting a skills-gap analysis.
- Analyzing and estimating the number of managers who need training and identifying critical competencies for the future.
- Identifying training opportunities and participants.
- Creating development plans for individual managers.
- Aligning program objectives to manager interests as well as company needs.
- Providing honest guidance about future opportunities to individual supervisors and managers.
Program Development
Key steps to creating better training and development programs include benchmarking against the competition, surveying employees, and developing a strategic business plan. The plan should include:
- The purpose and proposed deliverables.
- A SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis.
- A realistic, conservative budget that includes all expenses.
- A cost-benefit analysis.
- The financial picture and key talking points.
- A marketing plan with surveys to get feedback from participants.
- Pilot classes for testing.
Addressing Top Challenges
Successfully developing people managers also requires acknowledging the top problems they face and building solutions into their training. Their main challenges revolve around a heavy workload, which requires balancing multiple responsibilities and competing priorities; insufficient resources and budget constraints; and employee turnover and retention. A three-step strategy to address these challenges can center on the three e’s of expectation setting, empowering solutions, and ensuring access.
Clarify role expectations and performance goals. Clear expectations help managers understand what to prioritize across the board, which is why 43% said it has the greatest impact on their effectiveness in the Effective People Managers report.
Why Personalized Learning and Development Matters for Retention
Explore how personalized learning and development strategies can better support career growth, engagement, and retention in this Honest HR podcast episode.
SHRM Resources
- Job Analysis 101: Essential Steps to Define and Evaluate Roles
- Retool Reviews and Empower Teams with Thoughtful Performance Management
- How to Turn the 360 Review into a Tool for Success
- 360 Degree Manager Effectiveness Performance Evaluation
- Management Development Plan
- How to Identify Upskilling Opportunities Through Training Needs Assessments
- How does a company conduct a training needs analysis?
- How Skills Inventories Drive Smarter Workforce Strategies
- Improving Employee Retention and Reducing Turnover
- Managing Organizational Communication
Pro Tip
Management development is not a one-and-done task. Employers should review and revise management development plans as necessary based on evaluation of program outcomes. Innovating with new learning technologies is essential. Weaving the program into company culture by offering life-long training helps ensure its long-term success.
Have a question about management development programs?
Training Tools and Templates
Management development involves tackling new managers' learning curves on both skills and knowledge. While it's important not to overlook the vast amount of knowledge managers need on topics such as compliance, management theory, and business operations, building management skills is a key priority for HR leaders.
Management skills were the top focus area for 38% of CHROs in 2026 in the 2026 CHRO Priorities and Perspectives report. Managers require a broad variety of skills in leadership and supervision, communication, general business, and technology to effectively lead teams and operations. It is vital to address managers’ skill gaps early on, before they result in decreased employee engagement and turnover.
Methodology
Skills training emphasizes practical application and developing specific abilities required for effective management. Managers have the opportunity to apply knowledge in real-world scenarios, such as conducting performance reviews, resolving conflicts, coaching teams, or leading projects. These approaches help them to become more proficient and confident.
Teaching managers new skills in these areas can help them achieve strategic objectives:
- Interviewing and selection.
- Setting expectations.
- Performance management, including goal setting, performance review, and performance improvement plans.
For more effective daily interaction with their direct reports, skills training frequently includes power skills, the so-called soft skills, as well as topics related to business operations:
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AI and the Future of Workplace Training
Learn how AI helps organizations reshape upskilling, grow talent, and close skill gaps in this AI+HI Project podcast episode.
SHRM Resources
Interviewing
- Transform Interviewing into Strategic Talent Selection
- Unbiased Interview Checklist
- How to Effectively Leverage AI in Interviews
- How HR Can Write Better AI Prompts for Interview Questions
Performance Management
- Goal Setting Made Easier with AI
- SMART Goals Made Simple: A Dynamic Goal-Setting Worksheet
- Performance Improvement Plans: When and How to Use Them
- Quiz: Test Your Knowledge on Performance Management
- Quiz: Test Your Knowledge on Performance Feedback Practices
Employee Retention and Workplace Culture
- How to Implement Stay Interviews: Strategies to Retain Top Talent
- Creating a Mental-Health-Friendly Workplace
- Designing and Managing Educational Assistance Programs
- Comprehensive Exit Interview Questions to Improve Employee Retention
- Supporting Employees with Dependent and Elder Care Responsibilities
- Managing Flexible Work Arrangements
Conflict Management
- Navigate Workplace Conflict for a Better Work Environment
- How to Promote Civility in the Workplace
- How do we mediate a "cease fire" between employees?
- Managing Difficult Employees and Disruptive Behaviors
Inclusion and Diversity
Metrics and Return on Investment
Measuring the effectiveness and ROI of manager development programs is essential for continuous improvement. Calculating the ROI of management development training justifies its value and highlights areas for improvement to maximize its impact. Use a negative ROI to assess and adjust program deficiencies.
Measuring Effectiveness
Metrics such as engagement scores, turnover rates, and performance improvements can provide data-driven insights that help determine whether investments in manager development deliver tangible organizational benefits.
The most commonly used key performance indicators for managerial effectiveness are:
- Strategic goals.
- Productivity and work quality of their teams.
- Revenue and profitability of the organization.
Key questions to gather feedback include:
- Do participants believe the program was relevant? Conduct surveys to gather feedback.
- How much did they learn? Use assessments to test the knowledge and insights acquired. Simulations and role-playing can also provide evidence of learning.
- Are they applying what they learned to their jobs? Wait at least nine months after the training to ask this question.
- What impact did the program have on the business? Look for improvement in measures related to productivity, efficiency, job satisfaction, customer satisfaction, and innovation. You can also look at retention figures and whether participants received promotions.
- What are the intangible benefits? Look for improvements in teamwork, inclusion, and employee experience.
Pro Tip
Establishing evaluation metrics early on is critical. Gather feedback from multiple sources such as data from the performance management system or 360-degree assessments.
Expert Advice
Watch these SHRM webinars for more expert advice on developing management, earn professional development credits (PDCs), and gain a competitive edge.
shrm seminar
Employee Engagement: Elevating the Human Experience
Create a culture where employees feel valued, connected, and motivated to perform their best.
Webinar
AI-Driven Learning: Transforming Employee Development
Explore how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing learning and development (L&D) in the workplace.
Webinar
Goal Setting in Uncertain Times
Discover a practical playbook for goal setting that works in imperfect conditions, with real-world examples of teams thriving using adaptive goal frameworks.
Webinar
Workplace Unifying Diversity: Turning Differences into Strengths for High-Performing Teams
Learn how to build teams that embrace differences and amplify strengths.
Webinar
Top 20 Skills for Career and Business Success
Learn the top practical and powerful skills found in the most successful business people and how to apply them.
Webinar
The Innovation Architect: How HR Designs Organizational Growth
Learn how to design systems of inspiration, foster team collaboration, and measure innovation initiative impact.
Webinar
Learning and Development: The Key to Keeping Employees Engaged
Discover practical strategies and tools to boost retention and internal mobility.