Dive Brief:
- Mid-level managers have three primary learning needs, according to Harvard Business Publishing. First, they need learning that’s relevant – directly pertinent to the work being performed and the challenges these managers meet. Second, learning that’s immediately actionable, including short bursts of learning that can be applied directly. And third, learning that meets leaders ‘where they are’ including tech that allows content to be viewed across a variety of formats.
- Mid-level managers are important for “facilitating communication, collaboration and coordination within an organization as well as outside of it with customers and partners,” the group says.
- The report also identified the challenges of meeting the needs of this demographic, including time and geographic constraints as well as the wide range of categories this group encompasses.
Dive Insight:
Employers are recognizing the role mid-level managers play in communicating policy, procedures and culture within the workplace. Businesses are working to upskill this demographic to better support the needs of the organization, and training is key.
For many, the path to management has been through promotion; for those workers, management training is particularly crucial. And across all types of mid-level management, workers identify conflict resolution as a core leadership quality that leaders often lack.
For businesses to be successful in developing these leaders, they’ll need to provide access to training and options that allow managers to personalize the experience to meet their goals. With the variety of training available today, from low-tech options to VR, even the most remote managers should have access to materials and, with short-burst learning options, time to access them.
