Nurturing Talent: Developing first-time managers in Asia

As an HR professional, there’s rarely a brighter moment than when you shake the hand of a promising talent, and invite them to take on their first managerial position. It will always be a major milestone in their career, and represents a successful grooming of internal talent for the HR team involved.

But all too often, this moment is seen as the end achievement. In actual fact, it’s the beginning of a whole new journey for that employee, one that is naturally coupled with greater responsibilities and challenges. Continued HR support is not simply advantageous; it’s a clear necessity.

A new manager is especially vulnerable during the first few months on the job. “They are virtually thrown into the deep end of the pool where they have to learn how to sink or swim,” BH Tan, author of The First-Time Manager in Asia, says.

More power, more expectations

Employees who are ear-marked for a promotion are often assessed on their past achievements and competencies, at least in the first instance. Depending on the industry, these are often tied to technical skills or sales performance.

It’s a common scenario at electronics manufacturer Celestica. Many of its employees come from an engineering background that naturally focuses on technical competencies. When promoted to a leadership role, many staff quickly realise that they lack the soft skills required for the job. “I have no problem managing machines and products but when it comes to people, I am completely lost,” is a common refrain heard from new managers, according to Chen Sue Cheng, learning and development manager, Celestica.

For some new managers, old habits die hard. Tan says employees are often under pressure to perform almost immediately. When they don’t know the lie of the new land, they often default into doing what made them successful previously, rather than tackle the new challenges head on.

Perhaps the biggest obstacle experienced by new managers is the transition from being ‘one of the team’ to being its leader. Dyanne Lerardo, Director, Asia Pacific HR, Verizon Business says the increased workload alone can be enough to make these staff balk at the new role. “The transition between roles can be difficult, not least as these new managers are also required to focus on additional activities such as performance and team management, objective setting and communications to the team,” she says.

In particular, new managers need to earn the trust, respect and, importantly, cooperation of their former peers. Chen says this can often be easier said than done, as some employees may resent the promotion of their colleague. Worse, new leaders can often be shy about delegating work, creating a bigger gap between them and their subordinates who then perceive fewer opportunities to grow.

Tan says becoming a manager involves a major paradigm shift for the promoted employee. They then become much more dependent on other people for their success. Those that don’t realise the need to work interdependently, rather than independently, can quickly find themselves struggling.

At the same time however, those subordinates under their supervision also rely on their new boss for coaching and guidance. Audrey Lee, Learning and Development Manager, ASEAN and Singapore, L’Oreal, says it’s up to HR to ensure leaders of all levels are equipped with the coaching skills that allow lower-ranked employees to learn from them on a daily basis.

Grooming for success

HR can play a pivotal role in getting new management recruits off on the right foot. Many organisations offer training programmes that teach employees how to handle their new responsibilities.

At International Flavours and Fragrances (IFF), for example, all new managers attend a two-day regional leadership foundation course. Participants are required to complete personality assessments with the results helping to analyse their natural communication and management styles. Susan Ho, regional HR Manager, Talent Centre of Excellence, Greater Asia, IFF, says this helps the organisation to pinpoint any weaknesses early and set about improving them.

For example, a manager assessed as an “extrovert” will typically have a shorter attention span than others. He might find that an “introvert” subordinate responds too slowly which can lead to an unintended breakdown in communication. During the course, participants are taught how to ask the “right” questions to solicit effective responses from those under their supervision.

Other organisations offer a longer-term structured learning programme to guide new managers through their first few months. Deutsche Bank, for example, offers a 90-day “learning path” for those promoted into supervisory roles. First-time managers attend classes where they learn about leading people, delegating tasks and the importance of effective communication. Gyan Nagpal, Regional Head of Learning and Development, Asia Pacific, Deutsche Bank, says they also undergo a “re-tooling” process through which they can let go of their old competencies and make room for superseding skills.

Employees can also access the bank’s internal “Transition Portal” - an intranet site especially for those taking on new managerial roles with articles on leadership and opportunities for mentoring and social networking.

Mentoring is also a key part of Verizon’s approach to training new managers. Lerardo says it’s important that these employees are able to tap in to the knowledge and experiences of senior leaders. As such, Verizon Business conducts a monthly mentoring forum for first time managers, including sessions on specific management and leadership topics. Lerardo says these are facilitated by the company’s Talent Development specialists.

At L’Oreal, managers are also called upon to help each other out. Lee says the cosmetics giant has developed a buddy system so that new manager can support each other and together face the challenges posed by their new roles as team managers. That’s something that’s particularly applauded by researchers like BH Tan. He says by getting managers of all levels involved in the leadership transition process, they can help new managers avoid common pitfalls. “Bosses who take an active role in coaching and providing feedback to newly promoted managers will accelerate their growth and development,” he says.

Monitoring progress

The much needed balance to effective training of new managers is constant performance evaluation. A rigorous process is needed to ensure every new manager is suited to the new role.

At Verizon Business, new managers will have new objectives set in place, reflecting the functions they work. These objectives are based on their overall role and responsibilities within the wider team. “The idea is to always ensure that we are looking at how their function is supporting business objectives,” Lerardo says.

Part of a new manager’s success can be assessed through the individual’s ability to win over the respect and support of his subordinate. Celestica uses an annual survey to measure employee engagement levels. This includes a section where employees rate their managers based on communication, delegation and sharing of goals and vision. Managers who attain low scores in this survey are asked to develop action plans to rectify the problems.