12 top training topics for new managers

1. Communication skills: Effective communication is essential for any manager. It involves not only clearly conveying information but also actively listening to your team members and providing feedback. Managers need to communicate with their teams, other departments, and upper management. It’s important to be able to adapt communication styles to different situations and individuals and to handle difficult conversations with tact and professionalism.
2. Time management: Time management is crucial for any manager. New managers will likely have a lot on their plate, including managing their team, attending meetings and handling administrative tasks. It’s important that new managers prioritize tasks and delegate when necessary. Time management also involves setting realistic goals and deadlines and being able to adjust them as needed. By mastering time management, new managers can increase productivity and reduce stress.
3. Delegation and empowerment: Delegation is a key skill for any manager. It involves assigning tasks and responsibilities to team members based on their strengths and abilities. When delegating tasks, it’s important that managers know how to provide clear instructions and expectations and follow up to ensure that the task is completed on time and to the desired standard. Effective delegation can help lighten a workload, increase productivity, empower and develop team members, improve morale, and ultimately lead to better results for your organization.
4. Conflict resolution: Conflict is inevitable in any workplace, but effective managers know how to handle it constructively. Conflict resolution training can help new managers identify the root causes of conflicts, communicate effectively with team members, and find solutions that work for everyone involved. By learning how to manage conflict, new managers can create a more positive and productive work environment for their team.
5. Performance management: Performance management involves setting clear expectations for employees, providing regular feedback and coaching, and conducting performance evaluations. New managers should learn how to set SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) goals for their team members, provide constructive feedback, and address performance issues promptly and effectively. By implementing effective performance management strategies, new managers can help their team members reach their full potential and contribute to the success of the organization.
6. Coaching: Coaching is a valuable tool for managers to guide their team members towards success while allowing them to work independently. By learning how to be positive mentors, managers can help their employees reach their full potential and achieve their goals. Coaching skills are essential for creating a supportive and productive work environment.
7. Dealing with difficult people: Managers need to work with a variety of people within and outside their organization, and they need training on how to effectively address difficult behaviour in the workplace. This includes identifying the root causes of the behaviour and understanding why it occurs. By clarifying these factors, managers can develop strategies to address the behaviour and create a more positive and productive work environment.
8. Presentation skills: Most managers and supervisors need to present information to others, so effective presentation skills are crucial. Look for training that covers topics such as public speaking, presentation design, and effective communication and provides an opportunity for the learner to practice and improve their presentation skills and convey information effectively.
9. Providing feedback: Providing feedback to employees helps them do their job better and grow their careers, but it isn’t always comfortable. This involves learning to effectively communicate areas where an employee needs improvement while maintaining a positive and constructive relationship. Effective negative feedback can help employees grow and improve, leading to a more productive and successful team. It is also critical for new managers to understand that feedback isn’t something that should happen once a year during performance appraisals but should be delivered throughout the year as necessary so that the performance review is just that – a review without surprises. Training new managers on providing ongoing feedback can enable them to deliver it in the right way at the right times to garner the best results from their team.
10. Implementing changes: Change is bound to happen in any organization, and managers can help make transitions easier for their teams if they have the right skills and knowledge to facilitate that change effectively. This includes strategies for communicating changes to employees, addressing potential resistance or pushback, and ensuring that the changes are properly integrated into the company culture and operations. Other related topics may include change management methodologies, leadership skills, and effective change communication techniques.
11. Emergency procedures: This topic is often overlooked when considering training new managers. For more companies, the likelihood of an emergency is low, so this topic tends to slide to the bottom of the priority list. But remember, this training will help managers know the correct procedure for different types of emergencies and appropriately guide their employees.
12. Industry-specific knowledge: Most new managers need industry-specific knowledge to guide their teams to success. Training programs should provide up-to-date information on trends, regulations, compliance, and best practices in the field.

More topics

Once your new manager has undergone the above training, consider adding the following topics to their learning and development plan

• Project management: If your manager is responsible for delivering projects, consider providing the basics of project management, including planning, execution, monitoring, and closing projects efficiently. Here are some free project management courses that are a good place to start.
• Financial acumen: Understanding financial principles helps individuals understand how their decisions fit into the broader financial goals of the organization, think strategically about resource allocation, evaluate investment opportunities, and be more proficient in risk management. Consider including budget management courses as part of this type of training.
• Customer service: Customer service courses can provide new managers with a deeper understanding of customer behaviours, needs, and expectations. This kind of training should be offered to those who work with both external and internal clients, as it can be crucial for designing products, services, and experiences that meet or exceed expectations.
• Strategic thinking: This type of training is especially useful for senior leaders as it helps participants take a disciplined approach to thinking about challenges and devising the best course of action to overcome obstacles and achieve goals.