5 Core Manager Competencies To Include In Your Manager Online Training Course

5 Core Manager Competencies To Include In Your Manager Online Training Course
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Summary: A lot of us believe leaders are born and managers are hired. Is it possible to take someone with average skills and train them to be a good boss? In this article, I highlight 5 core manager competencies to include in your manager online training course.

Manager Competencies That Shouldn’t Be Missing From Manager Online Training

Ordinarily, managers start off with jobs lower down the hierarchy, even if it’s at a different firm. Then they get promoted when they’ve proven themselves and gained enough on-the-job experience. So even if they have a degree in management or business administration, they begin a little further down. As an eLearning developer, your approach to adult learners covers some basic concepts. Whether your online training course targets new staff members aspiring for a leadership position or corporate executives leveling, you can help them be better bosses. Here are 5 manager competencies to cover in manager online training.

5 Crucial Leadership Competencies

1. Effective Communication

The funny thing about adult communication is that it generally doesn’t communicate. We talk to our kids, spouses, and employees. We converse with colleagues to get our point across, so "their" part of the discussion doesn’t count. As a boss, this can lead to all kinds of trouble. Include communication activities that emphasize active listening, where you actually hear the other person. Train your managerial prospects to listen for tone, body language, pauses, and stress points. It’s not enough just to hear the words, even though many bosses don’t even do that.

With such learners, you may need to pull back and teach them why they should listen. They may come from a background of giving orders rather than collaborating. For this reason, your content shouldn’t just cover public speaking, speech writing, effective emails, and how to run a meeting. It should also address the psychology of listening and corporate empathy.

2. Mentorship Skills

It’s relatively easy to teach effective listening. You can use audio/video clips and simulations. However, leaders should know how to cultivate "followers". Mentorship is one of the most essential manager competencies to cultivate in leadership online training. You don’t just want your employees "obeying" you. They shouldn’t do what you say just because you’re the boss. This can breed resentment, or worse, indifference. A team of subordinates that merely go through the motions is a management nightmare. It leads to mediocre work.

Instead, you want your team to buy into your vision, or at least support your brand and managerial style. Bake this into your manager online training. Teach them how to inspire and motivate their team, how to get them on board. Show them what makes a good leader, and how to develop those traits in themselves. Case studies of good managers can be useful, as well as demo videos that feature behaviors they can mimic. Such as a team leader tactfully providing feedback to one of their struggling subordinates.

3. Teambuilding

The problem with many managers is their gaze is always up. They’re driven by self-development, how to secure their positions and meet their targets. The trouble is … for a manager to succeed, his team has to support him/her. The boss can’t achieve their goals unless their staff does too. But it’s a strategy with minimal efficacy and high turnover.

The key is to focus on teambuilding manager competencies so that leaders know how to manage human resources and tap into the potential of their subordinates. They must be able to not only earn employees’ loyalty and respect but find hidden strengths to improve workplace productivity. Another crucial teambuilding competency is understanding how to follow as well as they lead. Sometimes managers must take the back seat and let their employees take the lead. For instance, host an event to share their expertise or use their unique talents to head up a project.

4. Calculated Risk-Taking

How do you teach someone to take risks? Within your manager online training, offer some kind of reward system for bold choices. This builds their risk-taking muscle. Once they get used to doing it in a safe, virtual setting, they’ll test the waters in the real world. Another helpful tactic is gamification. Even if your corporate learners aren’t gamers, they can learn from the pressure and adrenaline of a timed round of gameplay. Within the game, offer extra points and other rewards when they take a risk. Gameplay doesn’t have to be work related. It could even be an obstacle course or a treasure hunt based on the physical layout of your office. Winners get in-course badges, gift vouchers, or one-on-one virtual meetings with the boss.

There is a caveat, however. You must ensure that they understand the consequences of taking ill-informed risks. For instance, develop simulations or branching scenarios that show them how incorrect behaviors or choices can lead to negative repercussions.

5. Conflict Resolution

Conflicts come in many forms. From dealing with unhappy customers who want to escalate the situation to co-worker disagreements regarding stolen commissions. Managers must be able to resolve the situation peacefully to restore harmony and improve customer loyalty. This manager competency involves a broad range of skills, including communication, problem-solving, and lateral thinking abilities. And, of course, strong interpersonal skills to handle social dynamics and empathize with all parties involved. You can foster these talents in your manager online training through group collab projects, social media discussions, and even simulations that feature distinct personas.

Conclusion

Becoming a manager may seem like the hardest achievement in any career, but succeeding as a leader is much harder. Help them out by incorporating practical, personalized tips into your manager online training course. Train them to say what they mean and listen the right way. Turn them into helpful mentors that pull their juniors up the career ladder instead of just climbing it themselves. Instill all these skills and your management class will lead to better bosses around the world.

Competency training isn’t just for the higher-ups. In fact, every member of your team can benefit from online training courses that hone relevant skills and talents. Find the right leadership development training solutions for your staffers in our exclusive online directory.