How to Train Management Candidates

For careers to advance, replacements have to be trained. Management candidates often provide the solution by offering the promise of good leadership to replace those who will be moving on. Before these management candidates can take their respective positions however, they must be trained adequately for the duties in the office they will occupy. When training a management candidate, cover all bases to ensure a smooth transition in leadership.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Break them in slowly. The transition to management for candidates does not happen overnight, pace the situation by breaking them into training slowly. Start at a low responsibility level and increase it over time. This will ensure that you do not scare a prospect away before he is comfortable with his responsibilities.

2. Allow them into the loop. Giving candidates some insight on meetings and upcoming events will help them with their transition as well as give them some more vital experience. You do not have to allow them to sit in on every manager's meeting to achieve the objective. Simply allowing candidates to see work in action will help in their training and provide a first-hand example.

3. Show, tell and provide examples. Each candidate will have her own way of learning during training. Some training candidates learn better through performing actions themselves, while others are better visual learners. Cover all the bases by showing your respective management candidate how to do something as well as telling them and allowing them to perform the actions themselves. Training this way will ensure a response with all types of learners and maximize their ability to grasp what is being taught.

4. Teach the candidate all vital information. Information such as safety standards, company standards and job specific tasks should be taught to the management candidate before taking office. Test the candidate regularly on company and department policies as well as other materials taught. After you have tested the candidate, review his performance and note his strengths and weaknesses.

5. Provide honest and constructive feedback. Use the results from previous tests to evaluate the abilities of the management candidate. Work with the candidate more extensively on her weaknesses to bring her up to speed in those areas. Being honest with her about strengths and weaknesses and striving to improve them will also show her how to communicate with her future subordinates.

Tips & Warnings

• Enroll your management candidate in leadership training classes if they are available as well as other training classes that may not be job specific to bolster confidence, experience and his resume.
• Remember to be patient with management candidates that you are responsible for training as their future actions will reflect on your ability to train.

Resources

• Look here for more information on training managers.