You
spotted a rising star within the engineering department. All the feedback was
great—exemplary performance, team player, integrity, solid work ethic, superior
technical expertise. A position at the management level has just opened up. Why
not give this plum to your high performing engineer?
This
may well be the right decision. But do not then abandon your star. The skills
needed to manage well are completely different from working on a team in
engineering. Managers must be able to delegate, coach and give feedback, set
performance goals, conduct effective meetings, manage time and available
resources, etc. And all this takes learning and experience!
Do
not risk losing your top talent because managing a team
is overwhelming. Provide the kind of new supervisor and new manager training that can prepare a rookie manager for success. Select a learning program that
includes plenty of interaction and opportunities to try out new skills in the
safe environment of a classroom. And continue to coach and support your new
managers as they learn the skills of the management trade.
