| The potential advantages of line manager | | | | provision of coaching and guidance by the |
| involvement in learning and development has | | | | line manager and levels of employee |
| long been recognised. | | | | satisfaction, commitment and motivation. |
| | | | |
| The line manager is in a unique position to | | | | 6. Finally, to be truly effective line |
| reinforce learning from management training | | | | managers need to understand their role as a |
| or other forms of development, by integrating | | | | "sponsor" of an individual's or team's |
| them into an employees working life and | | | | learning and development. For example, it |
| promoting a positive approach to these types | | | | sends completely the wrong message to someone |
| of activities. | | | | if a manager asks them to attend a management |
| | | | training course but then prevents them from |
| So how should a line manager be involved in | | | | attending some or all of it. |
| their staff's management training and | | | | |
| development? | | | | As a sponsor, the line manager should: |
| | | | |
| 1. The first area of involvement is for the | | | | · Invest time, energy and enthusiasm in |
| line manager to set clear expectations with | | | | their employees development. |
| their staff, both in terms of what they need | | | | |
| to deliver (job responsibilities, targets | | | | · Demonstrate public commitment to |
| etc) and how they are expected to deliver | | | | management training and development by |
| these things (approach, behaviour at work, | | | | "walking the talk". |
| etc). | | | | |
| | | | · Sanction any hindrance or blocking |
| 2. The next area of involvement is conducting | | | | behaviour from employees reference their |
| performance appraisals and agreeing personal | | | | learning and development. |
| development plans, i.e. measuring the "gap" | | | | |
| between what an individual delivers (and how | | | | · Be clear with their teams the importance |
| they do it) and what is needed. | | | | of management training and development in |
| | | | raising standards and performance. |
| 3. In agreeing personal development plans | | | | |
| line managers should not just ask "What are | | | | · Recognise successes. |
| this persons weaknesses?" but should also ask | | | | |
| "Where will learning and development add the | | | | Too often education and development is the |
| greatest value to their performance?" | | | | province of HR or the training department but |
| | | | by becoming more involved in their managers |
| 4. Line managers should understand the | | | | training and development, line management |
| breadth of learning and development | | | | will have a greater impact on their teams |
| interventions that are available to them. For | | | | performance and capability, which will |
| example, too many turn to the ubiquitous | | | | ultimately impact the performance of their |
| "Management Training Course", or | | | | organisation. |
| "Presentation Skills Course", when in reality | | | | |
| there are hundreds of development actions | | | | 1. Gibb S (2003) Line Manager Involvement in |
| that an individual can take from reading a | | | | Learning and Development: small beer or big |
| book to learning to play chess. | | | | deal? Employee Relations, Vol 25, No.3, pp |
| | | | 281-293. |
| 5. Line managers should also take on more of | | | | |
| a coaching role with their staff. Significant | | | | 2. Latest Trends in Learning Development and |
| relationships exist between the effective | | | | Training. |