Prepare front-line managers for their first assignments with a well-organized training program. Here's how four companies do it:
An opportunity ladder. Salespeople who aim to be supervisors at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals in Collegeville, Pa., start with StepUp, an online training program and assessment. To qualify for management, they must master 10 core competencies. The assessment also measures 18 other competencies desirable among managers.
Training the trainers. Alltel Corp., based in Little Rock, Ark., uses monthly conference calls—often with a Web conference—to not only tell managers about new products and marketing strategies but also to show them how to train employees to talk with customers, using techniques such as role-playing activities.
Role-playing practice. When Ranstad North America brought 250 new branch managers to its Atlanta headquarters for a week of training, it had them bring an example of their toughest employee who needed coaching. Then each manger practiced coaching, with another manager playing the role of the employee and the other trainees offering feedback.
Sharing war stories. First-level managers at American Century Investments, based in Kansas City, Mo., attend some type of program each month, often with senior managers telling about their experiences and answering questions. Each manager also has a mentor from the next higher level of management.
