Improve the leadership capability of all first time people managers

Moving from an individual contributor role into a team leader role and taking on more leadership responsibilities can be a daunting experience for some. The key change is realizing that the team performance is more important than your individual performance. For most people, their initial leadership attributes are mirrored off past and current managers. This imitation of leadership starts at the executive level and funnels all the way down to the individual contributors. Creating a culture of leadership in the workplace is vital but to fully understand and develop all people managers you need to have a succinct process to evaluate and facilitate constructive feedback.

For first time leaders, they need to understand that their key priorities have changed and that the strengths they exhibited as an individual contributor might not be the same strengths that are required to manage a team. Getting this transition right is very important not only for the business and improving employee engagement but also for an individual’s career path. For a long time leadership development has only been available to the senior executive leadership team but now organizations are conscious of the need for leadership development at all levels. An easy and effective way is to implement 360 degree leadership surveys for all people managers.

360-degree surveys allow managers to understand what they are doing right or wrong and increases their confidence to effectively manage their direct reports on a day-to-day basis. The core reason 360-degree surveys are so effective is their ability to measure the perceptions of the individual and compare these perceptions with those who are best positioned to observe their behaviors and performance. The results from this feedback can unveil any areas of development and help minimize critical issues that could be hindering team performance.  This is even more important for new leaders who start to interact with more areas within the organization. Rather than only answering to their manager alone they now have people who will look to them for leadership and advice.

Transitioning from an individual contributor into a team leader is a very important stage for any professional. It is the building block on which an individual can start their journey through the leadership pipeline. Organizations need to understand that first-time leaders have a direct impact on the future success of the business and by implementing leadership development at all levels they can unlock benefits for both the individual and the company.

MultiRater Surveys offers a low-cost tool to help all sized organizations improve leadership at all levels. The customizable templates and reports allow you to create surveys aligned with your organisational competencies. Forget the expensive off the shelf 360 surveys that don’t ask the relevant questions for your organization and create your own custom development program using www.MultiRaterSurveys.com.