You're Expecting People to Succeed in a Role They've Never Been Taught How to Do

Promoting a great employee to a management role often feels like the obvious next step for both the employee and the business.

They're knowledgeable. Reliable. They consistently deliver great work. Their colleagues respect them. They've earned the opportunity.

So they become a manager.

The problem is that managing people is an entirely different job from the one they’ve proven they can do.

Yet, according to research by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), 82% of managers move into management roles without any formal management or leadership training, becoming what the CMI calls accidental managers.

That means the majority of managers - your managers - are expected to lead people, manage performance, navigate difficult conversations, motivate individuals, resolve conflict, and build high-performing teams without ever being taught how.

When you look at it that way, it's hardly surprising that so many managers struggle.

Being Great at Your Job Doesn't Automatically Make You a Great Manager

Most managers genuinely want to do a good job.

The challenge is that organisations often promote people because they're excellent at their current role, rather than because they've developed the skills needed to lead others.

The skills that made someone successful in their previous role are rarely the same skills they'll need as a manager.

Instead of focusing on their own workload, they're now responsible for helping others perform.

That means learning how to:

● Give constructive feedback.

● Delegate effectively.

● Manage conflict.

● Build trust.

● Hold people accountable.

● Coach rather than simply instruct.

● Adapt their communication to different personalities.

● Support employee wellbeing while maintaining performance.

These aren't innate personality traits (although, admittedly, some people can naturally be better at them than others) - they're skills. And like any professional skill, they need to be learned, practised, and refined.

The Cost of Getting It Wrong

Poor management doesn't just affect the managers themselves; it affects everyone around them.

The CMI's research, based on more than 5,500 workers across the UK, clearly shows just how huge the impact ineffective management can be on organisations, and why neglecting to train your managers is a huge missed opportunity.

Employees who describe their manager as ineffective are significantly less likely to feel

motivated, valued, or satisfied at work.

Perhaps even more concerning, half of employees who rate their manager as ineffective say

they're planning to leave their organisation within the next 12 months, compared with just 21% of those who have effective managers.

That means if you’re neglecting your newly promoted managers, you could be costing yourself far more than you’ll ever spend on training them.

Organisations spend significant time and money trying to attract talented people, improve

employee engagement, and reduce staff turnover.

Yet one poorly supported, untrained manager can undermine all of those efforts without ever realising the impact it’s having.

Investing In Your Managers Is Just Good Business

The conversation around management training is sometimes framed as a 'nice to have' or a

luxury, but the evidence suggests otherwise.

According to the CMI, organisations that invest in management and leadership development see, on average:

● A 23% increase in organisational performance.

● A 32% increase in employee engagement and productivity.

That's because good managers don't just supervise workloads; they strive to create the

conditions for people to do their best work.

They build trust.

They encourage accountability.

They handle difficult conversations before they become formal issues.

They create psychologically safe environments where people feel comfortable asking questions, sharing ideas, and challenging decisions respectfully.

Ultimately, they influence almost every aspect of the employee experience. As my previous blog talks about, the smallest things can have a disproportionately large impact on employee experience and engagement if they’re not handled correctly - so training your managers to be able to do so is vital.

Why So Many Managers Feel Out of Their Depth

The role and responsibilities of a manager today look very different from how they did even ten years ago.

They’re no longer simply responsible for allocating work and keeping the team on track with

deadlines. They're expected to support wellbeing, manage hybrid teams, navigate change, resolve conflict, develop individuals, improve performance and create inclusive working environments.

That's a significant expectation for anyone - particularly someone who has never received formal people management training.

The CMI found, perhaps unsurprisingly, that managers who had received formal management training were significantly more confident in their abilities than those who hadn't.

They were also more likely to:

● Trust their teams.

● Feel confident leading organisational change.

● Address poor behaviour appropriately.

● Seek feedback from their employees.

● Use technology to improve efficiency.

Training doesn't make managers perfect.

What it does do is give them the confidence and practical tools to handle the situations every manager will eventually face, avoiding negative management behaviours such as

micromanaging, favouritism, and poor communication.

Great Managers Aren't Born

There's a common misconception that people are either 'natural leaders' or they aren't, and that it’s not something that can be taught.

This couldn’t be further from the truth.

In reality, effective management is rarely about charisma. While it might get you noticed initially, having charisma won’t help you to have tricky conversations or tackle issues before they snowball. It won’t help you to lead with empathy or learn how to adapt your leadership style for different people.

In short, charisma might get you through the door, but if you don’t have the skills to back it up, you’ll run into difficulties pretty quickly.

Leadership skills don’t develop overnight; they’re the product of committing to learning,

experience and reflection.

That's why investing in management development isn't simply about improving individual managers.

It's about strengthening your entire organisation.

What Good People Management Training Should Deliver

Management training shouldn't leave people with a folder full of notes they'll never look at again.

It should equip managers with practical skills they can use with their teams immediately.

That means helping managers learn how to:

● Give feedback that motivates rather than demoralises.

● Manage performance confidently.

● Handle difficult conversations constructively.

● Resolve workplace conflict before it escalates.

● Delegate effectively without micromanaging.

● Build trust within their teams.

● Adapt their leadership style to different individuals.

● Create cultures where people feel heard, respected and accountable.

These are obvious key leadership skills when you think about it, but they rarely come naturally.

Just saying ‘figure it out’ won’t be enough when what your leaders really need is focused, quality management training to understand and develop these vital skills.

The benefits extend far beyond just the individual being trained.

When managers can model effective leadership behaviours for their teams, it has a knock-on

effect:

• Better communication among teams.

• Problems are resolved earlier without becoming bigger issues.

• Employee satisfaction and engagement improve.

• Talent retention increases.

• Performance becomes more consistent.

Investing in Managers Is Investing in Your Business

Many organisations invest heavily in technology, systems, and processes to improve

productivity. Yours may be doing exactly the same - we all tend to think that tech is the future and double down on our investment in it.

All the while forgetting to, or simply choosing not to, invest in the people responsible for leading their teams.

Yet your managers will be responsible for influencing almost every aspect of performance within your organisation.

They’ll shape workplace culture, have a direct impact on retention, and drive performance.

In short - the quality of your managers will have a direct impact on the quality of your

organisation.

How Mint Manager Helps Develop Better Managers

At Mint Manager, we believe management isn't something people should simply 'pick up' as they go.

Our practical people management workshops are designed to give managers the confidence, skills and tools they need to lead effectively.

Rather than simply focusing on theory, our workshops explore the real situations managers face every day, from giving feedback and managing performance to navigating conflict, building trust and developing confident, engaged teams. We don’t see the value in folders of notes that get put in a cupboard and forgotten about - we want to equip managers with skills to navigate real-world situations with confidence.

Whether you're supporting newly promoted managers or developing experienced leaders, investing in management skills is one of the most effective ways to improve employee

engagement, strengthen workplace culture, and support long-term business performance.

If you're ready to develop more confident, capable managers, explore our people management workshops and discover how practical leadership development can make a measurable difference to your organisation.

When Managers Succeed…

Too many organisations are still asking people to succeed in one of the most challenging,

crucial roles in business without giving them the skills to do it well.

It's not surprising that accidental managers exist - the surprising part is that businesses often still don’t recognise the value of training their managers.

Being a great manager isn't about luck, personality, or charisma. It's a skill built through learning, practice, and support from those around you.

When managers succeed, teams succeed. And when teams succeed, organisations do too.