Congratulations!  You have just promoted some excellent talent into supervisory roles.  Maybe they had great sales skills.  Or perhaps she is technically brilliant.  Or maybe he has been with the company for some time and is reliable and productive.  Whatever the case, it’s highly likely that whatever fueled their ascent is likely not enough to ensure their success as a new leader.  To be a good or even great manager, they will need to shift their focus and acquire a whole new set of skills. It's a bit like trying to become a golf pro, after being a great basketball player for years. Their strong athleticism will help, but they need new equipment, skills and strategies. Managers need to accomplish company goals through people.  They facilitate the process that keeps the business operating.  Because of the function of front-line leaders and the major role they play, it is obvious that good leaders are the key to the success of any organization. Many of the leader's daily decisions affect profits, attitudes and morale. With a role and a function of this magnitude, it would seem logical that the process of becoming a supervisor would require years of training. However, if your company is like many I work with, most supervisors have had little or no training in supervisory skills.  Investing in consistent supervisory learning and development will save money in the future and improve work quality, professional development and job satisfaction throughout all levels of your organization.

Here are some best practices common skills and knowledge your new leaders and rising talent need:

1. Essential people management skills such as managing performance, providing feedback, coaching, delegation, and developing others
2. A common organizational approach and alignment to developing this group of rising stars
3. Practical tools and resources to support their day to day management skills
4. Ability to establish clear expectations and hold people accountable
5. Confidence in their management abilities, especially in challenging situations.