Organizations need to invest in manager development to spur growth, ethics & positive culture

Corporate managers are often caught in the squeeze layer, balancing multiple responsibilities in their roles as both producer and manager. Their producer role involves directing and executing their work responsibilities and their own personal well-being and professional development; while their manager role requires them to be responsible for helping those employees who directly report to them to do their own work well and guide team members’ professional development and well-being.

To succeed in the future, companies have to know the critical role in organizational success and profitability that managers play. Traditional corporate learning and development (L&D) models for managers, however, are inadequate. What is needed instead is manager development programs that provide tailored, strategic, and meaningful support — rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, according to Jamie Albers, Co-founder of Mento, a career coaching and mentorship platform.

Existence of dual challenges

In a given week, managers may have to navigate a multitude of challenges that are evolving rapidly due to various factors like technological advancements, economic shifts, and changing workplace cultures. Indeed, managers are expected to juggle multiple roles including being effective individual contributors, strategic visionaries, exceptional leaders and communicators, and culture builders. Further, this is occurring when the pressure on managers has increased, with many organizations expecting them to manage both the technological and human aspects of their roles without adequate training or support.

Companies’ efforts to support managers are not working well, Albers says. “Many companies invest very little in manager development — often less than $500 per manager annually,” she explains. “And there’s also frequently a disconnect between generic training programs and the personalized, ongoing support managers actually need to apply new skills.”

In addition, traditional models offering one-off trainings or videos for managers are insufficient, Albers says, adding that many L&D initiatives fail to address managers’ own well-being and burnout, focusing solely on skills without ensuring that managers have the capacity to implement them.

The 80/20 coach/mentor modality

To better invest in managers, innovative organizations are adopting new, adaptive approaches, many of which involve investing in tailored leadership development programs and fostering a culture of continuous learning and support. One emerging model that is producing positive results is the coach/mentor modality, in which an executive manager is 80% coach and 20% mentor. More specifically, this method involves managers devoting 80% of the time to coaching, in which they discuss challenges, receive tailored feedback, and workshop solutions in real-time. The other 20% of the manager’s time is spent on function-specific challenges as a mentor.

“This approach combines coaching to build self-awareness and problem-solving skills with mentorship from experienced operators who can offer practical guidance,” Albers explains.

The 80/20 coach/mentor relationship also helps managers develop critical long-term well-being skills, such as identifying what’s in their control, managing stress, and aligning their work with organizational goals to reduce internal friction. In fact, according to Mento research, managers strongly agreed (9.4 out of 10) with this statement: “Mentor/coaching helps improve how I solve business challenges.”

By integrating learning into day-to-day work rather than relying on infrequent trainings, the coach/mentor model enables continuous growth and application of new skills, leading to more confident, motivated, and effective managers. More broadly, to take further advantage of these positive outcomes, Albers recommends these three actions:

1. 1. 1. Tailor manager development to individual needs— Innovative companies are providing personalized and continuous learning experiences, often by identifying individual needs, providing ongoing support to ensure that learning is not a one-time event but a continuous process, and utilizing advanced technologies and platforms to deliver personalized coaching sessions and resources anytime, anywhere.
      2. Create a culture of partnership and collaboration — Successful implementation of a coach/mentor model requires a culture in which HR leaders and managers collaborate closely. This involves having active managers seek collaboration with HR to communicate managers’ needs and advocate for resources that will help them and their teams thrive.
      3. Intentionally invest in a growth-oriented and adaptive environment— Companies need to cultivate an environment that supports continuous growth and adaptation. This can be achieved by encouraging experimentation in which managers and employees are encouraged to try new approaches, pilot new programs, and learn from failures.

Investing in manager excellence

Investing in manager excellence also helps to build psychological safety through a workplace culture in which employees feel comfortable sharing ideas, taking risks, and being their full selves without fear of judgment or punishment. It is also foundational to building trust with employees and other stakeholders.

In fact, trust is an essential element of enabling an ethical culture. In fact, almost 60% of misconduct observed by employees goes unreported to management, according to research from Gartner. This high rate of unreported misconduct represents a significant risk for organizations and highlights the importance of improved reporting mechanisms and a stronger speak-up culture, which does not exist without psychological safety and trust.

Companies are increasingly recognizing that managers play an outsized critical role in organizational success. And those companies that invest in manager excellence are likely to remain attractive places to work to top level talent. Further, companies can experience the multiplier effect of better managers, culture, and employee retention, all while staying resilient and competitive, better positioning the company well for long-term success in an ever-changing business landscape.

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