58% of Managers Said They Didn’t Get Any Leadership Training!!

Yikes!!! Yes, that’s a nice little nugget to chew on for a bit, isn’t it?

But how is that even possible? Quite simple:

a. Lack of soft skills, and

b. Lack of HR skills

A few weekends ago, I had the great pleasure of attending a Simon Sinek live event in Los Angeles. One of my takeaways was about soft skills, and the truth that there is nothing soft about them – they are hard to master.

But those two skill sets are so critical, and sound so simple, but I have witnessed many accomplished Leaders hire green Managers but failed to sufficiently prepare their newly minted Manager for the challenges that await them.

It begs the question: should you promote someone to Manager because they’re good at their job?

Or is it better to hire someone who’s already been a Manager in the past to guarantee their success in the new role?

The unequivocal answer is absolutely hire someone who has potential and talent. But ignore training them these two skills at your own peril, and you will end up with a frustrated Manager who will count themselves among the 58% statistic who feel that they are unprepared for the task.

Soft Skills = Human Skills

Soft skills, or human skills as Simon Sinek aptly refers to them, are the intangible skills that we all recognize when we see, but very often struggle to teach.

Why are we so mesmerized by Martin Luther King till this day? I was born years after his assassination, yet I am moved every time I listen to his “I have a dream” speech. He was 34 years old when he gave that speech. It was not his age that got everyone listening. He did not say something new – he was part of a long line of civil and social justice heroes who inspired him and worked along his side and who advocated for equal rights. But he had human skills that few others will ever rival, and he knew how to encapsulate the dreams of millions, and knew how to inspire them, and a nation to change.

Now Imagine for a moment some of the most popular Presidents in recent history.

Regardless of your political views and affiliation, a candidate who can excite people about their vision will garner them enough support to win an election. An uninspiring candidate lacking in charisma, force of character, and ability to make people see their point of view will inevitably lead to their failure on their way to the highest office.

Great communication skills, likability, charisma, problem-solving skills, assertiveness, and good decision-making are all examples of that magic sauce that help a Manager succeed.

Hard Skills – Critical but easier to teach

Hard skills are a lot easier to measure, and we frequently focus on that. Depending on the level of Management we’re hiring for, the hard skills cover a wide range of skills the business needs to operate. Can you manage a budget? Can you create a schedule? Can you put together presentations? Are you proficient in certain software? Can you fix problems? Are you reliable and flexible?

If a candidate is highly capable in various hard skills, they can look like a very tempting and natural fit for Manager.

How to teach the soft human skills that are difficult?

So, can you teach a person who lacks certain soft skills to improve those areas?

Obviously, there’s no comparing a person with a monkey, and that’s the point. People are very capable of learning if they want to learn.

It boils down to two factors in this order:

1. Are you committed to devoting the time, energy, honesty, and follow-up necessary to grow their skills?

2. Are they committed to devoting the time, energy, and receive constant feedback from you to grow their skills?

This is called mentorship.

It takes up to 10 years of continuous learning to become a Master Sushi Chef. If you work for Jiro Ono expect to wait 10 years before you’re allowed to cook tamagoyaki egg sushi.

10 YEARS FOLKS… 10 YEARS!!!

The lesson here is that while we use the word “mentor” frequently, we truly underestimate the power it holds, and its true meaning. It is not simply sitting down with someone for a few hours a week, or month, or quarterly. Or emailing them to check-in on their progress.

It is hours upon hours of shaping, molding, challenging, and forging a relationship that can last a lifetime.

There will be frustration, honest conversations, inspiring moments, and tears. Real mentorship is not for the faint of heart, but it is what makes you a leader of the highest caliber whose influence will reverberate directly into the lives of your mentees for the rest of their careers, and onto their teams for many years to come.

So, can you train someone who always seems serious and low energy to be more affable and light-hearted, or more likeable? Or to train someone how to make great decisions under difficult circumstances? Or teach someone how to be great communicators in person, on stage, and in written form?

That’s up to you. And them.

HR Skills

This one is critical and is a soft human skill, but is extremely significant and deserves its own book. HR skills in this context refers to making good decisions with handling difficult employee situations. How do you handle a sexual harassment situation? An Associate with a disability, or a condition that requires regular doctor visits that conflict with the work schedule.

The possibilities are endless in the world of HR situations that a new Manager can quickly find themselves in, and each situation can present a unique set of variables.

I once had a good Manager who was fairly new, but he wasn’t sure what to do about an Associate who was possibly smoking weed on the job. He thought that perhaps since we were in California, where it’s legal, that maybe it’s OK. Well, as you hopefully realize, that’s not the case. But it shows how something so simple can seem confusing to a new Manager.

If you think that the standard HR training offered to new Managers is sufficient, you are setting your Manager and your team up for failure.

These trainings have their place and are valuable, BUT let’s be clear-eyed about this! They are primarily a means to protect the organization.

The only answer here is to continue their learning in HR topics on a continuous basis, and outside of the honeymoon phase during which we check the box and offer them that training in their first 30-60-90 days.

This needs to be a 365-day effort where situations are discussed between the two of you until they have mastered the process of good decision-making.

In summary, call your Managers tomorrow, and find out if they think they are among the ones who say they didn’t receive training. Chances are 58% might say yes.