Process of Management Development Programme

“Management development includes the process by which managers and management acquire not only skills and competency in their present jobs but also capabilities for future managerial tasks of increasing difficulty and scope.”: Flippo

In words of S. B. Budhiraja, former director of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), “Any activity designed to improve the performance of existing managers and to provide for a planned growth of managers to meet future organisational requirements is called management development.”

Stakeholders are:

(a) The individual

(b) The management team

(c) Environment factors

(d) The organisation

Issues are:

1. Clarifying what is management development.
2. Defining business needs and requirements.
3. What do managers want from developers?
4. Evolving and changing individual develop­ment needs.
5. The need for different managerial styles.
6. Selecting the most appropriate method of development
7. Measuring and evaluating the benefits. Organising and Implementing Management Development Programmes.

The important assumptions and concerns behind management development are as follows:

• There always exists a gap between ‘required performance level’ and the ‘capacity’ of an individual. Management must fill in the gap to provide an opportunity for improvement.
• An executive needs development throughout his work life and his professional career. Thus, management development is an on-going activity.
• Some personal variables (such as age, habits, level of motivation, state of mind, etc.,) retard the growth of an individual.
• Involvement and participation are inescapable for growth.
• In work situation, growth involves stresses and strains. Development can seldom take place in a completely peaceful atmosphere.
• Shortcomings must be identified. Feedback and counseling to junior colleagues mentioning the shortcomings and applying suitable HRD instruments to overcome the shortcomings are essentially required.
• In addition to the methodology of achievement, there must be defined objectives and goals required to be achieved.

Process

• Learning process: Development is a learning process. Through this process executives learn to use their capabilities for organisational goals and they learn to handle future managerial tasks of increasing difficulty.
• Planned process: Development is a planned process. It does not happen by chance.
• Behavioural change: Management development is a learning process which is designed to change the behaviour, attitude of executives towards the job and organisation.
• Conceptual and human skills: There are three kinds of skills conceptual, human and technical. In executive development, conceptual and human skills are emphasised.
• Continuous process: Development is not a onetime process; it is a continuous process which goes on forever. It is a long-term process.
• Self-development: Personality of executives improves by development. They become more capable and their value also increases.

Steps in MS Process

Organisational Planning:

This step is concerned with ascertaining development needs that calls for organisational planning and forecast of its needs for present and future growth. This is generally based upon a comprehensive programme of job description, job specification and job analysis.

The management should ascertain well in advance the future course of organisational development, the kind of executives needed and kind of education, experience, training, special knowledge, skill, personal traits, etc., required for each work. Most companies train their own executives except when they experience a critical shortage of specialised high-level talent. In the later case, executives are hired from outside.

Assessment of Present Management Talent:

It is made with a view to determine qualitatively the type of personnel that is available within an organisation itself. The performance of a management individual is compared with the standard expected of him. His personal traits are also analyzed so that a value judgement may be made of his potential for advancement.

Preparation of Management Manpower Inventory:

It is, prepared for the purpose of getting complete information about each management individual’s biodata and educational qualifications, the result of tests and performance appraisal. The information is generally maintained on cards, one for each individual. It may also be maintained on replacement tables or charts. From these, it can be known that several capable executives are available for training for higher positions.

MD Programme Planning:

It is undertaken to meet the needs of different individuals keeping in view the differences in their attitudes and behaviour and in their physical, intellectual and emotional qualities. The weak and strong points of an individual are known from his performance appraisal reports and on the basis of these tailor-made programmes are framed and launched. Such programmes give due attention to the interests and goals of the subordinates as well as the training and development opportunities which exist within an organisation.

Implementation of Development Programme:

This job is done by the personnel department. A comprehensive and well conceived programme is generally prepared containing concentrated brief courses. Such courses may be in the field of human relations, time and motion study, creative thinking, memory training, decision making, leadership courses and courses in profession and the time and the cost involved.

Evaluation of Development Programme:

The evaluation of training has been defined by Hamblin as “Any attempt to obtain information on the effects of training programme and to assess the value of training in the light of that information”. According to him, the objectives of evaluation training are assessing the reactions of trainees, job behaviour, improvement in performance, contribution to organisational objectives, etc. The means of evaluating development programmes may include observation ratings, surveys, interviews, etc.

If these steps are followed meticulously, the objective of MD programme will be accomplished effectively. The managers and organisation both would be benefitted by management development programme.