RETRAINING STRATEGIES FOR MANAGERS

Today’s managers provide key inputs in day to day management of any business. They are the backbone of any enterprise. Corporate India is now rethinking its strategies on this prime issue. Managers have to perform in a new competitive environment. Their role will become more strategic, he has to provide operational information for strategic decision making. Confirms Mr. B.N. Srivastava IIMC Prof. “Middle managers/managers are in the best position to generate strategic thinking”. They have to be retrained for taking more challenging assignment, Career development programmes, this helps them to regain their motivation, confidence & to get over the trauma of retrenchment.

Strategies :

1. Tech. skill
2. Team player
3. Multiple skill
4. Intrapreneurship
5. Leadership
6. Training skills
7. Customer orientation

1. Tech. skill : We are witnessing the dynamic nature of business, rapid pace of technological changes, customer orientation etc. these dictate managers that they should be technologically updated and have a customer focus. Companies like Ramco which operate in I.T. industry, they are acquiring technical knowledge continuously. BPL is training their managers in quality function development to enable them to translate customer feedback on the product in technical language.
   Ramco’s strategy.
   
   

   Programmes		Skills
   Job rotation	---->	Multiple leadership
   In house & external training programme training	---->	team player

   
   
2. Team player : Developing team playing skills is essential for a manager because the changing operational structure demands such function. Ramco sends its managers in a different training programmes like Rock climbing expedition. Apart from this programmes these companies are also using attitudinal surveys to gauge an individual team worthiness. Says Mr. Anand Nayak executive VP (HR) ITC. “We are interested in producing not champions, but champions teams”.
   
   
3. Multiple skills : Acquiring multiple skill helps middle managers work in cross functional teams and provide inputs to the top management for strategic business decisions. ITC is training its managers both in house and external, in house they have developed business orientation programme. This programme (BOP) aims at the development of an overall global business perspective as well as understanding of business strategy formulation. For external programme they are sending managers abroad B School like Kellogg, Wharton.
   
   
4. Intrapreneurship : We have seen that small corporates are growing in a faster pace, diversifying into new focus area, new business, here managers can lead strategic business units depending their entrapreneurial skills. BPL sends its managers to IIM Banglore for a programme on Manufacturing Excellence. After returning from this programme managers were appointed as executive assistant to the MD’s in different business units. They are trained to manage these units independently.
   
   
5. Leadership : Managers have to manage the business in a totally different situation. So they will need to develop the innovative leadership qualities to spearhead teams and to contribute as key team members. BPL is conducting training programmes to develop leadership qualities for its managers with the help of external consultants. Ramco, Ashok Leyland also using standardized leadership modules.
   
   
6. Training skills : Corporate training has become most important factor in new people management. Middle managers are required to give training for its team members, junior managers for future requirement. Askok Leyland are regularly conducting in house training programmes for its managers. BPL also training its managers through Indian Society for Training and Development.
   
   
7. Customer orientation : With growing competition forcing companies to focus on quality and acknowledge the customer as king, managers have to adapt to a buyers market. Ramco’s managers regularly undergo 2 days interactive programmes on customers orientations.
   

Benchmarks :

1. Have to detail every competence, skills for managers
2. To revise training schedules only to retain them for new roles.
3. Have to devote 2/3 of training budget to retrain middle managers.

Rajat Sanyal