Training Manager of Managers

Dimensions of being a manager of managers:

Partnership. Have they been effective partners to their peers, and to the team that they’ve managed? Execution. Can they support the team in operational excellence? Vision. Can they present a compelling, energizing vision of the future state of their team and its scope? Strategy. Can they identify the necessary steps to transform the present into their vision? Spoken and written communication. Can they convey complicated topics in both written and verbal communication? Can they do all this while being engaging and tuning the level of detail to their audience? Stakeholder management. Can they make others, especially executives, feel heard? Can they make these stakeholders feel confident that they’ll address any concerns?⊕ (Larson 2019, 5.4)

How to train / evaluate a new manager of manager:

A 90-day plan. The applicant writes a 90-day plan of how they’d transition into the role, and what they would focus on. They emphasize specific tactics, time management, and where they’d put their attention. This is also a great opportunity to understand their diagnosis of the current situation. Provide written feedback to them on their plan. Have them incorporate that feedback into their plan. This is an opportunity to try out working together in the new role.

Vision/strategy document. The applicant writes a combined vision/strategy document. It outlines where the new team will be in two to three years, and how they’ll steer the team to get there. Provide written feedback on the document. Have them incorporate that feedback.

Vision/strategy presentation. Have the applicant present their vision/strategy document to a group of three to four peers. Have the peers ask questions, and see how the applicant responds to this feedback.

Executive presentation. Have the applicant present their strategy document, one-on-one, with an executive. In particular, test for their ability to adapt communication to different stakeholders.⊕ (Larson 2019, 5.4)