FOCUS ON THEM

In 2015, the Association for Talent Development (ATD) conducted research, polling learning executives, asking them to identify their top skills related to managerial success.  Using that research, ATD developed the ACCEL skills model, which outlines the five key skills managers need:  Accountability, Communication, Collaboration, Engagement, and Listening (and assessing).

Shortly after its creation, ATD Research used the model in its report ACCEL: The Skills That Make a Winning Manager to examine which skills were necessary to successfully develop a manager's direct reports.  This was a natural extension of the model, because developing direct reports is a critical responsibility of the manager role.

The study found that just 46 percent of organizations had identified skills related to managerial success in developing direct reports.  Further, a majority of participants indicated that each of the five ACCEL skills contributed to managerial success in developing direct reports, ranging from 75 to 86 percent.  Perhaps most surprising was that fewer that a third of respondents indicated that managers at their organization exhibited each of the ACCEL skills when working with their direct reports.

Even though participants believed these five ACCEL skills contributed to managerial success in developing direct reports, they reported that opportunities to cultivate them were relatively rare.  Communication was the skill with the largest opportunity for development; 38 percent of respondents said managers were given opportunities to develop communication proficiency to a high or very high extent.  Managers were least likely to have the opportunity to develop collaborations skills (30 percent),.  While these numbers may seem low, consider that manager development isn't a priority for 43 percent of organizations..

Until organizations and talent development departments fill the void of absent or neglected management development programs, managers and their direct reports will be at a disadvantage.  Fortunately, you can take steps to improve your ACCEL skills on their own