watched as the person put one foot into the kayak. It was wobbly, and they were nervous. Unsure and uncommitted, they kept one foot on the dock.

The kayak started to move away from the dock, and they suddenly realized what was happening. They couldn’t pull it back. They were half in, half out, and had a dilemma. Step back on the dock, and the kayak would drift into the lake. Or step into the kayak and see if they could paddle.

Paralyzed by indecision, the kayak moved farther away from the dock, and the inevitable happened. The span became too great, and they fell into the lake. The kayak drifted away.

This type of story plays out in organizations all the time. Managers move halfway into management, trying to balance their management responsibilities with their individual contributions but doing neither well.

Being a great manager is hard and requires commitment from the manager and the organization. When a manager isn’t successful, everyone loses. Employees feel neglected, the manager’s career hits a setback, and the organization loses momentum.

Businesses need great managers to develop employees, lead teams, and achieve strategic objectives. Great employees want to continue advancing their careers and make an impact with the work they do. To become great managers, employees must put both feet in the management boat, get stabilized, and start paddling on their own.

Ultimately, the leaders of the business are responsible for the success of their managers. These leaders must be deliberate about developing managers to create stability in the organization, support growth, and encourage succession planning for long-term success. They must have a vision for the management roles needed, a process for selecting candidates, and a plan to support them through the coming waves and storms.

Before considering whom to move into management, the organizational leader must create a vision for the role.

• What is the purpose of this role? What will success in the role mean for the employees and the business?
• What must be accomplished in this role? What are the critical results? When achieved, what else will be possible?
• How will this role look in five years? What will change, and how will the role adapt?

This exercise is natural when creating a new position, but it should also be done when backfilling a position. Defining a role by how the prior person fulfilled it is easy, but that approach may constrain the next manager with unreasonable or limiting expectations.

Businesses want proven results and often rely on objective data for promotion decisions. However, top performers may not be the best candidates for manager roles. Measurable results are important, but leaders should also evaluate other subjective factors.

• Coachability. Managers get feedback, criticism, and input from every angle: their employees, their boss, other departments, external partners, and customers. They must show they are receptive, can process feedback, and can make appropriate changes.
• Relationships. A manager needs to be able to connect with people. Consider how candidates build and maintain relationships with others. What are their peer relationships like? What is their reputation? Do people respect them? Will they have credibility with the team?
• Self-development. A great manager is constantly learning and growing. No matter how much support is promised, the manager is responsible for developing themselves. Consider how candidates invest in their growth. Do they seek out opportunities? What motivates them in their professional development? What areas have they sought to distinguish themselves personally or professionally? The ideal candidate has a growth mentality, which will be evident before they are promoted.

If a managerial candidate doesn’t do well in a couple of these areas, they may not be the best candidate for a management role. At the very least, the evaluation is worth further review.

Promotion to management shouldn’t be the only option to keep top performers engaged and rewarded. For many talented experts, a different approach may be more appealing. Consider the following options.

• Thought leadership. An expert in the business can become an expert in the industry, raising their status and the status of the organization. Having a thought leader on staff can drive new business and be a powerful recruiting tool. Many companies are now designing technical tracks for their experts so they can continue advancing without pursuing management.
• Research and development. What new products or services could the business offer? Is a role available for designing, testing, and bringing those to market?
• Special projects. Employees who know the business and its operations can make a bigger impact through project-based improvement initiatives. These projects will help them grow professionally and provide rewarding ways to contribute to the organization.

For candidates suited to a leadership promotion, a successful move into a management position includes a transition plan. The boss and the manager should create and execute this plan together so that the manager feels empowered to lead the team from the start.

Here are three components to address in the transition plan.

Leaving the current position. If you’ve read my earlier column in the March 2024 edition of Alaska Business about the stages of progression in a role, this can be done in the Pioneer stage. Address the following areas when transitioning a managerial candidate out of the current position.

• What are the essential duties the manager will need to delegate so they can fully commit to their new role?
• How can the manager make sure their individual contributions are effectively absorbed by others in their group?
• What strategies and techniques will the new manager use to preserve their boundaries and stay committed to their success as a manager?

Learning the new position. New managers are often surprised when they realize how much they must know. Although a manager’s learning never stops, explicitly identifying a period for learning in the transition plan reassures the manager, reduces stress for the boss, and provides security for the employees.

• What relationships will the new manager need to develop? How will existing relationships change now that the new manager is promoted?
• What skills will the manager need to learn, and how will they obtain them?
• What systems does the manager need to know? Consider including time and opportunities to shadow other managers and do rotations with other departments.
• Schedule a formal check-in time at the end of the learning stage to review progress and results.

Managing the change. Promotions impact all employees and can be a cause for celebration. They may also cause stress or hard feelings. The boss and new manager must consider how to manage the change.

• Consider who the change affects most, internally and externally.
• Create a communication plan for all affected parties.
• Identify risks and create a mitigation strategy.

A smooth transition is important, but it doesn’t make a great manager. New leaders need ongoing support. When a manager is successful, it is easy for the organization to assume the manager is happy and fulfilled. However, managers get bored and will start thinking about what is next for their careers.

If businesses want great managers, they must continually support them and their career aspirations. One way to do this is for the boss to discuss the manager’s development and desires regularly. Topics for these discussions include how they are doing overall, expectations for performance, needed training or support, strategic relationships, and career aspirations.

Additionally, a manager’s role can be lonely. Managers should seek out and build a community of peers from within and outside the organization. They should have time to network with peers in professional groups and attend industry events. This can improve their job satisfaction and provide new ideas and inspiration.

Management is a noble and necessary career path, but it isn’t always respected. Those who step into it will inevitably question their decision and waver in their resolve at points. Providing ongoing support and investing in their long-term development is a service to them and a benefit to the business.

The management boat is wobbly and unstable. Employees need to know that before stepping off the dock, and organizations need to consider whom to promote into management and how to help them get both feet in the boat.

Managers have an outsized impact on how people feel about work. Employees who feel great about their jobs go home with more energy to give to their friends, families, and communities. Managers change people’s lives.

Managers also have unlimited potential to impact the business. Successful managers provide stability, improve retention, increase productivity, and support growth. With the support and commitment of their bosses, more great employees will step off the dock and become great managers, and everyone will benefit.