How to Prepare New Managers To Succeed in 3 Steps

Do You Know How to Prepare New Managers To Succeed?
Stepping into a managerial role is one of the most challenging transitions an employee can face — and one of the most rewarding when done right. Success for new managers doesn’t happen by chance; it starts with preparation. With the right guidance, tools, and proven new manager training, they can hit the ground running and make an immediate impact. Do you know how to equip your new managers to thrive from day one?

Previous Leadership Experiences Help
Any prior role that involved leading others can give new managers a head start — whether it was guiding a scout troop, chairing a community volunteer initiative, or leading a business project. Across all contexts, the most effective managers share one principle: they exist because of their team, and for their team. Their success is not measured by personal achievements, but by the accomplishments and growth of those they lead.

But How to Prepare New Managers to Succeed?

How do you help your new managers prepare to take the reins, set expectations, motivate them to work together, keep your team engaged, and consistently deliver high quality results?

Three Steps to Prepare New Managers To Succeed
The knowledge, skills, and abilities required to lead, manage, and coach others toward higher performance rarely come naturally. For most new managers, these capabilities must be deliberately developed. According to Deloitte, companies invest the largest share of their training budgets — 35% — in management and leadership development. Yet our organizational culture assessments reveal a stark gap: only 25% of employees feel their organizations effectively support individuals as they transition into their first managerial roles.

To close that gap and set new supervisors up for success, consider these three essential steps:

1. Be Highly Relevant and Business Outcome Oriented
   Many new supervisor training programs promise results, yet success often hinges less on content and more on execution. Training measurement research shows that only 20% of participants in stand-alone management training actually change their on-the-job behavior and performance. To achieve meaningful and lasting impact, treat new manager training as a change initiative rather than a one-time event, with focus before, during, and after the program.

   BEFORE: Assess the Problem and Set Managers Up to Succeed
   Before selecting any training program, establish a clear business case for change. Ask whether improving new manager competence and confidence truly matters to the target audience, their supervisors, and the organization as a whole. If your organization isn’t facing measurable performance, engagement, or retention challenges, management training may not be the highest priority.

   Once a problem is worth solving, take these critical steps:
   (a) Involve key stakeholders in the program design.
   (b) Align all content with business priorities and talent strategies.
   (c) Assess existing manager skills against agreed-upon competencies or standards.
   (d) Develop targeted individual learning plans.
   (e) Identify the critical few scenarios that matter most for manager success.

   Note: Content is readily available — understanding roles, goal-setting, delegation, decision-making, coaching, motivating, and managing performance. The challenge is making it relevant, impactful, and sustainable.

   DURING: Build Skills That Truly Matter
   Behavior change requires practice, feedback, and reinforcement in realistic scenarios. New managers should practice until they can consistently demonstrate competence under varied conditions that reflect the challenges they will face. Just as athletes and first responders train relentlessly to perform under pressure, new managers must have structured opportunities to hone their skills.

   Use experiential and action learning leadership development approaches that simultaneously develop leadership capabilities and advance real business work. Focus on leadership scenarios that are critical to your organization’s success to ensure practice translates directly to on-the-job performance.

   AFTER: Sustain the New Behaviors
   To create lasting results, embed reinforcement through microlearning, coaching, feedback, and measurement. Learning is not a single event but a continuous process. Regular check-ins help ensure managers apply new skills, receive guidance, and refine their approach.

   Track four learning outcomes rigorously:
   (a) Are managers using new skills, knowledge, and processes?
   (b) Are supervisors actively supporting and reinforcing the behaviors?
   (c) What is and isn’t working in practice?
   (d) Is the program producing measurable impact on performance and business outcomes?

   Without structured follow-through, even the most robust training risks fading quickly. Success comes from integrating learning into the flow of work, coaching managers consistently, and measuring impact as you go.

2. Make It Easy to Find Mentors
   At the outset, new managers benefit greatly from shadowing their predecessor or someone in a similar role, gaining a clear understanding of the responsibilities ahead. Beyond that initial exposure, provide an easy path to long-term mentorship — someone they can turn to for guidance, share challenges with, and receive practical advice on complex issues. Having a consistent, supportive sounding board can make the transition into management far smoother and help prevent common pitfalls before they arise.
3. Facilitate Connections Among New Managers
   Regular gatherings with fellow new managers can be a powerful tool for navigating the challenges of leadership. Provide opportunities for new managers to form peer learning cohorts where they can safely share experiences, explore options, brainstorm solutions, and discuss common management issues. An open, collaborative forum not only accelerates learning but also builds the confidence and perspective needed to step fully into the responsibilities of management.

The Bottom Line
The desire to prepare new managers to succeed requires a deliberate approach. Provide a structured new manager program that delivers essential skills, ensure access to experienced mentors for guidance and feedback, and create peer forums where new managers can openly discuss challenges and collaborate on solutions. When these elements are in place, new managers are far more likely to transition confidently and make a meaningful impact from day one.

To learn more about how to prepare new managers to succeed, download 12 Research-Backed Tools for Managers Now

Tristam Brown

Tristam Brown is an executive business consultant and organizational development expert with more than three decades of experience helping organizations accelerate performance, build high-impact teams, and turn strategy into execution. As CEO of LSA Global, he works with leaders to get and stay aligned™ through research-backed strategy, culture, and talent solutions that produce measurable, business-critical results. See full bio.