New manager training works best when it starts before the promotion, not after the first crisis. Pair each new manager with an experienced mentor, train them on the skills they’ll need in week one, and set clear outcomes for their first 90 days. That’s how you stop creating accidental managers.
Most new managers are promoted because they were good at their previous job, then left to work out the new one on their own. According to the Chartered Management Institute, 82 per cent of new managers have had no formal management training. Their teams feel the gap first, and the business pays for it in turnover, mistakes and lost time.
This guide shows you how to set up a mentoring programme for first time managers in six steps, with a sample buddy agreement.
Table of Contents
Six steps to new manager training that works
1. Train before the role starts
Timing matters more than content. If Kate starts managing her team on 1 March, she should be on the course on 20 February, not in September. Training before the promotion means she walks in with the basics: how to run a one-to-one, how to give feedback and how to handle a difficult conversation.
2. Pair each new manager with an experienced one
A mentor gives the new manager someone safe to ask “is this normal?” without worrying about looking out of their depth. Choose mentors from outside the new manager’s reporting line where you can, and give them time in their week to do it properly.
3. Target coaching at each manager’s weaknesses
Generic away days rarely change behaviour. Instead, find out where each new manager is weakest, whether that’s difficult conversations, time management or delegation, and coach that skill specifically. A manager who’s great with people but poor at planning needs different support from one with the opposite problem.
4. Give managers plain, practical team insight
New managers don’t need complex dashboards. They need to know, simply, how their team is doing: who’s struggling, what’s getting in the way and what to do next. Short, regular team check-ins give them that. Wotter is one example of a tool that turns feedback into clear next steps for managers.
5. Set measurable manager outcomes
Agree what success looks like in the first six months: team engagement, regrettable churn, how supported team members feel. Measurable outcomes make the role concrete and give the mentor something to coach towards.
6. Review at 30, 60 and 90 days
Hold structured reviews with the new manager and their mentor at 30, 60 and 90 days. What’s going well? Where are they stuck? What does their team say? Adjust the coaching plan each time.
Sample buddy agreement for first time managers
Use this as a starting point for your management development programme. Agree it together in the first meeting.
| Section | What to agree |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To help [new manager] settle into the role and build confidence in their first six months |
| How often | 45 minutes every two weeks, plus ad hoc messages when needed |
| Focus areas | The two or three skills the new manager most wants to develop |
| Confidentiality | What’s discussed stays between mentor and mentee, unless there’s a risk to someone’s wellbeing |
| What the mentor offers | Experience, honest feedback and a safe space to ask questions |
| What the new manager commits to | Bringing real situations, trying new approaches and reflecting on them |
| Review | At 30, 60 and 90 days, with the line manager joining the final review |
New manager tips for the first 90 days
- Have a one-to-one with everyone in your team in the first two weeks. Ask what’s working and what isn’t.
- Don’t change everything at once. Learn before you fix.
- Stop doing your old job. Your value is now in helping others do theirs.
- Give feedback early and often, while issues are small.
- Ask for help. That’s what your mentor is for.
For more on building management skills, read our posts on leadership and management development, continuous feedback and the CLEAR coaching model. See also our guides to line manager training, coaching models for managers and dual career ladders.
Why new manager training pays for itself
Managers have a huge influence on whether people stay. A poorly supported new manager can lose good people within months, and every regrettable leaver costs you recruitment, vacancy time and ramp-up. Use our employee turnover cost calculator to put a figure on it, then compare that with the cost of a mentoring programme.
Frequently asked questions
What is new manager training?
New manager training prepares people for their first management role, covering skills such as one-to-ones, feedback, delegation, difficult conversations and planning.
When should new manager training happen?
Ideally before the person starts the role, so they have the basics from day one, followed by ongoing coaching and mentoring through their first six months.
What is a first time manager mentoring programme?
A programme that pairs each new manager with an experienced manager who offers advice, feedback and support, usually for the first six to twelve months in the role.
What should a management development programme include?
Pre-role training, a mentor, coaching targeted at individual weaknesses, practical team insight, clear outcomes and regular reviews.
How many managers have had no formal training?
The Chartered Management Institute found that 82 per cent of new managers in the UK have had no formal management training.
Set new managers up to succeed
The best new manager training starts early, comes with a mentor and focuses on each person’s real weaknesses. Add practical team insight, clear outcomes and regular reviews, and your new managers will lead with confidence instead of learning by trial and error at their team’s expense.
For more on accidental managers, listen to Episodes 16 and 25 of Strategic HR Weekly.
