When I became a manager I had no idea what I was doing or how to lead my team. Although I was a competent frontline worker, that did not translate into being a confident and capable manager. There was not a lot of support in learning how to do the job. Trial by fire was the common method of learning for my colleagues and myself, but I knew there had to be a better way. Yet, how does someone learn to be a confident and capable manager?
To answer that question, I decided to go back to school while still working full time as a manager to pursue a PhD so I could find out how managers really learn. The natural place for me to search for answers was the classroom, because I have devoted my career to the design of formal training. Yet, I was not convinced that was the best place to start, primarily since I had developed supervisory courses in the past, which I attended as a participant, and still I did not feel prepared to take on the duties of a manager.
Therefore, I did a little bit more research and what I discovered is that many individuals still equate learning with formal education and training, but much of the knowledge acquired by employees comes from experience and not only from sitting in a classroom. However, the approach of many organizations is a ‘one size fits all’ approach to managerial development regardless of a manager’s past experiences, level of confidence, and ability. For instance, it is common for managers within an organization to attend the same manager development program, usually through a university, and expect their managers to come back from their learning experiences as fully competent and capable leaders. We believe knowledge is ‘ready to wear’ and therefore, many organizations do not provide mechanisms to support the transfer of knowledge gained from a course to the workplace.
Research has shown that 10% of how we learn to do our job comes from formal learning and the other 90% we figure out by doing the job (Pagonis, 2017). This is not only true for managerial development, but in general. Yet, many organizations spend a high amount of their budgetary dollars on formal learning opportunities. I am not saying we shut down post-secondary institutions and deplete our training budgets, but in order for knowledge gained from a course to be transferred to the workplace, further learning and practice must occur so that newly acquired knowledge can be ready for use in a range of workplace contexts (Eraut, 2004).
To assume that managers will figure out on their own how to support their own workplace learning is not realistic. According to Mintzberg (1989), managers are overburdened with obligations. This results in being overworked and conducting many tasks superficially. The resulting chaotic nature of a manager’s work environment makes the job very complex and challenging. The philosophy of ‘learn as you go’ becomes increasingly difficult to tolerate, because managers are required to balance the immediate demands of the organization against the needs of their employees (Mintzberg, 2013).
This leads me back to the purpose of my PhD research; how do managers learn? Armed with this new knowledge I decided to search for the answers in informal learning environments, such as the workplace. There were three questions I wanted to answer:
What are managers learning informally in the workplace?
How are managers learning informally in the workplace?
What workplace factors affect informal learning?
What are Managers Learning?
As I progressed through my data analysis the themes that emerged under the first research question were leadership competencies and manager competencies. Manager competencies focus on the day-to-day duties and tasks of a manager, whereas leadership competencies refer to the emotional intelligence of a manager (Goleman, Boyatzis, & McKee, 2002).
Leadership competencies developed as a prominent theme under each of my three research questions. Thus, leadership competencies are pertinent to the overall informal learning and development of managers. In other words, emotional intelligence influences and informs not only what managers are learning, but also how they are learning it (Pagonis, 2017). To better illustrate what and how managers learn in the workplace I developed a theory that I call the ‘SINOGAP Workplace Learning Framework’ (below). This is my contribution to scholarly knowledge and to professional practice.
Centre of the Framework
In the centre of the circle sits a continuum of informal learning that ranges from unconscious to conscious levels of awareness. On the unconscious side of the continuum is implicit learning, which encompasses work processes that include, but are not limited to collaborating with others, gaining specific job-related experience in the workplace, and problem solving.
On the opposing end of the continuum is deliberate learning, which are learning activities that are deliberate, occur on a conscious level, and are mostly outside of the immediate work environment. Examples of these types of learning activities are workshops, conferences, and university courses. In the middle of the continuum is reactive learning, which are learning processes within work that are embedded within the many work activities (e.g. acting and seconded positions), but the difference is the amount of conscious effort or awareness regarding the amount and quality of learning. Not all experiences lend themselves to learning. The more aware or conscious we are of our learning, which occurs through moments of self-reflection, the more we learn and the more able we become in adapting and improving our performance. Therefore, self-reflection is one of the important elements in learning.
Second Layer of the Framework
The next layer of the circle are leadership competencies. The four domains of emotional intelligence that are required to develop and sustain relationships in the workplace. Emotions and cognitive processes are intricately linked and can drive a manager’s temperament and behaviour especially during times of high stress.
Outer Layer of the Framework
This leads me to the outermost layer in the circle, which relates to ‘others’ in the workplace that play a supportive role and enhance informal learning. As discussed earlier, learning in the workplace is dependent on the relationships and support a manager receives. Although learning occurred and arose out of doing the job, it was the interactions a manager had with her staff, supervisors, and mentors, that created opportunities for learning. For example, receiving feedback was critical to a manager’s ability to learn, because through feedback managers learn what their strengths are and how to improve their areas of weakness.
Key Implications
So, what are the key implications of these findings? For one, management and leadership are not synonymous terms. Some organizations have elevated the concept of leadership at the expense of management, which has created a mindset that leaders are better than managers. In 2003, Gosling and Mintzberg wrote an article for the Harvard Business Review where they said, “Nobody aspires to be a good manager anymore; everybody wants to be a great leader” (p. 54). However, the separation of leadership and management has its consequences. Management without leadership can lead to an unengaged workforce, while leadership without management can lead to unachieved business goals (Pagonis, 2017). The managers in my study expressed the importance of being able to be adaptable to continuous change and achieve results, while at the same time inspiring and motivating their staff.
The second key implication is that managerial development is informal, primarily occurs in the workplace, and is dependent on the relationships and supports that they receive in the workplace. While learning occurs at an individual level, it is enhanced through the development of relationships. Therefore, the workplace environment can create either opportunities for, or barriers to, learning. Fuller and Unwin (2006) have termed this, expansive versus restrictive workplace learning environments.
The third implication is organizations can play a vital role in supporting the development of both leadership and manager competencies. Demonstrating emotional intelligence takes time and a lot of energy. There is not a lot of time in the day to carve out moments for self-reflection and learning. However, there are benefits to an organization that invests in designing and supporting formalized workplace learning strategies for its managers. A failure to do so may result in restrictive work environments that can become a breeding ground for people management systems that rely on command and control, low trust relationships, and little tolerance for making mistakes (Pagonis, 2017).
I heard Sir Ken Robinson (Robinson, 2013) give a TED talk regarding the educational system in the United States, which I found inspiring. Sir Robinson said, “The real role of a leader is not command and control, but climate control. Creating the right climate of possibility”. Investing in workplace learning strategies should not be seen as a cost or too time consuming. It is an investment in our organization and our people. If the conditions in the workplace change to support learning, the relationships between managers and their staff will grow. People will be creative and take risks, which will lead to inspiring, engaging, and supportive workplaces.
References
Eraut, M. (2004). Informal learning in the workplace. Studies in Continuing Education, 26(2), 247–273.
Fuller, A. and Unwin, L. (2006). Expansive and restrictive learning environments. In K. Evans, P. Hodkinson, H. Rainbird, and L. Unwin, Improving workplace learning (pp. 27- 48). London: Routledge.
Goleman, D., Boyatzis, R., & McKee, A. (2002). Primal leadership. Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Business School Press.
Gosling, J., & Mintzberg, H. (2003). The Five Minds of a Manager. Harvard Business Review, 81(11), 54-63.
Mintzberg, H. (1989). On Management. New York: Free Press.
Mintzberg, H. (2013). Simply managing: What managers do and can do better. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler.
Pagonis, A. J. (2017). Informal learning at work: Examining how managers in the public sector learn informally in the workplace (PhD dissertation). *Dissertation will be released and accessible in the Education and Research Archive (the University of Alberta digital repository of scholarly work) on June 15, 2018.
