“Better leaders” is not a business goal.
It is a common one, though. Many manager development programs start with a list of skills: communication, coaching, delegation, time management. Nobody names the business problem the skills are supposed to solve.
What goes wrong when the goal is vague
Without a clear goal, three things happen. Managers get more content than they can use. Their bosses do not know what to look for, so they ask about nothing. And when the program ends, nobody can say whether it worked.
A completion report will say that 40 managers finished. It will not say whether customers complained less or projects finished sooner.
Start with one business priority
A business priority is the one result your company most needs to improve right now. It should be something leaders already track, such as complaint rates, rework, delivery times or sales follow-up.
Then work backward. Which two or three manager practices could realistically move that number? (A manager practice is a specific action a manager takes at work.)
Here is an example. Say customer complaints are rising across your branches. Three manager practices might help:
- Call every complaining customer back within 24 hours.
- Review open complaint cases with the team once a week.
- Escalate unresolved cases the same day.
That is a program managers can understand in one minute. Their bosses can check it every week. And you can see whether complaints go down.
Five steps to set it up
- Choose one business problem that leaders already track.
- Write down today’s number before any training starts. This is your baseline, meaning your starting measurement.
- Choose two or three manager practices that managers control themselves.
- Ask each manager’s boss to check on those practices every week.
- Look at the number again after 90 days. Say plainly what else may have affected it, such as a new system or a busy season.
Check that managers control the result
Before you commit, ask one question. Can managers actually change this number with their own actions? If the result depends on decisions made two levels above them, a manager program will not move it. Pick a different priority, or fix the decision first.
Start small, then decide
At POC Management Execution, we usually begin with a 90-day pilot. A pilot is a small trial with one group of managers, run before the program goes company-wide. It gives you real evidence before you spend on a bigger rollout.
A management program should start with a business problem and end with a measured result.
What is the one business result your next management program must improve, and what is the number today?
If you are not sure, message me and we can brainstorm it together.
Further reading on jordanimutan.com:
• How to Tell If Your Leadership Pilot Program’s Results Are Actually Valid: https://jordanimutan.com/2026/10/07/how-to-tell-if-your-leadership-pilot-programs-results-are-actually-valid/
• Turn Capability Into Consistent Execution: https://jordanimutan.com/turn-capability-into-consistent-execution/
#LeadershipDevelopment #ManagerDevelopment #LearningAndDevelopment #HRStrategy #BusinessPerformance
