The Association for Talent Development (ATD) has released a new report, Manager Development: Driving Organizational Success, revealing that over 90 percent of organizations face challenges with manager training due to time constraints. The report underscores the critical role of manager development in enhancing performance and organizational outcomes.
Over 90% of organizations cite lack of time as a manager training challenge.
Key skills for managers include communication, feedback, and performance management.
53% of organizations offer post-training resources like skill libraries.
Top goals are improving manager and team performance.
62% of organizations use coaching or mentoring in manager training.
High-performing organizations leverage bite-sized learning and pre/post-training activities.
ATD’s Manager Development: Driving Organizational Success report, based on a survey of 409 talent development professionals, identifies time scarcity as a major barrier, with over 90 percent of organizations noting it impedes manager participation in training programs. Despite this, manager development remains crucial for improving both manager and team performance, with a focus on skills like communication, providing feedback, and performance management.
The report highlights that organizations prioritize communication, feedback, and performance management in manager training. Of the 53 percent offering post-training support, the most common resource is a library of articles, job aids, and videos to reinforce skills. Additionally, 62 percent of organizations incorporate coaching or mentoring, while high-performing organizations frequently use bite-sized learning and pre/post-training activities to enhance training effectiveness.
High-performing organizations stand out by integrating innovative delivery methods, such as bite-sized learning and structured pre/post-training activities, to maximize impact. These approaches cater to busy schedules and ensure sustained skill development. The report also emphasizes the role of coaching and mentoring in building manager proficiency, enabling organizations to align training with strategic goals.
ATD’s findings highlight the importance of overcoming time barriers to deliver effective manager development programs. By leveraging diverse training methods and post-training resources, organizations can enhance manager performance, drive team success, and achieve broader business objectives. A free webinar on the report is scheduled for September 5, 2025, at 2 p.m. ET.
The Association for Talent Development (ATD) is the world's largest professional membership organization supporting those who develop the knowledge and skills of employees, improve performance, and help to achieve results for the organizations they serve. Established in 1943, the association was previously known as the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD).
TechIntelPro empowers B2B technology decision-makers with the latest industry trends, deep insights, leadership perspectives and actionable intelligence to drive both organizational and professional milestones—and thrive on the tech pulse.