Employee development has the following characteristics:
Ongoing Process
Ideally, the development of managers is an ongoing procedure, spanning the whole occupational career of the management personnel of an organisation.
However, in India, management development was treated as an unsystematic and periodic activity, failing to fulfil the desired organisational needs.
In contrast, a Zen philosophy considers management development to be a systematic and ongoing process in an organisation.
Knowledge-Updating Activity
Organisational goals and needs are in a continuous state of change, requiring managers to be ready to update and enhance their skills and knowledge.
Management development processes need to tap the potential of managers and develop their skills and knowledge so as to fill the gap between their present competencies and future demands.
This should be a continuous process as organisations move up the ladder of change.
Change in Attitude and Perception
Attitudes and traits of human beings are the basis of their decisions and actions.
The complexity of actions cannot be understood without understanding the attitudes underlying these actions.
Management development programmes are directed towards understanding the perceptive, attitudinal and behavioural perspectives with the help of simulated sessions.
Once these are understood, properly planned management development programmes can be undertaken to achieve the changes in attitudes.
With the change in perceptions and attitudes, meaningful behaviour and improved interpersonal skills can be achieved, which are essential for effective management.
Achievement of Greater Managerial Competence
It is necessary to devise management development programmes considering issues like employees’ age mix, situations leading to confusion and disputes, needs for motivation, and habits.
Such programmes bring about improvement in managerial functions, making managers and executives more competent, effective and result oriented.
In order to optimally utilise the potential of managers and executives, they need to be accustomed to the complexities o managerial stress and strain through various management development programmes for achieving organisational goals.
Scaling Down Deficiencies
Managerial development programmes are directed toward determining work-related individual deficiencies and identifying the measures to overcome them.
This enables the organisation to reap immense benefits in terms of obtaining better functional output from its managers and executives.
Promoting Self-Development
Simulation sessions re-enact live situations in classrooms. This helps to sharpen interpersonal skills and the like before managers actually face such life situations.
Thus, management development prepares them to face future challenges. Interaction between managers facilitates learning from each other.
Thus, these management development programmes promote self-development through simulation and observation.