March's Big Question: What would you do to support new managers?

Very glad to learn that LCB is not a spam blog after all (well duh!). So let's have a very quick look at this month's Big Question before this month becomes last month.

What would I do to support new managers?

First and foremost, I would appoint them mentor and facilitate a meeting between the mentor and the new manager, in which the mentor (not the facilitator) would lead a discussion on the nature of their relationship going forward, the preferred method of communication, the sort of support on offer, other potential resources and, if necessary, set boundaries. The mentor would also be expected to introduce them to the rest of the management community, identifying particular areas of strength of each individual.

The new manager would follow an induction programme that would include a pointer to online support resources available. These would be:

An online guide to company policies and procedures, accessible on a JIT basis. This guide would include guidelines on how to apply the policies and follow the procedures, outlining the expectations on him/her. This guide would also point to...

Learning materials/opportunities available, should the manager feel the need to upskill in any area.

Social media, such as wikis, glossaries (for jargon busting), FAQs, discussion forums, blogs, etc. which the manager could use as preferred.

Regular performance appraisals with a line manager - quarterly for the first year, then half yearly thereafter. Of course, a good line manager won't wait until the PA is due if something needs addressing before then, but that's a separate issue.

I'm sure I'll think of other things once I've posted this, but I guess that's it for now.