Developing Managers without Management Development

"Development," as used here, is the learning that occurs independently of instruction. It is primarily the result of experience. Whether it carries the individual very far beyond what he was taught depends partly on his learning capacity, but more importantly on the quality of his experience and on whether he is encouraged to learn from it. In the present review I also want to point out that: ? Whether an organization succeeds in assuring its supply of competent managers depends far more on how it runs its business than on the sophistication, or even the use, of formal training programs. ? Four specific aspects of the organization's management of itself are the keys to both the quality and quantity of its future talent supply. These are: organization structure, job design, career planning, and control systems. ? Formal management training programs are neither necessary nor sufficient for this purpose, although they can significantly strengthen the organization that uses these four tools effectively. ? The process of developing subordinates can be anxiety-provoking for executives, and this, rather than the inherent difficulty of the process, is the principle obstacle to its wider use. S.W.G.