TURNING POINTS: MATCHING MANAGER DEVELOPMENT TO CAREER CROSSROADS

Management development needs to be aligned to the career stage reached by each individual, and to make the best use of individual talents regardless of promotion prospects. The concept of critical career crossroads, involving a major redefinition of the work to be performed, is used to identify career points, and five main types of manager found between the crossroads are described, together with their needs and expectations and those of their organisations. A mix of development strategies – mentoring, exposure to external influences, formal development programmes and skill training – is proposed for each career turn, forming the basis of a learning contract between each manager and immediate superior.