Why Companies Should Support Promising Middle Managers in Getting Their MBA

Why Companies Should Support Promising Middle Managers in Getting Their MBA

Running a medium to large business is far, far easier when you have very good people at your most senior levels driving your departments. Senior executive talent can be among the hardest to find, and promoting from within is usually the best strategy as it can show other people rising through the ranks that career progression all the way to director level is possible. However, when you do promote people from middle management into senior executive roles, you may be missing out on some of the business knowledge outsiders can bring. You may also have to work harder to train them in the skills that senior management requires if they have been in more hands on specialist roles before, without as much focus on strategy.

An MBA Can Be the Key to Developing Future Senior Managers

One of the best ways a middle manager can prepare for life as a director or other senior executive is to do an MBA. It can therefore be a very good idea to support promising managers who want to do this, both financially and in terms of allowing them time to study.

Can They Keep Working While They Do It?

You can offer a sabbatical, meaning you’ll keep their job open for them after they graduate from their course, however if you encourage them to do an online MBA degree, they may be able to take slightly longer to finish but keep working while they are studying. A lot of good universities like North Eastern University now offer an AACSB online MBA, and the students on these courses get the same support and resources as those studying on campus. This can be far better for you as a business, as they will remain in touch with what is going on within your company, gain the qualifications to help them progress more smoothly, and be less likely to jump ship for another company when they have their degree thanks to the support you’ve given them.

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What Support Can You Offer?

While it is possible to do online MBA programs mostly from home, they may have to travel to take exams, or may need time off to study for them. If you agree what you are willing to give them and whether it will be paid or unpaid leave in advance, then there should be no issues as they progress through the course when they need this. You could also invest in their development by paying for the course itself. If your training budget has the room, this can be a worthwhile investment and you may be able to agree a period after graduation when they won’t seek work with another company. Additionally, you can offer more practical support in the form of mentoring from other senior execs, or even yourself.

If you handle it well, then a middle manager wanting to get an MBA can be extremely helpful to your long term plans for senior level resourcing, so do consider offering support wherever feasible.

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Why Companies Should Support Promising Middle Managers in Getting Their MBA
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