Management development should be tied to an organization’s structure and strategy for accomplishing its business goals. There are four guiding principles that can help HRD professionals make the necessary strategic links. View the HRD professional’s role primarily as implementing strategy, and secondarily as a developer of managers. Use the organization’s strategic objectives as a starting point for identifying management competencies.

Use job experiences as the central developmental activity, with classroom activities playing the role of identifying, processing, and sharing the learning that is taking place on the job. Ensure that management development is flexible and open to respond to the business needs and issues an organization is facing and will likely face. Be responsive to the organization’s changing needs. Provide support for experience-based learning. This involves creating a culture that expects, supports, and rewards learning as a part of day-to-day challenges.