Management development programs must be constructed through needs assessment, design, implementation, and evaluation. Management development must be tied to an organization’s strategic plan to be responsive to the needs of the organization and those of the individuals being developed. A thorough needs assessment, including investigating what managers in an organization do and the skills they need to perform effectively, is essential.

Specific objectives, both for the overall program and for each of its components, (e.g., on-the-job experiences, classroom training) should be established. Involvement in and commitment of senior management in all phases of the process is critical. Simply stated, it is management’s responsibility to ensure that the organization has a high quality management team. A variety of developmental opportunities, both formal and on-the-job, should be used. It is important that there is a linkage between what is learned in the classroom and what people are actually doing in their jobs.

The program should be designed to ensure that participants are motivated to participate. The day-to-day demands placed on managers at all levels make it easy to put development issues on the back burner. Action should be taken to evaluate the effectiveness of the program regularly and modify and update it as needs change.