Harvard Business School Publishing eLearning Ships The Essential Leader -- Stepping Up to Management; Online Leadership Program Helps New Managers Deliver Results Fast.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Harvard Business School Publishing (HBSP) eLearning, the highly regarded publisher of premier leadership and management development programs, today announced the availability of Stepping Up to Management. The newest addition to The Essential Leader(TM) suite of products from HBSP, Stepping Up to Management helps new managers deliver results fast. This news was released from the ASTD 2005 International Conference & Exposition, being held June 5-9, 2005 in Orlando, Florida, where HBSP is exhibiting in booth #1401.

Stepping Up to Management is a program to help managers learn important skills while performing the tasks of their job. This translates to a faster and more successful transition into the new role with minimal training time. Through interactive scenarios, as well as assessment and worksheet tools to use on the job, managers better understand what they need to do, and how to accomplish tasks including networking, developing direct reports, and working through others. The program covers essential management concepts without overwhelming the learner.

Corporate learning organizations across numerous industries have shown early interest in Stepping Up to Management, with several companies signing on for an early adopter program for the product.

"We saw a significant need in the market for high-quality management materials for first-time managers," commented Maureen Betses, vice president of eLearning, HBSP. "The positive response we have already received from a cross-section of industries underscores the value of this program and illustrates how customers are looking for something unique to support this important group of managers."

The Stepping Up to Management modules are:

--Understanding Your New Role: Discover management misconceptions, how to transition, and how to avoid common mistakes made by new managers

--Working Through Others: Learn how to build employee relationships based on trust and adapt your management style to employee needs

--Managing Performance: Understand the importance of managing for results, setting objectives, delegating effectively, coaching direct reports, and helping employees grow

--Organizing Resources, Time & Meetings: Handle administrative responsibilities efficiently, hold meetings effectively, and manage your time

--Cultivating Your Team: Coming Fall 2005

--Supporting Your Boss & Organization: Coming Fall 2005

--Networking with Colleagues: Coming Fall 2005

--Evolving as a Manager: Coming Fall 2005

Covering many of the core concepts important for new managers, Stepping Up to Management can be used as a foundation to create a complete training program for new managers. Organizations can also easily integrate Stepping Up to Management with existing courses for new managers, providing tools and activities to extend learning beyond the classroom setting.

Stepping Up to Management incorporates research and ideas from the work of Harvard Business School Professor and best-selling author, Linda Hill, along with the best-selling author of The First 90 Days (HBS Press, 2003) Michael Watkins, and others. Management training and development expert Susan Alvey contributed to the program along with practitioners Judy Skoglund and Linda Dunkel.

Learners can further explore concepts through articles from Harvard Business Review and other business publications embedded in each module.

Availability

The first four of eight Stepping Up to Management modules are immediately available and include action plans and completion certificates. The complete program including all eight modules, a priority assessment, and Kirkpatrick Level 3 assessment tools, will be released in the fall of 2005. To learn more, visit http://www.elearning.hbsp.org/home/prod_steppingUpToManagement.html.

About HBSP eLearning

Harvard Business School Publishing (HBSP) is a wholly owned, not-for-profit subsidiary of Harvard University. The HBSP eLearning division provides online leadership and management programs to a growing list of more than 500 corporate eLearning clients. Combining premier content with flexible technology, HBSP eLearning is transforming the way that important management ideas are shared in the workplace. The eLearning product lines include Harvard ManageMentor(R), The Essential Leader(TM) and Case in Point(TM). Visit www.eLearning.hbsp.org for more information.