Tediously written and refined learning objectives. Thoroughly researched, evidence-based content. Immediate post-workshop survey to quantify impact.
All these standard practices for developing and delivering leadership training are common and sound. The problem is that they are almost exclusively focused on the quality of the content, not the ultimate outcome of the training.
Said another way, traditional professional development focuses too much on what happens during a workshop and not enough on what comes after. With the goal of improving operating results and the work environment for both managers and staff, a more comprehensive approach puts as much time, creativity, and energy into what happens in the weeks and months following the workshops as before. Following are five ways to make that happen.
Make content more practical and tactical
In his Forbes article “Leadership Development is a $366 Billion Industry; Here’s Why Most Programs Don’t Work,” author Chris Westfall presents a compelling case for completely rethinking the way we build and deliver content. At the heart of his argument: “too much reflection, not enough application.” In our work with middle managers, we hear consistently that they don’t need more leadership theory; they need real, practical tools and strategies that work.
We’ve found that leadership training is especially susceptible to a theory-oriented bias. To seem more substantive, provocative, and thought-provoking, we lean into intriguing ideas rather than tactical actions. It’s like sending your kids to swimming lessons so they can learn that buoyancy is “the force exerted by a fluid opposing the weight of a partially or fully immersed object.” Interesting, but they will still flounder – or drown – if you throw them into the deep end of the pool with that knowledge.
Similarly, many middle managers tell us they are drowning. They need to learn and master the specific leadership strokes and breathing techniques, so to speak, that will keep them afloat and able to navigate increasingly choppy waters.
Embed support for new leadership practices up the ladder
Effective behavior change happens when senior leaders model best practices and mentor frontline leaders in adopting these same practices. More than just being ready to respond as problems occur, leaders of leaders proactively set expectations and hold managers appropriately accountable for adopting best practices.
Create safe spaces to discuss and debate challenges in staff engagement
Learning organizations understand that adopting new practices is a process, not an event. Part of that process must include psychologically safe spaces for managers to share frustrations, constructively solve problems with peers, and lean on senior leaders for guidance and mentoring. Management meetings whose agendas only include reporting results and cautiously addressing safe topics rob frontline leaders of opportunities to learn from and support their colleagues in confronting the most challenging workforce issues.
Resolve to eliminate outdated tasks to accommodate better new ones
When was the last time your organization definitively announced, “We’re not going to do X anymore?” Most companies struggle with letting go of anything, especially after it’s become part of a long-standing routine. For middle managers, that can seem like new things are constantly piled on their plates without anything ever coming off.
If you want leaders to consistently adopt new behaviors, you have to make room for them. Smart organizations identify outdated practices that no longer support how they want leaders to lead and deliberately replace them with better ones. That might mean rethinking annual performance appraisals, eliminating reports that add little value, or ending standing meetings that kill time – and enthusiasm.
Provide the infrastructure that makes it easier to adopt and sustain new practices
Expecting managers to develop their own systems and tools to implement new best practices is unrealistic. Thinking through how to make adoption easier has to be part of a comprehensive plan to sustainably change leadership practices and behaviors.
That’s why we developed the MyTEAM® cloud-based application. The inspiration for MyTEAM® grew out of one of our major projects a few years ago where company leaders wisely asked, “How do we know if people are actually implementing these best practices after we send them to the terrific workshops?” We broadened that smart question to consider how Stamp & Chase as their partner could make it easier for their hard-working managers to adopt and sustain the practices that would help them reduce turnover, boost employee engagement, and achieve better operating results.
The success of great leadership training is best measured by how much operating metrics improve after the workshops. Stamp & Chase’s philosophy and user-friendly tools help managers adopt and sustain meaningful changes that will improve the work environment for both them and for their employees.