How to Get a Return on Your Leadership Training
By Michael J Griffin
5 minute read
McKinsey Consulting says “organizations have been consistently dissatisfied with the results of their leadership training efforts. For example, only 11% of executives in a McKinsey study believe that their leadership development interventions achieve and sustain the desired results. Strong leadership is more critical than ever as the world grapples with crisis and uncertainty.”
I have been consulting with organizations across the globe that develop leaders who consistently get results by practicing integrity, skill, and influence to motivate individuals and teams to perform. Here’s the eight training practices I have seen that lead to developing and accelerating the growth of world class leaders.
Leadership Development is a Process, not an Event. So many companies treat leadership training as an event that is disconnected from the realities of the organization. Leadership development is a process of Assess, Train, Reinforce, Coach and Measure. Too many organizations focus only on the “Train” component of leadership development. Think how you might learn a new sport. You are assessed, trained, coached and reinforced to learn the skills of the new sport and measured how you play the game of sport – swings, goals, wins and losses. Treat leadership development as you would learning a new sport.
Link Leadership Development to Organizational Processes. When designing an effective leadership development process, Align the process to the organizational mission and values, the competencies of each level of leadership, the performance appraisal and talent development process, and, the KPI’s and scorecards that measure results.
Involve Senior Leadership Signalling. Too many senior leaders just give lip service to leadership development. It starts at the top! Ensure your senior leaders are actively involved in the leadership development process by signalling, communicating and walking the leadership attitudes and competence the organization requires.
Assess and Measure Leaders’ Development. Many organizations do a great job of assessing and measuring sales teams. Do the same with all your leaders. First assess your leaders to give each leader and the organization clear and objective feedback on the strengths, areas of improvement, and potential for advancement of each leader to be developed. Use profiles such as DISC profiles, 360 Degree Surveys, Strength Finder, Employee Engagement surveys and past performance appraisals to establish a baseline for the leader to grow from. Use these same tools to measure leadership growth on a quarterly or at least a half year basis to measure how the leader is growing and make changes accordingly. Make sure the leader’s direct supervisor is actively involved.
Hold the Supervisor Responsible. The manager of the leader being developed must be held responsible for the development of the leader being trained. Have clear and measurable actions that a manager must carry out to coach and reinforce the skills the leader has learned. Effective organizations hold a short Manager Support Workshop before leadership development begins to get supervisor buy in to coach the leader being developed. This might also involve adjusting the manager’s KPI’s and scorecard to include this process of coaching leaders. Leadership development fails when the direct supervisor does not coach and support leadership development.
Readjust Performance Appraisals. Many companies lump the talent development appraisal in with the performance appraisal. My insights from successful organizations separate the talent development appraisal meeting from the performance appraisal meeting. My second insight is successful companies hold these two appraisals at least on a quarterly basis. Employees and leaders need regular feedback, not a once a year, stressful appraisal process. The year end appraisals become a review and celebration of what is already measured and known about a leader’s development and performance.
Have a Regular Public Recognition and Awards Program. Part of any leadership training process should have a clear and public recognition program for developing leaders. Keep leadership develop success in the face of all in the organization. Celebrate the growth of leaders. This program can include both individual and team development. Make recognition public across the organization.
Human Resource Department Leaders are Trusted Advisors. World class companies that consistently develop and retain effective leaders have HR departments that are not just “doers” but trusted advisors to the board of directors or senior management. Shunting off leadership programs for HR to implement as “doers” never works. HR must be respected for their HR advice and strong implementation that gets change and results through people development. I have seen leadership development failure over and over when HR is stacked with leaders and people who do not “earn the right” to become trusted advisors who align themselves and HR practices with the mission, strategy and goals of board of directors or shareholders.
Grow world class leaders and accelerate the growth of your organization!
Simple and effective.
Email me at michael.griffin@elavateglobal.com if you would like to discuss these effective practices in your organization. I would be happy and honored to serve you.
Michael J Griffin
CEO and Founder of ELAvate
Maxwell Leadership Founding Member
6E Master Coach