Organizations are more complex than two days of training.
Leadership Training alone can not fix a company’s organizational and leadership problems. Yet, companies have been willing to pay for the chance to impact change through training. Globally, in 2015, companies were spending $356 billion on training programs. Did they achieve a good return on their investment? What are the keys to implementing effective change in any organization?
Here are some simple ideas to consider when exploring Leadership Training in your organization:
Are training that your company is buying created for your organization based on your company values and core leadership competencies or is it basically an off-the-shelf program?
Senior management drives change based on a clear set of business objectives. Those objectives need to be driven by a clear set of company values. Senior managers need good information to make decisions. And, their people need to be comfortable sharing data no matter how bad it may be. Employees need to receive guidance and opportunities to practice in a safe environment how to give and receive feedback.
Is the company open to honest feedback from employees?
Politics plays a role in most companies. Employee gamesmanship and positioning are detrimental to senior management and the company. They tend to provide information senior management wants and not necessarily what they need to hear. Companies need candid feedback about impediments to efficacy and execution, including senior management’s conduct. Even if it sounds strange, a lot of participants that are sent to training do not see the connection between the workshop they are attending and their daily work.
Is the training relevant to the business?
Company setup needs to reflect the openness to the changes made to move forward. The content and direction of the training need to be relevant to the industry. Don’t use training companies that offer off-the-shelf content that does not even use your industry terminology. And it requires a combination of workshops, coaching, and assessment of skills.
What happens after the training? Does the company offer ongoing coaching and training consulting to achieve positive change?
The problem with most leadership programs is that they end. Employees go back to their everyday lives, and old habits creep back into the day-to-day operation. Successful programs provide ongoing support and training to help managers apply what they learned to their daily routine. Change happens over time.
Can you measure the impact of your training on the organization?
As a continued follow-up to your leadership journey, can you measure the progress? Is it positive, negative, or static? A positive leadership journey will take time to impact change. Leadership and culture must be in it for the long haul and commit to creating a safe environment, a culture of openness, and leadership for all business units.
At LPA, we can help your organization reach these strategic objectives with our Leadership Potential Accelerator Program, addressing the pitfalls most companies find themselves with leadership training. And you will be able to track the improvement of your leadership skills.