Leadership
Sometimes there is an important role for "sheep dip" leadership training. It establishes a common approach and standards for leaders. Managers use the same leadership language - people and processes support one another. But, there are a few disadvantages. Any program with a timetable, slides or a manual can't really identify and address the specific, workplace difficulties of individuals. Only some "sheep dip" participants make big improvements in their leadership after training - despite many participants saying "the course was great and I learnt a lot".
At F&C Asset Management there's
a very different approach to leadership development, and it begins with
selection onto the program.
Individuals don't choose their course dates, and they aren’t allocated dates according to their role. Instead individuals with similar 360 Feedback results are asked to attend on the same dates. Hence, individuals attending the same course date succeeded and struggled in similar ways. Participants face similar leadership difficulties; they understand one another's problems. And, the course can focus upon a relatively small number of workplace difficulties.
The two-day F&C course has no fixed timetable, but three flexible stages…
- Individuals interpret their own 360 Feedback reports - the simple red-amber-green report format makes that easy and enables managers to share their feedback with others.
- Informed by their 360 Feedback, individuals decide on the real-life leadership issues they need to work on. Issues such as delegation, team meetings, and tackling poor performance.
- Discussions and exercises are used to explore and develop practical solutions. For example, course participants might devise 10 ways to stop micro-managing, or improvised role-play might be used to practise better appraisal.
Managers leave the F&C leadership course with helpful answers to their actual problems. And, answers they've developed and practised. This is further enhanced by 3 fortnightly coaching sessions that really allow the manager to capitalise on their plans and make a successful transition from the classroom back into the real world. Not surprisingly, that has real impact on managers' leadership and on their teams. Mark Rayner, F&C’s Head of Development and Talent, says the personally tailored program isn't rocket-science but it has been hugely successful.
What's needed to make a tailored program work well? Mark believes its skilled trainers who are happy to abandon slides and set exercises, and to focus on individuals' needs. And, we suspect clear, pertinent 360 Feedback is a prerequisite.