Is leadership training and development a priority for your organisation in 2011?
Investing in a manager’s development is a win – win for the organisation, as it will not only equip them with new skills, but it will also motivate managers. This in turn will enable them to motivate their staff better which will have a positive effect on their morale, work satisfaction, effectiveness and personal performance, and ultimately it will feed through to the financial performance of the organisation.
However there are other factors to consider too before launching a new leadership training and development programme, some of which are as follows:
Firstly it is important to consider the content and focus of any leadership development or training – what is the business or organisational need that that must be addressed? Is the business trying to grow, restructure, or diversify? What are the skills and behaviours that are needed by all levels of leader across the business?
The organisation’s executives will need to model the required behaviours from the top. Do they currently do this or do they need development support too?
Is it to be a themed team programme which will include all managers from across the organisation, or is it more of a modular programme that leaders can ‘buy into’ where they have an identified need?
Do some of the organisations managers have specific development needs where an individual 1 to 1 coaching approach would be more appropriate?
The timing of any development programme is key too. If the organisation tries to push it into a manager’s schedule at a particularly busy time of year then it is likely to be resisted at best or rejected at worst.
Finally it is important to ensure that all development interventions are followed through and that the organisation evaluates the benefits and value of them.
Being a leader requires many skills but one of the key elements is an individual’s personal motivation – they must have the will and desire to want to lead people.