Does your organisation provide effective management development or just an expensive sheep-dip training approach?
To help answer this question, imagine the following scenario…
Scenario
Your new CEO isn’t happy with what they’ve seen from the management team and has asked your HR director to sort out a new management development programme. HR has started work with the usual external consultants and, although the details aren’t clear yet, as the L&D lead you’re already getting complaints from the managers you work with.
Most of them are survivors of other management development initiatives, they don’t recognise the benefits of the new programme and think it’s likely to be a waste of time. Their real problem is that they are time poor and just want to get on with the job.
As you report these conversations back to the HR Director you can feel the pressure they’re under from the new CEO to improve management performance. The HR Director asks, “do you have an alternative solution?”.
This is your chance.
You’ve been skeptical about management development programmes for a while because they promise more than they deliver. Every couple of years or when there’s a new CEO another initiative is announced.
You realise that every CEO has to make their mark and it's their job to move the organisation forward, but you wonder about the ROI from major management development programmes.
The organisation pays a lot of money to external consultants and staff spend a lot of time on the programme; they attend the courses, watch the videos, collect the handouts and fill out the feedback form.
The problem is that six months later no one can see any difference, the organisation has paid for an expensive sheep dip but nothing much has changed. Glossy handouts are buried under a pile of other paperwork and managers are still struggling with the same old issues.
Sound familiar?
Self-development not management development
It’s an often-heard phrase: ‘I know what to do – but I struggle to do it.’
Management development programmes will often give managers the information they need to help them perform better in their roles.
For example, they know they should be nipping staffing issues in the bud before they become a problem, they know they should properly prepare for those difficult conversations and they know the theory of how to delegate effectively to their team members.
the success of the pilot and positive feedback from participants will encourage other managers to volunteer
The problem is they cannot apply this information in practice and keep responding to situations and challenges the same old way. Something is holding them back and their real issues have more to do with self-development than management development.
A significant number of managers lack confidence in certain situations or feel like a fraud or imposter and other managers struggle with procrastination, perfectionism or pleasing people.
Some managers lack emotional intelligence and seem totally unaware of the impact of their behaviour on others.
If managers had greater self-awareness and a deeper understanding of how their beliefs and assumptions impact how they function in the workplace they may choose to do things differently.
Luckily, there are many different staff development options aimed at helping managers bring the best version of themselves to the job.
Developing emotional intelligence
Start with a pilot project with a small group of managers and work with a skilled facilitator. The aim is to help participants develop their emotional intelligence so they can challenge their perceptions and see the bigger picture.
The group should be closed and with strict rules around confidentiality aimed at building trust and making people feel safe. Although attendance isn’t mandatory it should be strongly encouraged and actively supported by line managers.
The sessions should be loosely structured around certain themes and flexible to allow the discussions to be led by the participants.
There should be an explicit connection between relationship management and the ability to inspire teams.
The first session should explore how managers can become more self-aware with a focus on emotional self-awareness. This includes looking at core beliefs, assumptions and the impact of life experiences.
Subsequent sessions should explore the importance of self-management; for example, staying in control of your emotions, being adaptable and maintaining a positive outlook.
The final sessions should focus on organisational awareness, the importance of empathy and the key role played by relationship management. There should be an explicit connection between relationship management and the ability to inspire teams.
Hopefully, the success of the pilot and positive feedback from participants will encourage other managers to volunteer for the programme which could run alongside or be a part of a larger management development programme.
