Corporate investments in training and development of managers have been raising again. However, we can't say that managers' gaps are disappearing thanks to it. What is the reason? According to Rachel Lewis, psychologist and assistant professor at Kingston Business School, in fact,the problem is we have being studying leadership too theoretically for almost a hundred years. We focus on what a good leader should look like, but fail to discover how to specifically develop good leadership in a manager. Leadership development programs in companies also focus too much on theoretical aspects.
"Many management development programmes rely on choosing the right provider, the right model, and then running a ‘training event’. This approach fails to recognize that changing behavior long term needs both support and an organizational context that encourages and embraces the change," writes Rachel Lewis on the HR Zone website. She highlighted the following typical examples of companies needlessly throwing away money on leadership and management development programs.
1. One-time courses
A manager's development should take at least three months and involve a variety of educational techniques. Success does not lie in applying as many tools as possible, but in choosing the right educational tools tailored to the needs of the manager and the expected changes in his behavior.
2. Missing context
Management training should always take place in a specific context, as part of a development program linked to corporate values and needs, as well as other programs within the company.
3. Prioritizing process before content
If you spend more time choosing the right providers and trainings than actually training your managers, it is a mistake. Each development program should consist of three phases:
- Pre-development - linking the program with organizational context, motivating content for participants
- Development - training itself (various courses and other educational activities)
- Post-development - applying new skills in practice, feedback
4. Lack of support
For your development program to succeed, you need the support not only of the managers who will directly be trained , but also of their subordinates. Equally crucial is the support of senior managers who should lead by example.
5. Contradiction with the corporate culture
It makes no sense to teach managers something your company does not respect or directly prevents by its rules. It's a nice-have when a manager knows how to act openly and authentically, however, it is useless if he can't apply it in his work.
-kk-