| A group of senior executives are | | | | that uses methods that are more |
| finishing up a three-day program at a | | | | effective than lecture, or even lecture |
| top leadership training center. They've | | | | with PowerPoint and handouts. We need to |
| already filled out evaluations of the | | | | use more methods that offer |
| courses they took and the instructors. | | | | opportunities to learn from specific, |
| Now they're grading the facilities and | | | | relevant situations. And we need to use |
| meals. Soon they'll be heading back home | | | | more methods that allow for reflection. |
| to see what work has piled up while they | | | | But, just because training is different |
| were gone. | | | | from our Medieval model doesn't |
| This scene is played out countless times | | | | automatically make it effective. There |
| every day, all across the country. It | | | | are a lot of programs out there based on |
| also tells you a lot about the mistakes | | | | the principle that we have to do |
| companies make with leadership training. | | | | something special to make learning fun. |
| Companies spend millions every year to | | | | Other programs grow from the need for |
| send top managers to multi-day, off-site | | | | trainers and consultants to sell |
| leadership programs. At the same they | | | | something "new." |
| spend only about 7 percent of the | | | | That's why you have leadership training |
| training budget on first line | | | | that isn't training at all, at least not |
| supervisors. | | | | in leadership. Executives can try |
| But it's those first line supervisors | | | | outdoor adventure training which can be |
| that make most of the difference. Jeff | | | | lots of fun or they can learn leadership |
| Immelt, current CEO at General Electric, | | | | by cooking, which probably helps the |
| says that when he was a boy, he always | | | | executive be more helpful at parties. |
| knew the name of his father's | | | | But how do either of these make you a |
| supervisor, but rarely knew the name of | | | | better leader? None of these trendy |
| the CEO. That's normal. | | | | methods seem to do much about helping |
| First line supervisors determine whether | | | | you learn leadership, but they're a fun |
| workers are engaged or not. They're the | | | | way to spend the training budget. |
| leaders who assure that teams have both | | | | Here's another really important thing. A |
| high morale and high productivity. Why | | | | lot of great classroom training never |
| not spend some training money on them to | | | | finds its way back to the workplace. It |
| help them do a better job? | | | | never seems to make any difference in |
| The other thing wrong with spending | | | | what the leader-trainee does. |
| leadership training money on senior | | | | That's because companies spend their |
| managers is that they're not likely to | | | | time and money on the training and |
| change much. A manager who's been plying | | | | forget about the learning. That's up to |
| the leadership trade for a couple of | | | | the individual, but companies usually |
| decades isn't likely to make a big, | | | | don't even bother to set learning |
| effective behavioral change because of a | | | | expectations or check to see whether a |
| couple of classes. | | | | trainee is using what he or she was |
| To make matters worse, most leadership | | | | taught. They should. |
| training uses ineffective methods. | | | | Marshall Goldsmith reviewed how well |
| Companies spend millions every year on | | | | 86,000 leadership training participants |
| classroom-based training that isn't much | | | | actually learned from the experience. He |
| different from what you'd see if you | | | | found that the people who went home, |
| could go back in time to almost any | | | | talked about the learning and worked, |
| Medieval university. | | | | deliberately to implement new behaviors |
| In both cases there's one person in | | | | learned best. But those who just went |
| front of the room talking to a bunch of | | | | back home and did no follow-up showed no |
| other people. Oh sure, today there would | | | | improvement at all. |
| be PowerPoint slides and the seats might | | | | The sad fact is that we know how to do |
| be more comfortable, but Martin Luther | | | | good leadership training; we're just not |
| would have no trouble recognizing what's | | | | doing it. Here are some things your |
| going on. | | | | company should consider. |
| In this medieval training model, the | | | | Spend time and money training your first |
| instructor lays out some basic | | | | line supervisors and new managers. Help |
| principles and then works down to | | | | them put together a self-development |
| specific applications. That might be | | | | plan that will help them learn on the |
| great for the teacher, but it's not the | | | | job. You'll get the most bang for your |
| way that most human beings learn best. | | | | buck that way. |
| Think about any baby you've been around. | | | | Make sure the leadership training you |
| There's not a general principle in | | | | choose addresses specific skills and |
| sight. The baby sees things, touches | | | | uses effective instructional techniques. |
| things, runs into things and tastes | | | | Set specific learning objectives for |
| things and then turns all those | | | | everyone you send to training. |
| experiences into general principles. | | | | Make sure that people who go through |
| That's how most adults learn, too. The | | | | training get help and encouragement when |
| most effective sequence is from specific | | | | they get back on the job. Follow-up to |
| point or experience to general | | | | see that they're working to implement |
| principle. | | | | what they learned. |
| What we need is more leadership training | | | | |