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