Speaker 1: According to research done in 2023, the global corporate leadership trading market size is estimated to increase by over 18 billion US dollars from 2021 to 2026. Apart from this being quite an impressive figure, it actually makes sense if you think about it. A lot of companies would rather spend time and, most importantly, money to help existing employees step up to the plate than waste the same valuable time and money finding the right fit from outside the organization. What if you're the one who has to support this effort and create leaders of tomorrow for your organization? How confident do you feel designing the right learning interventions for the right people and at the right time? Hello and welcome to the L&D Academy's channel, I'm Irina and today we're exploring 7 tips for designing and delivering a truly successful leadership development program that fits your organization. Tip number one needs analysis. Ask any marathon runner and they'll tell you they study the route just as meticulously as they prepare their body. The same needs to be true for learning and development. We need to understand the layout of the land. Except, in our case, we need to know what is happening right now and where our leaders need to be in the near future. For this, we should analyze the needs of the business and the leaders. A learning needs analysis is a systematic process of identifying gaps between employees' current attitudes and capabilities and the attitudes and capabilities required for them to perform their roles more effectively. How do you go about this? Well, your task, though somewhat uneasy, is to discover three things. First, the organization's challenges and goals and strategy. You can think of the challenges as the current state of the company and the goals and strategy the future or desired state. The second thing to discover are the specific knowledge, skills, and attitudes leaders need to develop to support the organization in reaching its desired state. And finally, the current knowledge, skills, and attitudes leaders have right now. Because we like to keep things practical on our channel, here are some questions that you can ask to uncover these important areas. What are the company's goals? What is the company's strategic direction? What challenges is the organization currently facing? What do leaders need to think and feel? What do leaders currently do really well? And what do leaders need to do better? Let's say that a company goal is to expand into new markets and increase revenue by 25% in the next two years. What will that mean for the leaders? What are the right skills and knowledge to navigate and lead the organization through this growth phase successfully? We need to consider adding such topics as strategic planning, market analysis, financial management, and communication skills. But when we also consider the current competencies of leaders and managers, it becomes easier to design a program that fits the people. It's fairly easy to translate leaders' weaknesses into learning needs. If someone isn't delegating effectively, or they don't know how to manage conflict, you provide them with learning opportunities to help them improve in those areas. But what do you do with their strengths? Well, you utilize them, of course. You can ask people who are good at specific things to step in as role models, subject matter experts, coaches, mentors, or even trainers and facilitators. It's also important to take into account the current and future challenges facing the organization. This includes both internal and external factors, such as changes in technology, industry trends, and shifting customer needs. Understanding these challenges can really help you identify the specific knowledge and skills leaders need to develop to navigate these challenges effectively. For example, the retail industry has a growing trend toward e-commerce and omnichannel sales. Leaders in this industry need to be able to manage teams that work both in physical stores and online, and to provide a consistent customer experience across multiple channels. A leadership development program in the retail industry may focus on topics such as customer service, supply chain management, and digital marketing. Once you know what you need to collect, the remaining question is, how do you collect all this information? And that's fairly easy. You have at your disposal a range of different data collection methods. These include, but are not limited to, interviews, surveys, observations, research into formal and informal discussions happening throughout the organization, like your internal social media, channels, forums, feedback forums, and so on, plus your engagement survey, exit interviews, and any other data that your company collects. Tip number two, defining program objectives. Once you know what you're dealing with, it's time to put together some program objectives. You can think of these as a roadmap that tells you what skills and competencies need to be developed and how they'll be measured. If you want to align your program objectives to the organization's goal, consider the following three tips. First, start with the organization's goals. Look at the overall goals and objectives of the organization, and then identify the skills and competencies that are needed to achieve those goals and how they relate to leadership development. You would ideally do this in the previous steps, but, you know, if you haven't done it in the research phase, now's a good time. Secondly, align with the organization's culture and values. For example, if collaboration is a core value, one of the program objectives could be to foster collaboration among team members. Finally, use SMART criteria. Just in case you've lived under a rock in the past 20 years, SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. I know that we talk a lot about SMART, but it's just that important. SMART goals help ensure that the objectives are clear, achievable, and that progress is tracked and measured. If you're not a fan of SMART, you're welcome to consider any other goal-setting framework, like KPIs for key performance indicators, or OKRs, Objectives and Key Results. Let's look at some sample program objectives. Improve participants' communication skills to foster open and effective dialogue within their teams, where 90% of participants score at least 80% on the post-program communication skills assessment. And cultivate a culture of innovation by enhancing the creative thinking abilities of the leaders, where by the end of the program, every participant generates at least three innovative ideas that could be implemented in their respective departments. Each objective should then be broken into specific skills and competencies that need to be developed. Let's see what that looks like for the two sample objectives we looked at. Communication skills could include topics like active listening, effective feedback, and conflict resolution. Innovation could be taught through creative thinking, problem-solving techniques, and design thinking. For more examples of SMART goals for leadership development, check out the full article on our website. You can find the link in the cards on the screen and in the link in the description. Tip number three, selecting the right learning methods. This is crucial for the success of your program. A popular approach is the 70-20-10 framework, which suggests that 70% of learning happens through experience, 20% through social interaction, and 10% through formal training. These don't have to be exact proportions, but they should give you an idea of what to focus your efforts on. Consider a range of possible learning methods, including training, online learning, workshops, coaching, mentoring, project works to comment, and so much more. To accommodate the 70-20-10 framework, you could blend several of these learning methods together. For example, you could prepare a short online course with a theory behind the topic, followed by an in-person workshop where participants can share their experiences and practice new leadership techniques. That could additionally be supported by coaching and mentoring. And all of this would culminate in a project that the group would need to work on together, allowing them to practice everything that they've learned in a real-world situation. When selecting the right methods, it's important to consider your organization's needs, resources, and culture. For example, workshops and group coaching sessions may be more effective if your organization values collaboration and teamwork. Alternatively, if your company focuses more on individual development, then one-on-one coaching and mentoring may be a better fit. Of course, in the real world, things are rarely so simple, so work within your specific context. Tip number 4. Selecting participants. When it comes to picking who will participate in your program, there are two main approaches – push and pull. In the push approach, the business nominates and in a way pushes leaders to participate in the program. This is often driven by line managers or HR business partners who identify potential leaders who could benefit from the program. The advantage of this approach is that it ensures a wide range of leaders from different parts of the organization participate in the program, which can help to build a common leadership culture. Additionally, it can be easier to ensure that diversity and inclusion are prioritized in the selection process. However, the downside is that participants may not be fully engaged or motivated to participate in the program, leading to lower levels of commitment and engagement. In contrast, the pull approach requires managers and leaders to apply and be considered for the program. This approach ensures that only truly motivated and committed leaders participate, which can increase the level of engagement and participation. Additionally, it can help build a stronger sense of ownership and commitment to the program. However, the downside is that the program may not attract a diverse range of participants and there may be a risk of bias in the selection process. Ultimately, the approach chosen will depend on the goals and culture of the organization. A push approach may be more appropriate for organizations seeking to build a common leadership culture, while a pull approach may be more suitable for organizations seeking to attract and retain motivated and engaged leaders. Regardless of what approach you've chosen, it's important to ensure that the selection process is fair, transparent, and aligned with the company's values and goals. This can really help to ensure that the program is successful and delivers lasting benefits to both the individuals and the organization as a whole. Tip number five, implementing a leadership development program. When designing a leadership program, one might wonder if it's necessary for the instructor or facilitator to also be a leader themselves. The truth is that there are pros and cons to both sides of this question, so let's explore some more. And we'll start with the pros of being a leader. Having experience as a leader can really provide valuable insights into the skills and knowledge needed for successful leadership. A leader may better understand the specific challenges and opportunities faced by their organization and can tailor the program accordingly. Finally, a leader's credibility and influence may help to gain buy-in from other leaders and participants in the program. Of course, there are some cons to being a leader. For example, a facilitator who's also a leader may have a biased perspective on what skills and knowledge are necessary for successful leadership based on their own experience and style. A leader may also be too close to the situation to identify blind spots or areas for improvement within the company. And finally, a leader may lack the necessary expertise in program design and development to create an effective program. What about the case when the facilitator isn't a leader? Well, let's look at some pros. A non-leader may bring a fresh perspective and new ideas to the program design and implementation. A non-leader may also have expertise in program design and development to ensure that the program is compelling and engaging. Finally, a non-leader may be more objective in identifying blind spots and areas for improvement within the organization. And as you'd assume, there are also some cons to not being a leader. For instance, a non-leader may lack understanding of the specific challenges and opportunities faced by the organization and may be unable to tailor the program accordingly. A non-leader may also lack credibility and influence with other leaders and participants. Though I would argue that credibility and influence are built based on personality and character more than the title, but that isn't universally true across the world. Finally, a non-leader may not fully understand the nuances of leadership and what it takes to be a good leader. What do you think is better, to have a facilitator who is a leader or one who isn't? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Before we move on, there is also the question of outsourcing. There are several situations when outsourcing, the implementation, or the delivery of a leadership development program to an external vendor may be the best option for your organization. Firstly, if your company doesn't have the necessary expertise or resources to design and deliver a program internally, outsourcing can provide access to specialized knowledge and skills. These vendors can offer various program options from off-the-shelf to customized solutions and anything in between and bring fresh perspective to the design and delivery process. Secondly, outsourcing can be a time-effective way to implement a program if you have time constraints. External vendors may have established processes and resources in place which can streamline the design and delivery process and reduce the time and cost associated with creating a program from scratch. Thirdly, suppose you are looking to implement a program across multiple locations or regions. In that case, an external vendor can provide consistency in program delivery, ensuring that all participants receive the exact same quality of training regardless of their location. However, outsourcing also has its potential drawbacks, the biggest one being the cost. Hiring external vendors always comes with a hefty price tag. Not to mention that you'll be paying not just for their fees, but also for any travel and accommodation in cases of face-to-face programs. Another potential drawback to consider is that working with an external vendor can result in less control over the design and delivery, and that may turn into less customization to your organization's specific needs and culture. Ultimately, the decision to outsource the implementation or delivery of a leadership development program should be based on your organization's specific needs and goals, as well as the available resources and expertise. Just make sure to weigh in both the pros and cons before making a final decision. Tip number six, skills needed to design and implement a leadership development program. There are a number of different skills you would need to design and deliver a leadership development program. Here's just a few of them, but this list is by no means exhaustive. Knowledge of Leadership Theory and Practice, Communication Skills, Interpersonal Skills, Organizational Skills including Time Management, Stakeholder Management, Coaching, Facilitation Skills, Working Understanding of the Adult Learning Principles, and Flexibility and Adaptability. Effective facilitators are able to connect with participants, communicate effectively, and provide guidance and support to help them develop their leadership skills. What other capabilities do you think are important? Let me know in the comments below. Tip number seven, evaluating the program. Arguably, one of the most important activities of any L&D department is to evaluate the success of their work. Leadership development is no exception. As a matter of fact, I'd go as far as to say that you need to be evaluating any leadership development intervention even more rigorously and regularly than other activities. It's just that important. To design an effective evaluation plan, you need to set measurable goals and use multiple methods for collecting data. This includes conducting pre- and post-program assessments, gathering feedback from participants, their managers, and other stakeholders, and analyzing metrics such as productivity, employee engagement, and retention rates. When analyzing the evaluation results, think of SWOT. What are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for your program? This can help inform any adjustments you need to make to the program's content, delivery methods, or objectives to better align with your organization's needs and values. Additionally, it's important to communicate the evaluation results to program participants and stakeholders and provide them with actionable feedback and opportunities for further development. This can help to foster a culture of continuous learning within the organization. Designing a leadership development program that fits your organization is essential for the growth and success of the business. We've covered several key points in this video, including conducting a learning needs analysis, defining program objectives, selecting the right learning methods and the appropriate participants, and implementing and evaluating the program, as well as the key skills needed. Remember that every organization is unique, and your leadership development program should reflect that. By using the guidance provided in this video and tailoring it to your organization's specific needs and values, you can create a successful leadership development program that will benefit your company for years to come. Have you ever participated in a leadership development program? And what was your experience like? Let us know in the comments below, but let's make it more fun. Instead of words, try using emojis to explain your experience. This is just a little experiment we're trying to see how many people reach the end of the video. Speaking of which, this is it. If you enjoyed this video, please consider liking, sharing, and subscribing to our channel. This is the best way for us to grow. Thank you for being here, good luck, and I'll see you in the next one.