Congratulations! You are off to a great start. The first and the biggest step towards improving your team’s performance is to recognize that it needs help. So, if you are already thinking of offering a leadership training programme to some of your employees, then you are in a good spot – you have promising employees who might benefit from a leadership programme, AND you are willing to help them.
The next step is equally crucial – selecting a leadership programme that works for you and your employees. There is no one-size-fits-all PERFECT training session for leadership; this training is personal and must factor in the unique needs of your organization and your team.
Here are a few pointers to help you find the right programme –
1. Map your Goals
It is vital to have complete clarity regarding who, why and what of your leadership training –
- who are the people participating
- what skills do they need
- what do you hope the organization and the participants will gain from the training
- why do you feel the need to organize this training for your organization
You also need to know how you will assess the programme and most importantly how you will keep the momentum going after the programme is over!
Clarity on these points will help you while shortlisting a programme and a trainer.
2. Due Diligence of the Facilitator or the Executive Coach
In a leadership programme, everything rests on the shoulders of the facilitator/coach leading the sessions. You will naturally meet with several before finalizing your pick. It’s important to check the references of the people involved in the training.
You need to check –
- The facilitator’s / coach’s understanding of your unique requirements
- Their prior experience of conducting similar sessions
- References provided
- Online presence, blogs or reviews
- Their educational qualifications, certifications, etc.
The most important thing is to interact with the facilitator/coach and assess how they would approach the leadership programme and how they would make the learning stick.
Be careful not to get swayed by just someone’s big name – they may be great at marketing themselves but may not be great facilitators. After all, you want results – not a one-off motivational talk by someone high profile.
3. Trust and Rapport
Take the time to get to know the facilitator or the coach; you need to discuss your expectations in detail and understand how they plan to personalize and approach your specific requirements.
During your conversations, you will also build a rapport with the coach, and this is a crucial deciding factor – a facilitator-led training rests largely on the likability and social skills of the person conducting these sessions.
4. Session details
A good way to judge whether a particular programme will work for your team or not is to study the details of the various modules. It pays to get an understanding of how the sessions plan to tackle your goals.
5. Follow through
One of the biggest limitations of a leadership programme is that people tend to lose steam once the programme is over. Most participants come away enthused and full of energy to implement the learnings of the training but most never get around to doing it. A programme that leaves participants with a roadmap for implementing new skills and has a follow-up plan to keep them motivated in the long run is definitely worth considering.
Building and maintaining a leadership pipeline is absolutely vital for the continued growth of any business – it makes complete business sense to invest in future leaders. But you have to do it wisely – the goals of your organization has to align with the personal needs of the participants. Ultimately you need a programme that doesn’t just inspire but also imparts critical skills that leaders need!
Don’t guess your way to a leadership training program; it’s just too important for that! Bring in the experts to get your team the best. Request a free consultation by clicking the button above.