Creating a learning journey requires developing a process of formal and experiential learning, and networking. Effective leader development is a continuous process.-
By Dave Desouza When DDI and the Conference Board conducted the annual study “Global Leadership Forecast 2014-2015,” it was with an invaluable accumulation of insights from previous research. One fact became abundantly clear: Approximately 75 percent of high-potential development programs are not effective in today’s business environment.

Programs are not preparing people to lead across countries and cultures, to develop inter-cultural skills, to integrate into foreign environments, to lead across generations, or to be creative and innovative. The complexity of the business environment has changed so radically in the last five years that leadership development has not caught up.

Each learning journey consists of formal and informal learning, and diagnostics; but something obviously needs to change. What? Per the research, the answer is found in two words: continuous learning.

Learning Journey in the Real World
Common business wisdom has followed the 70/20/10 ratio. It says that 70 percent of learning is on the job; 20 percent is learning from others; and 10 percent is formal development. The DDI research found the truth is closer to 55/25/20, and the highest quality leader development program is 52/27/21.

Rather than get bogged in ratios, organizations need to realize that it is a blend of formal, informal and on-the-job learning, all on a continuous basis, that develops leaders delivering the highest ROI. It is a learning journey that is based in business strategy and provides real-world applications.

The recent DDI study learned that leaders found developmental assignments the most effective leadership development method, followed by formal workshops, training courses and seminars. Next are coaching received from manager; coaching received from external coaches or mentoring; and coaching from internal coaches and mentors who are not the employee’s manager. The development program should also promote networking, and social media can play a large role.

Without an effective leadership development, the organization suffers.

Building on Formal Learning
Organizations have typically relied on formal learning events, and they remain important on the learning journey. Formal learning is critical because it establishes the foundation on which leadership competencies are built and forms the framework for experiential learning. However, the complexity of the business environment includes intangibles that leaders are having difficulty facing.

The DDI report calls these the VUCA challenges – acronym for volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. Globalization and technology, both now well-developed, are two major drivers of VUCA, but these intangibles are likely to accelerate over time rather than slow down.

The recommended best practices to increase leadership competency in an age of VUCA include clearly defining required leadership competencies, linking performance to organizational strategy, using leadership competencies as a foundation for various talent management systems, implementing high-quality focused development plans, implementing regular development assessment processes, and providing feedback on the leader’s key skills with managers. Best practices drive the design of effective leadership development programs. Organizations with leaders who develop capabilities to manage VUCA are three times more likely to experience financial performance similar to the top 20 percent of organizations. These are the organizations that are developing frontline managers and mid-level managers through focused learning journeys.

Though formal development programs are important, they will stall leader development progress if they are not extended to include practicing and using skills and competencies in the workplace. Requiring regular feedback between leaders and their managers is also proving to be an essential element for effective development.

Changing Face of Leadership
Developing tomorrow’s leaders requires understanding the needs of Millennials. Ignoring the changing face of leadership is done at great organizational peril because Millennials are quite different from the current set of older leaders (Baby Boomers). The first group of younger Millennial leaders are in place, especially in high-tech firms. To keep Millennials, organizations need a well-developed process of engagement that is linked to development opportunities. Millennials expect to develop through formal training, like workshops and online learning, and through networking. Social learning is delivered through social media, blogs and other virtual platforms.

Learning 2.0 uses blogs, forums, wikis, and discussion boards to enhance the learning journey through peer collaboration and digital connections. Leaders are encouraged to collaborate, experiment and express creativity. Organizations use social technologies to give leaders access to projects that require creating networks and problem solving through collaboration. Leaders who are comfortable interacting are better able to coach and develop others as they move up the ranks, are better communicators, are better able to foster creativity and innovation, and are able to identify and develop future leaders.

Keeping the Learning Journey on Track
DDI’s research found that many organizations are focused on isolated development events rather than a continuous process that integrates formal and informal opportunities. Learning experiences should be clearly connected to the job and include regular feedback, and results regularly assessed to keep the learning journey going in the right direction. To get leadership development for ready-now and succession planning on the right course, the Global Talent Forecast study recommends first identifying necessary competencies and giving feedback on the key skills to leaders; applying the leader competencies as the foundation for all talent management systems; and linking leader performance expectations to corporate strategy.

Once these steps are completed, the organization is ready to develop a systematic process to determine required leadership skills; develop a regular management review process; institute formal programs to build a leadership bench; and implement high-quality development plans. The process begins with filling gaps in the current leader development process. It then adds a focus on the future, such as the ability to fill critical positions. How does an organization know it is on the right track? It is through measurements and analytics.

Measure the level of engagement and development using available tools. Forecast talent needs based on historical trends and forecasted trends. Analytics include leader benchmarks, engagement level, program efficiency, leadership program impacts and forecasted talent needs. Leading global organizations rely on a number of benchmarks that include leaders promoted from within, success rate for internal promotions, success rate for external hires, expatriate success rate, high-potential success rate, bench strength, and several others.

Clearly, leadership development is no longer a matter of offering workshops and seminars. It is a journey of career learning.About DiversityPlus Magazine:
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