Leaders must set the best example
Tuesday, 27 November 2007
Rod Newing
HUMAN resources professionals can lend support, but responsibility for showing the importance of development rests with senior managers, who must reinforce that message with their own behaviour. Their aim must be to create a culture of development throughout the organisation.
"Our research shows that senior management commitment is critical," says Victoria Winkler, an adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. "It is really important that the organisation sets out 'from on high' that development is a real priority. Leaders must be good people managers themselves and act as role models."
It is hard for line managers to devote enough time and attention to development. This is born out by Tomorrow's People, Managing Talent in a Diverse World, a recent report from the Management Consultancies Association. It found that although 61 per cent of organisations see talent management as integral to their survival, fewer than a quarter believe their current talent management processes will deliver the leaders they need in the future, and 70 per cent feel the need to change their approach.
Managers will always be tempted away from development by the need to hit their short-term targets. Ironically, better development of their team would make them easier to achieve.
"Line managers must understand that learning and development is an investment in change and getting the most out of their people. That will have an impact on their own performance," says Ms Winkler,
The organisation must blend its short-term financial targets with development targets, making an element of managers' remuneration dependent upon developing others.
Talent and Leadership Practices 2007, a survey at 16 global companies by Momentum Executive Development, shows that three-quarters of participants believe there is significant potential to increase the impact of their talent processes. Nine companies are already assessing leaders on their behaviour, rather than just their results, compared with five last year. Two already link leadership behaviour and impact with remuneration.
"Behaviour is seen as so crucial to long- term corporate success that the day when director pay is directly linked to how they behave is not far off," says John Drysdale, Momentum Executive Development's founder.
Measurement is vitally important in creating a culture of development. Joanna Causon, director of corporate affairs at the Chartered Institute of Management, says that effective measurement and reporting on skills will help to improve long-term sustainability of the organisation. "Managers need to create a culture of development that is measured and linked to their bonus," says Russell Hobby, associate director at Hay Group, a management consultancy. "If that culture is not present, then they ought not to bother as all their effort will be wasted."
Learning and Development: Aligning Workforce with Business Objectives , a recent study by Aberdeen Group, recommends defining both soft and hard metrics and putting processes in place to review and subsequently promote successes to key personnel. This publicising of success is important in creating a culture of development, yet Talking in the Dark, a review by workplace communications consultancy CHA, reveals that fewer than 30 per cent of companies celebrate success.
Jane Turner, associate dean for executive development at Newcastle Business School, points out that managers are often influenced by their early experience of being managed in a traditional command and control environment. "It provided little opportunity for open conversations about learning and development needs," she says. "They therefore struggle initially to start coaching conversations. They need to experience the revolutionary impact they can have by re-engaging people at work."
Some organisations are getting it right. The Royal Mail Group Academy draws from senior leaders in all businesses and functions and is chaired by a non-executive director. "The business sets the agenda," says Peter Turgoose, its head.
Every manager in Tesco has coaching and development objectives. Senior directors often run master classes and share their experiences on development programmes. "We like training to be delivered by line managers," says Maxine Dolan, group training manager.
However, research by the Chartered Management Institute warns that although 40 per cent of individuals joined their organisation because of training and development opportunities, 23 per cent are dissatisfied with their programmes. Although 86 per cent of directors value their employees, 29 per cent have put no measures in place to see if they provide the right skills.
...............................
Under syndication
arrangement with FE
HUMAN resources professionals can lend support, but responsibility for showing the importance of development rests with senior managers, who must reinforce that message with their own behaviour. Their aim must be to create a culture of development throughout the organisation.
"Our research shows that senior management commitment is critical," says Victoria Winkler, an adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. "It is really important that the organisation sets out 'from on high' that development is a real priority. Leaders must be good people managers themselves and act as role models."
It is hard for line managers to devote enough time and attention to development. This is born out by Tomorrow's People, Managing Talent in a Diverse World, a recent report from the Management Consultancies Association. It found that although 61 per cent of organisations see talent management as integral to their survival, fewer than a quarter believe their current talent management processes will deliver the leaders they need in the future, and 70 per cent feel the need to change their approach.
Managers will always be tempted away from development by the need to hit their short-term targets. Ironically, better development of their team would make them easier to achieve.
"Line managers must understand that learning and development is an investment in change and getting the most out of their people. That will have an impact on their own performance," says Ms Winkler,
The organisation must blend its short-term financial targets with development targets, making an element of managers' remuneration dependent upon developing others.
Talent and Leadership Practices 2007, a survey at 16 global companies by Momentum Executive Development, shows that three-quarters of participants believe there is significant potential to increase the impact of their talent processes. Nine companies are already assessing leaders on their behaviour, rather than just their results, compared with five last year. Two already link leadership behaviour and impact with remuneration.
"Behaviour is seen as so crucial to long- term corporate success that the day when director pay is directly linked to how they behave is not far off," says John Drysdale, Momentum Executive Development's founder.
Measurement is vitally important in creating a culture of development. Joanna Causon, director of corporate affairs at the Chartered Institute of Management, says that effective measurement and reporting on skills will help to improve long-term sustainability of the organisation. "Managers need to create a culture of development that is measured and linked to their bonus," says Russell Hobby, associate director at Hay Group, a management consultancy. "If that culture is not present, then they ought not to bother as all their effort will be wasted."
Learning and Development: Aligning Workforce with Business Objectives , a recent study by Aberdeen Group, recommends defining both soft and hard metrics and putting processes in place to review and subsequently promote successes to key personnel. This publicising of success is important in creating a culture of development, yet Talking in the Dark, a review by workplace communications consultancy CHA, reveals that fewer than 30 per cent of companies celebrate success.
Jane Turner, associate dean for executive development at Newcastle Business School, points out that managers are often influenced by their early experience of being managed in a traditional command and control environment. "It provided little opportunity for open conversations about learning and development needs," she says. "They therefore struggle initially to start coaching conversations. They need to experience the revolutionary impact they can have by re-engaging people at work."
Some organisations are getting it right. The Royal Mail Group Academy draws from senior leaders in all businesses and functions and is chaired by a non-executive director. "The business sets the agenda," says Peter Turgoose, its head.
Every manager in Tesco has coaching and development objectives. Senior directors often run master classes and share their experiences on development programmes. "We like training to be delivered by line managers," says Maxine Dolan, group training manager.
However, research by the Chartered Management Institute warns that although 40 per cent of individuals joined their organisation because of training and development opportunities, 23 per cent are dissatisfied with their programmes. Although 86 per cent of directors value their employees, 29 per cent have put no measures in place to see if they provide the right skills.
...............................
Under syndication
arrangement with FE