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A Carol I. Kallendorf, Ph.D./Jack Speer Publication |
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Additionally, there are some homegrown development opportunities that really reflect the uniqueness of this almost 70 year old culture. As I interview key clients and the executive team about their training needs, one overriding theme is being conveyed: this organization needs the nuts and bolts of manager/supervisory training. In spite of the many course offerings, managers are dependent upon their own HR staff to learn how to interview and hire, write and conduct performance appraisals, coach and discipline employees, manage resources, and develop their people. As might be expected, the HR, and other support staff, cannot possibly fulfill their needs. I find it very interesting that although there is this dearth of basic training, managers and their teams are still deemed successful—as evidenced in the organization’s overall success. One might be content to maintain this status quo and ‘not fix it if it ain’t broke.’ However, there are cultural shifts in the making, and the more progressive members of the executive team see training as one way to head off potential problems caused by change. These shifts include changes to the demographics of the workforce, the impending retirement of a mass of workers, difficulty in retaining women and people of color, and the overall growth of our service area and the diverse needs of customers. As I work to develop the management training curriculum, there is no doubt that beyond the nuts and bolts there is a great need, across the company, for courses on communication, team building, conflict resolution, business writing, meeting skills and more. Obviously, more than managers need this training, and I will strive to build a program that delivers a consistent message and approach to all staff members on these subjects. There is great value in individuals knowing their own personality types, and to see how this affects them within their teams. To avoid confusion, and to engender consistency, the organization should choose one personality profile approach (for example, MBTI), one coaching model and a vocabulary and process for giving ongoing feedback. From a design perspective, it is much easier to thread these concepts throughout all of the courses, which will allow for ongoing reinforcement and will facilitate transfer of learning from the classroom to the workplace. Ultimately, management training happens on the job, not in the classroom, and it will be vital to build a support network among managers so that their learning is ongoing, and not ‘event-based.’ |
