Training Industry Magazine - Winter 2022 - 13

SAM SHRIVER & MARSHALL GOLDSMITH
BUILDING
LEADERS
3 KEYS TO EFFECTIVE
LEADERSHIP TRAINING
There are a number of things to consider
when evaluating the effectiveness of
leadership training. But we think these
three should gravitate toward the top of
your list.
1. THE LEARNER
We all had a class in college that
we would have absolutely avoided
- if only we had been afforded the
opportunity.
It was a prerequisite for
our major or a requirement for our
graduation. We had to take it, so we
did. How much have we thought about
that learning experience since? Not a
bit! We checked the box that needed
checking and we moved on.
How many people attend leadership
training in a similar frame of mind? " I
don't need this. " " I don't think this is
going to help me in any way. " " Careerwise,
I'm not sure I want to move into a
formal leadership position, " etc.
WHAT'S CHANGED?
PLENTY. BUT MOSTLY
THE LEARNERS
THEMSELVES.
We spend so much time and effort trying
to determine the return on investment
of leadership training. Most of that toil
is focused on the experience itself
in long-term combination with the
change in behavior it produces (and
the business results those changes
generate). Moving forward, we need to
focus increased attention on the learner.
Do they aspire to be better leaders,
and do they see themselves being
successful in that pursuit? Because if
they do not, it simply doesn't matter how
awesome our offering happens to be.
2. THE TRAINING
It is difficult to imagine training of any
kind producing documented results if
the training itself isn't compelling. Two
parameters of evaluation have long
been critical in that regard:
* Is it relevant?
* Is it engaging?
The driving forces of this assessment
have shifted (and continue to do so).
Traditionally, the platform skills of the
facilitator were overwhelmingly the most
critical consideration. Other elements
contributed, of course, but in an eventcentric
design, metrics were (and still
are) a function of the facilitator's ability.
What's changed? Plenty. But mostly
the learners themselves. The modern
learner is spread thin to meet the
everyday challenges of their work.
For a variety of different reasons, they
work in a flexible, hybrid environment
and the pace of change has served to
redefine " upskilling " and " reskilling "
as " the new normal. "
What are the implications? First and
foremost, training needs to fit into the
flow of that work. Content should be
consumed in " bite-sized " chunks and
tied to application. Relevancy has
taken on an entirely different meaning.
With ever-increasing regularity,
TRAINING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE - WINTER 2022 I WWW.TRAININGINDUSTRY.COM/MAGAZINE
learners expect content to be directly
tied to their work. As such, leadership
training is much less about imparting
knowledge, and increasingly about
a function of embedding handson
experience (with feedback and
feedforward) into the design.
3. THE CONNECTIONS
Think for a quick moment about key
executives in your organization. The
leaders who drive your culture. Do they
believe the way you are developing
leaders
provides a
competitive
advantage? Or do they see leadership
training as the kind of thing that has to be
done, but it makes no discernible impact
on the profitability or competitiveness of
your company?
How about the managers of the trainees
who attend your leadership training?
Do they understand and appreciate the
critical role they play when it comes
time to evaluate leadership training's
true impact? The more connected those
managers are to the training itself, the
higher the probability that training will
be proactively positioned and pulled
through upon completion.
Connecting what you do in training to
the calculated interests of executive
leaders, as
well
as
the
outcome
achievement interests of mid-level
managers, is a crucial component of an
effective evaluation strategy.
Marshall Goldsmith is the world authority
in helping successful leaders get even
better. Sam Shriver is the executive vice
president at The Center for Leadership
Studies. Email the authors.
| 13
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Training Industry Magazine - Winter 2022

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