Emerging Leaders Development Program: A Critical Review

A Case Study by Kavita Tewari and Prachi Agarwal

1.   The  Context  

Developing capable Emerging Leaders is a primary strategic challenge for most organizations today. These are people who have become leaders for the first time in their career. Prior to promotions in their role, most people work as “doers”; their primary responsibility is to perform specific tasks. Their contribution depends primarily on what they do personally, drawing upon their own expertise and actions. The transition from individual contributors to Emerging leaders poses formidable challenges.

Some of the important things that the new Emerging leaders discover is that their role – by definition a stretch assignment – is even more demanding that they had anticipated. The transition becomes even more difficult when they fail to realize the ground realities of management. Organizational interdependencies are another striking feature of an emerging leader’s life. An emerging leader is required to develop interdependence and synergy with experienced team members. Therefore, in order to succeed in their role, Emerging leaders have to first unlearn some deeply held attitudes and habits. Only then a new professional identity emerges, and he/she internalizes new ways of thinking and discovers new ways of measuring success and deriving satisfaction from work.

2.   The  Intervention  

In the light of the above, the authors present a case study about a leadership development program conducted for the “emerging” leaders / first-time managers of a leading company in the diagnostic healthcare industry.

With a proven track record of over six decades for strict adherence to international standards and benchmarks, this company offers widest test menu and has a pan India presence in all important cities and towns of India, in the form of state-of-the-art laboratories and patient service centers. Its employee strength of over 3000 people, serves over 12 million customers every year.

The company has decided to aggressively expand its business, with the result that the HR challenges have increased manifold during this growth phase. The exhibit below describes some of the HR challenges and the resultant strategic learning imperatives:

 

 

Business Challenges:

Ø Need for high levels of talent

Ø Highly committed and Motivated employees

Ø Intensified Competition

Ø Technology

Ø Power shift to the customer

Strategic Learning Imperatives:

Ø Expand the view of whom to train

Ø Accelerate the pace of employees learning

Ø Prepare managers to deal with employees better

Ø Make sure employees believe they have opportunities to learn & grow

Ø Capture and share knowledge more effectively

Ø Ensure that training and learning support the strategic direction

Ø Diagnose and modify the work environment to support the transfer and learning

Keeping in mind the business and strategic learning Imperatives, the company took pro – active steps and organized five days program on “Emerging Leadership” for their first time managers by the leading facilitators of Samatvam Academy, Dr, Sunil Maheshwari and Mr. Dilbag Singh. Let’s take a look on the 4Cs of the training cycle vis-à-vis followed and implemented by the company and the facilitators.

The program went through the four phases of the Samatvam Academy’s customization cycle for people development interventions, as follows:

Comprehend

Craft

Conduct

Consolidate

 

 

 

2.1  The  Comprehend  Phase  

In comprehend phase the focus is on identifying difficulties (problems), deficiencies or new developments that indicate that a training effort is required.

TNI or Training Need Identification is a methodology to identify skill gaps in all levels of an organization. Using the knowledge gained from analysis, HRD professional can provide the training or other HR interventions needed to further individual performance and achieve organizational objectives.

STAGES FOR CONDUCTING A TNI

Stage One: ORGANISATIONAL SCANNING

Ø Identifying performance problem that require skills acquisition or enhancement (the “gap analysis”)

Stage Two: Data Collection

Ø Determining the extent of performance improvement challenges

Ø Determining which level of the organization requires assistance

Ø (e.g. company- wide, division/department, team or individual)

Ø Distinguish between training and no solution to performance problems training

Ø Classify the type of interventions required (e.g. coaching, classroom training, computer based training etc.)

Ø Prioritize interventions according to level of urgency

Ø Results used to:

Ø Improve existing training

Ø Develop new T&D opportunities

Ø Assess need for HR interventions other than formal training

 

 

Analysis by authors about the company under study on Comprehend Phase:

It was observed that there is a team of individuals who have performed well in their respective areas and have been promoted to a managerial level/leadership role. A team of 30 first time managers was identified and it was felt that as “First Time Leaders”/ “Emerging Leaders”, they should undergo a rigorous leadership development program. The company was proactive to identify that major paradigm shift in the role of those identified employees whose role will now significantly change from being a Team Member (Focus on individual performance) to a Team Leader (Getting work done from the team members).

Ø Group Introduction/details: The participant mix comprised of employees from 23 years of age group to 52 years carrying experience from 1 year to approx. 35 years.

Ø Observations: Because of this variation in the age and experience profile, there was quite a lot of difference in the viewpoints, opinions and maturity level of the participants. Also, some of the participants were quite new to the culture of this company and did not have much experience to share and add value to the overall group. A more homogeneous participant mix would have enabled more sharing and learning amongst the participants.

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Below  30   30-­‐35   35-­‐40   40-­‐45   45  and  above  

Age  Pro(ile      

Nos.  

 

 

2.2  The  Craft  Phase    

Based on the identified needs, we plan and design a course or program to meet that need. For learning to occur, training program require meaningful material, clear objectives, and opportunities for practice and feedback.

A design document can be used to guide the development of training and to explain the training managers, subject matter experts, reviewers, or other trainers.

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0-­‐5  years   5-­‐10  years   10-­‐15  years   15-­‐20  years   20  and  above  

Exp.Pro(ile  

Nos.  

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Assistant  

Manager  

Deputy  Manager  

Area  Manager  

Manager  

Regional  

Manager  

Team

 Lead  

Senior  OfKicer  

Designation    

Nos.  

 

 

The table below shows a design document template.

Ø Scope of Project

Ø Goal

Ø Audience

Ø Design time and checkpoints

Ø Length of the course

Ø Delivery

Ø Content

Ø Training Time

Ø Problems and Opportunities

Ø Objectives

Ø Resources

Ø Who is involved

Ø Topical Outline

Ø Administration and Evaluation

Ø Links to other Programs

Source based on G. Piskurich, Rapid Instructional Design (San Fransisco: Pfeffier, 2006)

The level of detail in the design document can vary. Scope of project includes the goals, outcomes, or what trainers are expected to achieve; a description of the trainees; a description of how long it will take to develop the course and the checkpoints of the tasks that need to be completed as the course is developed; and the length of the course. The length of the course is determined by considering trainees’ abilities and their availability for training, the resources needed for training, whether the course is part of the larger curriculum or is a standalone course, and the need to develop modules in order to provide an opportunity for trainees to practice concepts and skills to avoid being overwhelmed. Conduct includes what the course will cover, how will it be delivered, an estimate of training time, and the identification of any special conditions or issues that may affect the course.

Ø Objectives refer to the course objectives. It is important to realize that within a training program there are usually different types of objectives that vary in specificity and detail. Program objectives refer to broader summary statements of the purpose of the program. They are usually included on the design template. Course objectives or lesson objectives refer to the goals of the course or the lesson. These objectives are more specific in terms of expected behavior, content, conditions and standards.

Ø Resources refers to the materials – cases, DVDs, videos, models, process maps,

 

 

lesson plans or guides for use by the facilitator or participants- that need to be purchased or developed for the course. Who is involved includes the trainers, program designers and individuals who will be involved in the design, delivery and evaluation of the program. The topical outline includes a brief outline of the topics that will be covered in the program. Administration and evaluation refers to who will be in charge of course scheduling, how trainees will enroll, how the course will be evaluated, and who will review and update the course. Links to the other programs refer to any needs, such as train-the-trainer program or manager introduction or kick-off for the program.

Ø The exhibit below shows a simple design document for Emerging Leadership for the company under study program

Purpose Emerging Leadership for First Time Managers

Goal First time Managers will be able to handle team effectively

Target Audience First –time Managers

Training Time 5 days

Method Lecture, video, role play, simulations, participative exercises, workbook

No. Of participants 25-30

Location Company Decided

Problems & Opportunities Business is expanding, first time managers need to take leadership role

Analysis by authors about the company under study on its design/Develop Phase Mastering people leadership is a set of capabilities that will help an emerging leader to manage perceptions, gain respect, reframe responsibilities, exercise authority, and manage relationships. Successfully navigating each of these capabilities will help exercise critical management skills such as delegation, decision-making, motivation and teamwork towards enabling collective and organizational achievements.

Ø To be successful in their new role, emerging leaders need to learn;

Ø Credibility: Demonstrate personal credibility, which is the quality of being trusted and believed by others, through the demonstration of personal authenticity, creativity and passion.

Ø Commitment: Build interpersonal commitment, which is the act of inspiring engagement, dedication and involvement of other colleagues, through relationships with people both inside and outside their work group.

 

 

Ø Collaboration: Enable collective collaboration, which is the process of two or more people working together in an intersection of common goals, by empowering employees and resolving conflicts through listening more than talking so as to catalyze teamwork towards the achievement of departmental goals.

Ø Course Module: The course module was based on the following three pillars:-

Ø Tools/Techniques used for explaining the structure:

ü Simulation: Any training activity designed to reflect reality. This may include a role play & in basket exercise or any other learning experience that has real life aspects integrated into it. The learning comes from the participant’s own experience in the activity.

ü Role play: Role play allows the acting out (experiencing) of real life situations in a protected or risk free locale. Role playing in the training situation allows the receipt of adequately objective feedback about one’s performance so that one can learn from what others (peers, the trainer) see, hear and feel.

ü Participative exercises: A structured experiential activity. Learning comes from participant input, interaction and participant analysis of the attitudes and/or behaviors generated by the activity.

ü Self-discovery learning (Appreciative Enquiry): The Appreciation conversation is a tool for exploring the natural gifts (talents), passion (an intense emotion, compelling feeling, enthusiasm or desire for something). The data collected during these interviews helps locate, illuminate and understand the distinctive strengths that lend life and vitality to the individual when he/she is functioning it at best.

ü Films/Videos

ü Workbook/PPTs

CREDIBILITY  

Authenticity  

Passion  

Creativity  

COMMITMENT  

Alignment  

Motivation  

Harmony  

COLLABORATION  

Quest  

Mobilization  

Symphony  

 

 

2.3  The  Conduct  Phase    

“Retention is best when the learner is involved” – Edward Scannell

Conduct or present the training in the most effective way possible. It is this phase that articulates the above two phases. For learning to happen, this becomes the most critical phase in the entire cycle. Some of the methods that can be involved by facilitators to deliver what is being “crafted” are mentioned below:

Ø Icebreakers

Putting the participants into action can be a good idea to start a program. Various icebreakers are described below:

ü Put all participants’ name card in a box. Let the participant select a card randomly from the box. Instruct the participant to move around and locate the person whose name is on the card. Then the participant exchanges personal data with the other participant: name, goal for the course, etc.

ü Trust Walk or Blind Walk: The success of a program depends upon participants’ participation, but participation depends upon trust. To symbolize the importance of trust, trust walk can prove to be the best icebreaker. An outdoor setting with some obstacles is ideal to conduct a trust walk.

ü Asking the participants to develop a comprehensive list of nouns that describe themselves. Then each participant must find a partner and exchange data about him.

ü Meditation in the training situation is intended to relax participants and/or establish a quiet, thoughtful mood. This can be a best way to rejuvenate the participants.

Ø Use of Flipcharts

Flipcharts are indispensible tools for the trainer. A Facilitator may use flipcharts any point in time during the course of the program and use it throughout the program. These flipcharts provide reinforcement to what is said by the trainer and the participants. It also serves as an indisputable source of reference to what was said earlier.

Ø Humor Humor is one of the most important aspects of human life One cannot imagine life without humor. In a training context, learning, which is enjoyable, fun-filled, and humor based is always easier to grasp that which is serious and dull.

Ø Handouts

Handouts are vital training aids. Their proper selection and use can enrich and thereby enhance the learning experience.

 

 

Ø Using Silence

Though the participants are usually expected to be active and energized and be engaged in all kinds of verbal activity. There are numerous instances, however, when the training situation is better served by silence. Few examples are:

ü It will be helpful to the role players if they are given several minutes to reflect silently about the execution of their role assignments.

ü When individual participants are asked to complete an instrument, silence helps in reflection.

ü Silence could chart a new course In a group discussion or team building session that is marked by an impasse (creative block), fatigue or possibly conflict accompanied by the expression of unusual strong feelings.

Ø Telling Stories

ü Well thought out, well-developed and practical stories can capture the imagination and can even reach resistant learners. Best thing about stories is that they can fit in anywhere during the course of the program. They can provide “life”, when training material becomes “dull”.

ü For the story to be effective and impactful, the listeners must readily recognize its appropriateness. A surprising, unexpected twist at the story’s climax is most likely to impact the listening group. Also the story should be free of biting sarcasm and satire. A story with too sharp an edge would be resisted.

Analysis by authors about the Conduct Phase

Since the participant group was very large and participants were from different regions/backgrounds, the trainer chose “Interviews for Creative Introduction” as Ice Breaker. The participants were supposed to meet in pairs and interview one another for five minutes, then introduce each other stating to the group at large; personal/educational & professional background, hobbies, something interesting and different about the person. This helped the group have basic information about the participants and break silos to a large extent.

Ø Objective setting: Objective setting of the program could have been more effective & structured if participants were involved in setting/understanding broad objectives of this 5 day program.

Ø Sharing of concepts: The background setting was done in a very effective manner, the audience was engaged and asked to share their understanding about “Leadership” as a concept. All the responses were noted in a flipchart and then referred to throughout the day. The various elements of leadership were discussed in brief to make participants understand the flow of the program. Handouts were provided to all the participants to keep them “in sync” with the objectives of the program. Though the facilitators did not use story telling actively, yet appropriate video clips added life to

 

 

program. The facilitators were commendable in choosing the apt videos.

Ø Highlights: The program was well structured, comprehensive yet precise, with a good mix of ice breaking session, flipcharts, videos, handouts and use of silence and humor.

Ø Apt role-plays helped the participants to enact and experience real life situations/problems.

Ø Participative exercises helped the participants get involved and practice the concepts explained during the program.

Ø Interesting and thought provoking films/videos helped the participants with a new perspective and motivated the participants to do “Out Of The Box Thinking”.

Ø Structured, comprehensive and self explanatory workbook helped the participants to understand and refer well explained concepts, exercises not only during the tenure of the program but also afterwards.

Included below are photographs from some of the exercises conducted during the program:

 

 

 

2.4  The  Consolidate  Phase    

This is the phase to measure results of the training to find out the difference made by the training in knowledge, skill (behavior, performance), and attitude.

The Donald Kirkpatrick Model, created in 1994, is seen as the “benchmark for assessing training and development programs.” According to this model, training is evaluated at four different levels.

Ø Level 1: Reaction- This is the most common type of evaluation and is usually measured via a form, a program reaction form – which participants complete at the end of a training session. This level measures whether participants like the training program – the topic, speaker and schedule.

Ø Level 2: Learning – This stage of the Kirkpatrick Model measures if training caused an increase in knowledge or skills, i.e. whether employees learned something, a new skill or job, that they did not know prior to training.

Ø Level 3: Behavior – Assesses if the trainee’s on-the-job skills or behavior has changed as a result of what he or she has acquired during training.

Ø Level 4: Results: This level of evaluation is the most difficult to measure but speaks particularly to managers because it quantifies exactly how much training and development efforts affects bottom- line measures.

The below graph encapsulates the reaction of the participants after the program:

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The following table enlists Qualitative feedback received from the participants about the program:

Team Work Meeting with my team and boss and try to align them

Collaboration Involve others in decision making

Trust Create acceptance for one of the toughest colleague, build trust & handle team members with more care

Build trust among your team members

Credibility Building relationship with team members

Alignment Trying to align team, take them along

Alignment Trying to understand team dynamics and support them in order to achieve my target

Consult with the team members and then take decisions

Make team members understand that there is one common goal on which everyone should work and which will be fruitful for all of us.

Motivation Motivate the team to achieve goals

Collaboration Positive approach and generate trust for the team in achieving their goals.

3.  Summary  

As the first time leaders are the future leaders of any organization, therefore it is very essential to provide them with such platforms wherein they can understand the best ways of reaching up the ladder of success taking everyone along and at the same time keeping in mind the interest of the team members and the organization.

This well – crafted and conducted program has definitely given a food for thought to all the participants and has helped them understand the best route for obtaining personal and organizational success.

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About The Authors

Ms. Kavita Tewari, is working as Deputy Manager – HR, DCM Shriram Ltd. - Sugar Division. She has an experience of 6 years and has keen interest in the field of Training & Development. Ms. Prachi Agarwal, is working as Deputy Manager – HR with Shriram Fertilizers & Chemicals, a division of DCM Shriram Ltd. She has an experience of over 5 years and has handled various T&D assignments in her company.