Training is a great tool for any individual at any level in any organisation. Over the years, I have worked for and with companies who take their learning & development responsibilities very seriously. They quite rightly reap the rewards that go with this investment, such as the ability to recruit, retain and develop talent.
However, from time to time I come across businesses that invest considerable time, money and resource into implementing fantastic development programmes for their people. However, they fail to implement it where it is most likely to make the biggest difference, which is, at the top.
I find this baffling. Why on earth would you invest in training and developing the people in your company but exclude the very people who are responsible for driving and shaping your business and the people in it?
It may well be that people at the top, or the people planning the training think these individual are: –
- already the finished article
- too long in the tooth, the “can’t teach an old dog new tricks” adage.
- too busy, too valuable to take them out of the business for development purposes
or
- that raising the subject may feature in the “too difficult to do, or career limiting box”.
Well, some or all of these reasons may very well be true. However, in my humble view, leaders should lead by example; practice what they preach, not as my father used to say (tongue in cheek of course) “do as I say, not as I do”.
If you want an organisation that buys into, practices and displays your companies core values, then your leaders have a responsibility to role model the behaviours and attitudes that you expect from your people.
I’ve worked in and for companies who buy into this thinking, and the learning’s from training are absorbed and embedded as business as usual. However, I’ve also worked in and for companies where this doesn’t happen, and guess what? Well it’s not rocket science, the learning’s from the training just don’t stick, aren’t embraced, but that’s not the worst of it. The worst of it is that people become demoralized, angry and critical of a business where the actions of the leaders within that business are not congruent with the messages and direction that they are giving.
They have a point, don’t they? If you are planning to launch training for your people next year, ask yourself the following: –
“Am I confident that the leaders in my business possess, embrace, practice and support the attitudes and behaviours that I expect from the rest of my business”?
Great if the answer is yes, you’ve clearly started with a top-down approach to training. If the answer is no, it might be worthwhile considering your options and giving MGL a call to find out what it can do to support your business and your people.
MGL specialises in leadership development programmes and offers a variety of solutions ranging from off the shelf to bespoke workshops that are tailored to your businesses specific needs.
Call Meryl Gilbert on 07500 111388 or email Meryl@merylgilbert.co.uk to arrange an exploratory, no obligation call.