Signs You Should Improve Your Leadership Development Program
Team leaders wear multiple hats. They’re mediators, motivators, and masters of your company policy. Sometimes they even have to be ‘complaint sponges,’ soaking up all the negativity from unhappy customers. Fortunately, they have a solid leadership development program to prepare them for everyday obstacles. That there are support resources to guide them through the rough patches and reduce their stress levels. At least, that’s what should happen. But there are some major red flags that your training strategy needs an overhaul to be truly effective. While certain flags may be waving around in plain sight, others are lurking in LMS reports and real-world performance.
1. Team Leaders Are Underprepared
One of the major red flags that your leadership development program needs some fine-tuning is managers who can’t handle work-related challenges. They’re underprepared because they don’t receive the proper online training. This may be due to ineffective design, lack of personalization, or a variety of other common mistakes. So, ensure that your leadership development strategy addresses their current needs, goals, and areas for improvement. Give them the resources they require to take on everyday challenges confidently and lead by example. You should also conduct surveys or polls to get their input regarding the job obstacles they face.
2. Low LMS Engagement Scores
The numbers don’t lie. Low engagement scores indicate that your leadership development program isn’t up to par. It could be that there’s too much information flooding in at once. So, employees click away before they experience cognitive overload. Another reason for poor engagement metrics is lack of marketing. Team leaders simply don’t know about the resources because you don’t promote them internally. Or the library is so disorganized that they can’t find the information they need Just-In-Time. The assessment scores are also worth evaluating. Low scores indicate that your employee training participants are either unmotivated or that there’s a problem with your strategy. Especially if there’s a high percentage of employees, who fail the assessment or struggle with the same questions.
3. Increase In Compliance Breaches
Compliance violations, work accidents, and customer complaints seem to be on the rise. And your leadership development online training might be to blame. Team leaders must be able to enforce company policies to build a consistent brand image. Customers can’t hear one thing from your employee, then another from the manager. Everyone has to be on the same page when it comes to protocols. Your leadership online training strategy should also have compliance refreshers so that employee training participants can quickly double-check rules and regulations. Certifications are another great way to ensure they’re held accountable and understand the policies inside-out.
4. Leaders Can’t Apply Training In The Real World
Sure, your engagement scores are right where you expect them to be. Everyone’s joining the fun and passing the final exams. But applying what they learn in the real world is a different story. This is usually due to theory-overload. You focus so much on the ideas and concepts that practical application goes out the window. Simulations, scenarios, games, and personal anecdotes are just some of the ways to foster real-world application for your team leaders. This also facilitates experiential learning so that they can take risks, make mistakes, and broaden their knowledge base. You should also pre-assess to identify performance and skills to be addressed in leadership development online training. For example, many of your emerging leaders lack advanced interpersonal skills that you can cultivate through customer-driven simulations.
5. No Continual Support For The Team
I’m referring to support at every level of the organization. Leaders are typically the ones who step in during stressful situations to enforce rules and tactfully resolve problems. They help their subordinates and make life easier on higher-ups. In many ways, they’re the middleman—or woman. For instance, the department supervisor receives information from the general manager concerning a member of their team. They need to decide how to act on the info to streamline business operations without making the employee feel devalued or singled-out. Support also refers to the ongoing online training resources you provide to your leadership team. Such as a microlearning library they can access anytime, anywhere, to bridge gaps.
6. Employees Feel Isolated And Disconnected From The Online Training Community
Remote leaders may feel isolated from the online training community because the leadership development online training program lacks a collaborative infrastructure. But even in-house staff can feel lonely and disconnected from the team. Launch a peer-based coaching program, social media groups, and discussion forums. Host live events, so managers feel like they’re part of the group. Or even invite them to guest speak if they have unique expertise or skills. Every employee should feel valued and accepted. Which is why it’s essential to set some ground rules beforehand. Develop guidelines for how employee training participants should interact and what isn’t tolerated. For instance, everyone is welcome to join the discussion in the social media group. So long as they respect others’ opinions and keep the conversation on-topic. No subtle jabs or mockery if they disagree with someone’s point of view.
Have no fear if your program exhibits any of these symptoms. There’s a solution to every problem, including defunct leadership development online training courses. Make it personal, offer JIT support, and get employee input. Don’t settle for passive activities that leave them wanting more. Include simulations and serious games to impart experiential knowledge and avoid on-the-job mistakes. Finally, create an active online training community where everyone has access to peer-based feedback and social media discussions.
Leadership online training benefits every member of your organization, from new hires to higher-ups. Download the eBook Transform Top Talent Into Team Leaders: The Ultimate Guide For Leadership Development Training and find out how to create outstanding leadership development training—along with the pitfalls you should avoid, and more.
