The Role of L&D in Succession Planning | January/February 2019 by Training Industry Magazine

J A N U A R Y/ F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 9

THE ROLE OF L&D IN SUCCESSION PLANNING

THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS | 16 Building Leadership Development Plans

WHAT HIGH POTENTIALS REALLY WANT | 28 Developing Training to Engage Top Talent

MENTORING PROGRAMS FOR NEW LEADERS | 40 Six Topics to Set Leaders Up for Success

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PERSPECTIVES KEN TAYLOR

LEARNING AS A SUCCESSION PLANNING STRATEGY

This issue of Training Industry Magazine focuses on the various strategies that support a robust succession planning strategy for learning-centric organizations. I see the focus on skills gaps or potentially even performance gap remediation solutions at the heart of a great learning and development (L&D) team’s strategic focus. Understanding the role L&D should play in succession planning is similar to the analysis that any good manufacturing leader goes through when deciding whether to “make or buy” a product or service. “Make” would suggest the product is developed in-house by your own team and resources and assumes you have the capability and means to develop the product. It also assumes that the version you will make is current with competing products in the marketplace, and controlling the development of the product is integral to its success. (Think Apple operating system in the PC world.) If the analysis sways you to “buy,” then this suggests that there is a competing or existing product or service that you could buy now (or when you need it) that will meet the needs of your customers when incorporated into your go-to-market product or solution. Of course, that is a simplification of the analysis, and you could consider many related factors in the decision, but I believe it illustrates the role of L&D versus recruiting in a company’s overall succession planning strategy.

If an organization decides to “make” or develop successors for certain roles inside the organization, they must ensure they have the ability to develop people who will match or hopefully exceed the performance capabilities of those candidates available in the market. The challenge for L&D is not only to develop successors for key roles according to the current operating expectations for the position, but also to consider the movement in the market and develop successors beyond the role’s current incumbent’s skill set to ensure the company keeps pace with the marketplace. That suggests we should be very diligent and limit the number of roles to very strategic ones when we step up to that challenge.

DEVELOPING PEOPLE (MAKE) TO FILL A SUCCESSION FUNNEL FOR EVERY ROLE ISN’T A VIABLE BUSINESS STRATEGY, SO RECRUITING FOR ROLES (BUY) MAY OFTEN BE THE BEST STRATEGY.

As we believe at Training Industry, training isn’t the solution to every business problem. Similarly, developing people (make) to fill a succession funnel for every role in the organization isn’t a viable business strategy, so recruiting for roles (buy) where the market is generating great candidates may ultimately be the best strategy. As always, we would love to hear your thoughts about the perspectives shared in the magazine, and please feel free to send along any suggestion for future editions of Training Industry Magazine to consider. Ken Taylor is president and editor in chief of Training Industry, Inc. Email Ken.

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CO N T E N TS

TA B L E O F VOLUME 12

ISSUE 2

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

FEATURES

16 NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS

16 20 25 28 33 37 40

28 HIPO PROGRAMS

40 LEADER MENTORING PROGRAMS

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO DEVELOP THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS By Krista Brubaker

Prepare for succession by identifying and developing the next generation of leaders.

WHAT GOOD MANAGERS NEED TO KNOW By Oliver Craddock

Develop managers into good bosses with these top leadership skills.

TOP DOWN IS DEAD. LEAD FROM THE MIDDLE! By Jan Wilson, M.Ed., SHRM-SCP, SPHR

Combining succession planning and strong leadership development can help prepare for change.

WHAT HIGH POTENTIALS REALLY WANT IN A HIPO PROGRAM By Sara Canaday

Attract and retain top talent with a HiPo program that delivers on the needs of high potentials.

LEADERSHIP SUCCESSION PLANS IMPART CONFIDENCE, STRONG CULTURES By Michele Markey

Organizations can maintain the success of culture, products and services with a robust succession plan.

HOW TO TAKE YOUR RETENTION STRATEGY TO THE NEXT LEVEL By Karin Hurt and David Dye

Build a culture and retention strategy that inspires high potential talent to stay and do their best.

6 TOPICS YOU SHOULD COVER IN YOUR NEW LEADER MENTORING PROGRAM By William A. Gentry, Ph.D

Enhance what is learned in new leader mentoring programs with these evidence-based topics.

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I N THIS I S S U E

THOUGHT LEADERS

3 9 11 13

PERSPECTIVES By Ken Taylor

Understand the role of L&D when developing a succession planning strategy.

GUEST EDITOR By Loren Sanders

Manage skills gaps by integrating succession planning into talent management.

SCIENCE OF LEARNING By Srini Pillay, M.D.

Understand the science behind manifesting great potential in leaders.

PERFORMANCE MATTERS By Julie Winkle Giulioni

Prepare employees for leadership with a conscious and deliberate process.

15 49 51 53

BUILDING LEADERS By Sam Shriver and Marshall Goldsmith

Training can position employees for success as they move from one role to another.

WHAT’S NEXT IN TECH By Stella Lee, Ph.D.

When used properly, chatbots can enhance learning and support performance.

SECRETS OF SOURCING By Doug Harward

Developing future training leaders starts with the growth of current leaders.

LEARNER MINDSET By Michelle Eggleston Schwartz

Invest in first-time managers to prevent the need for a “fake it till you make it” strategy.

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GUEST EDITOR LOREN SANDERS

HOW T&D CHAMPIONS ROBUST SUCCESSION PLANS

There is a ton of research on how failing to plan for succession has a terrible impact on organizations and how millennial talent craves development and growth. Knowing this is not usually enough for organizations to plan ahead. We in training and development (T&D) have a holistic approach to talent and an appreciation of soft skills. This is our opportunity to gain a seat at the table and impact change that drives organizational success. Training and development is a tool in the leader’s arsenal that helps engage, retain and grow talent, and mitigate the risk of no successor (or a poor one). Mitigation is focused on identification of successors by intentional and effective development and mentoring. The most common barrier to developing successors is the insecurity or inability of a leader to create one. We have a job to do. We must get leaders over the insecurity of creating successors. Historically, baby boomers and Gen Xers worry that millennials and Gen Z will replace them. These kids were born sitting at the computer and they tend to be better at innovative thinking on the fly. However, we the elders, have a ton of knowledge to share. Sir Francis Bacon told us “knowledge is power” and Spiderman’s Uncle Ben told us that “with great power comes great responsibility.” We in training and development have a responsibility to change minds and create more effective leaders. We need to help drive the understanding that two (or more) people can be good at the same thing, or that we can all be good at different things and drive our organizations forward as we learn and grow together. We need to value our

differences and recognize that multiple styles and approaches can be effective. Diversity of thought creates stronger and better teams with more potential.

DIVERSITY OF THOUGHT CREATES STRONGER AND BETTER TEAMS WITH MORE POTENTIAL. A successor does not need to have the exact skill set as the prior leader. Let’s change culture, learn about appreciating different styles, and drive toward common goals. Let’s value balanced teams and not duplicate weaknesses by hiring a “mini-me.” Let’s have a funeral for the old way and focus on creating learnings that identify alignment with the organization’s core values and strategic growth plan. Let’s focus on the differences and build from there. Here is what we can do. • Work with HR business partners to understand the state of talent and identify strengths and weaknesses. Let’s partner and create development plans in concert with the nine box diagnostic development tool. • Map alignments between organizational competencies and development programs targeting preferred areas of impact. These are the things the organization wants the employees to do well. We can help solidify the how and why behind the what, and build programming that supports the structure. We can help translate behavioral competencies into

measureable contexts and leaders how to assess them.

teach

• Help leaders appreciate and create learning environments valuing best practice, knowledge sharing and competency alignments creating benchmarks that show a return on investment over time. Learning cultures have already been proven to increase employee engagement and that increases productivity as well as the likelihood of retention. • Assist in individual development plan creation, assessment development and behavioral style assessment. • Create programs that map and tailor technical vs. soft skill gaps: coaching programs, mentoring, creating connector leaders, etc. • Lead action learning programs where people identify and work on real business problems with a facilitator. T&D professionals align paths to meet needs from vision casting to emotional intelligence. If we build robust succession planning into the overall talent management structure, then we can effectively manage the risk of a skills gap. We must have a seat at the leadership table. We must help leaders understand that hiring for technical skills over soft skills might be a recipe for a slow brewing storm.

Loren Sanders is a senior advisor of learning and communications on the strategy team at CVS Health. She is also an adjunct faculty member at Lake Forest Graduate School of Management where she teaches organizational communications and strategic talent management. Email Loren.

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SCIENCE OF LEARNING SRINI PILLAY, M.D.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE DEVELOPMENT OF FUTURE LEADERS

One of the most commonly misunderstood ideas is “time.” In the brain, the past is stored in your memory circuits now, and the future (your hopes, dreams and aspirations) is stored in “prediction” and “possibility” circuits in the brain now. That is, the past, present and future are constantly interacting in the brain now. This understanding is key to the development of “future” leaders or “high potentials,” as they need to bring the future into the here and now. HOW DO YOU BRING THE FUTURE INTO THE HERE AND NOW? The key mechanism is imagination. It’s not about perceiving what you want, but imagining what you want. It’s not about the probability of success. It’s about the possibility of success. For this reason, succession planning is intimately related to the science of imagination and the science of possibility. No skyscraper was built before it was imagined or deemed possible. After this, the architect draws up the plans, still relying on imagination and possibility. And the builder then builds the skyscraper. Similarly, when organizations prepare their new leaders, they must engage in an analogous mindset.

It can also increase opioids, thereby decreasing stress.

practicing a specific weakness will help leaders’ brains build confidence.

In order to enhance the possibility thinking of future leaders across the organization, the people in charge of learning must first ensure that those future leaders have the relevant mindset. This means that learning must include such subjects as managing burnout, what to do when feeling lost, how not to be stuck in habit, what to do if you are depressed, and how to train attention and imagination. Without these factors, you cannot engage in possibility thinking. I use a possibility index to measure and address these factors.

THE SCIENCE OF BECOMING

THE FALLACY BEHIND GOALS

Old memories and self-limiting beliefs need to be confronted. Even if you are in finance, engineering, or programming, these concrete functions require more abstract development to truly lead at a higher level.

When teaching future leaders how to “train” imagination, training must include a deep understanding of the fallacy behind goals. A goal cannot exist in the future if you are to reach it. For example, any person who becomes an Olympic champion starts to imagine, believe in and train toward that goal now.

“Leading” is not just a technical function. It requires soft skills such as empathy, curiosity, humor, and imagination. All of these competencies must be part of the learning agenda, too. And don’t forget that at the root of all of these competencies is brain health. Understanding how to manage your energy is also key.

NO SKYSCRAPER WAS BUILT BEFORE IT WAS IMAGINED OR DEEMED POSSIBLE.

Understanding the science behind manifesting our greatest potential is key to the development of future leaders. Possibility thinking, the true nature of goal achievement, imagination and becoming are all often unconscious competencies that must be taught if we are to develop future leaders.

THE SCIENCE OF POSSIBILITY When the brain translates imagination into reality, it must first conceive of a goal. It must be motivated to conceive of that goal, and that motivation is called “possibility thinking.” When you think that something is possible, when you believe, this can increase dopamine and a feeling of reward.

Another subtle distinction is the difference between “desire” and “becoming.” Desiring to become a future leader always separates you from that goal. Becoming a future leader means that you already are that leader and you focus on removing what is in the way.

THE SCIENCE OF IMAGINATION Athletes know all about the power of imagination. They are living proof that imagination can translate into action. But imagination is not just some abstract wishful thinking. There are two kinds of imagination that improve confidence, for example. “Coming from behind” and

Dr. Srini Pillay is the CEO of NeuroBusiness Group. He is also assistant professor (part-time) at Harvard Medical School and teaches in the executive education programs at Harvard Business School and Duke CE. Email Srini.

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PERFORMANCE MATTERS JULIE WINKLE GIULIONI

LEARNING LEADER DEVELOPMENT: COMBATTING THE SHOEMAKER’S CHILDREN SYNDROME

The fast-changing business landscape is a topic of unending conversation. We know all too well that customer expectations are consistently increasing and shifting. Competitors and disruptions continue to emerge from unexpected sources and in unanticipated forms. Choices and options have never been more plentiful. At the same time, customers have never been more fickle or less loyal. Cycle times keep shrinking as everyone is challenged to do more with less. And we operate globally, 24/7 with the most diverse workforce in history. It’s no wonder that the environment within which we work is frequently characterized with adjectives like fastpaced, complex, turbulent, volatile, unpredictable, ambiguous and uncertain. It’s also no wonder that it’s becoming increasingly necessary for leaders to adapt their approaches to this ever-changing environment (Table 1).

Table 1. Leadership: Then and Now Then

Now

Exercising power and authority

Exercising influence

Directing and administering

Inspiring and engaging

Operating through hierarchies

Operating through fluid networks

Using command and control tactics

Collaborating

Developing deliberate strategies

Sharing ownership for dynamic plans

Dictating the process

Fostering involvement and innovation

Highlighting similarities

Identifying and leveraging differences

Team building

Community and value building

Learning and development (L&D) professionals tend to have a clear understanding of the shifting role of leaders today as they address relevant needs, requirements and skill gaps in the leadership development solutions they develop and deploy. But what about the development of prospective learning leaders? Too frequently, the shoemaker’s children don’t enjoy the benefits and experiences afforded to those in literally every other department within the organization. People aspiring to assume leadership roles in the L&D arena need the same capabilities as those in other functions. And since neither hope nor osmosis are research-based instructional strategies, something more is required for this frequently forgotten population. The good news is that much of what truly effective L&D professionals already routinely do prepares them well for leadership. After all, they spend their days focusing on how to help others develop and grow. They are intentional about the way in which they communicate. And without legitimate authority over participants, they engage and inspire others to change through influence and collaboration. Yet, just as we wouldn’t allow the technical skills unique to other functions to substitute for legitimate leadership development, we shouldn’t allow it for L&D. Instead, a conscious and deliberate process is required to ensure that those who ultimately become responsible for L&D are properly prepared to assume the leadership role. Cost-effective, reality-based strategies that are actually possible within the fastpaced, volatile and uncertain environment within which these professionals operate include the following. Exposure and breadth: Effective learning leaders see the big picture. They have a

deep appreciation for the broader business context. They empathize with those who toil away inventing, generating, selling and supporting the products and/or services that drive revenue and success. But this awareness rarely comes by chance or intuition. It’s a result of direct exposure. Shadowing those outside of L&D, and taking on new topical areas for development can offer the breadth required of effective learning leaders. Self-assessment and reflection: Those aspiring to leadership in a training department are likely exposed to volumes of relevant content. They might even facilitate or develop leadership courses themselves. And yet, teaching is not the same as learning. L&D professionals in this position can still leverage this content and internalize it by consciously observing their behavior and asking themselves: “Am I practicing what I’m preaching?” They can gather feedback from others, and actually do the exercises they assign. Lead things before people: In many cases, leading collaborative efforts and initiatives mimics leading people. As a result, intentionally selected action learning experiences can provide invaluable opportunities to develop leadership capacity. A cross-functional training project. An LMS RFP team. A merger integration effort. These offer an opportunity to test and build leadership skills around vision, engagement, and collaboration. As the nature of leadership continues to shift within organizations, the role of the learning leader only becomes more critical. And so does their leadership development. Julie Winkle Giulioni has 25 years of experience working with organizations worldwide to improve performance through learning. Email Julie.

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BUILDING LEADERS SAM SHRIVER & MARSHALL GOLDSMITH

PROVIDING THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE AN INFORMED CHOICE Have you ever seen a truly gifted athlete who went on to become a mediocre coach? How about a record-breaking salesperson who was an absolute nightmare as a sales manager? A top-notch surgeon who wound up running a hospital into the ground? Of course, you have! It’s a recurring irony. The talent you display in one role positions you for a promotion to another, then can wind up at the core of your struggles once you get there. This dynamic was first addressed by Harvard professor Robert Katz in 1955. He described organizations as boxes divided into three layers. • Nonsupervisory: They are the base, or the foundation, of the organization. The comparatively large number of nonsupervisory employees do the work the organization exists to do. • Management: The people in the middle! This includes first levels of supervision and sometimes several tiers of “middle managers” responsible for planning, organizing and influencing targeted productivity. • Executives: The comparatively few who occupy the top tier in the organization and are accountable for developing, orchestrating and implementing viable competitive strategy. Katz then identified and defined the skills that were reliable predictors of success at each of the organizational levels: technical, human, and conceptual skills. • Technical Skills: The ability to leverage knowledge, methods, techniques and equipment to perform at a sustained and acceptable level. If you want to

succeed in a nonsupervisory role, you need to excel at the technical aspect of your craft.

organizations supposed to do, promote people who have proven they don’t know what they are doing?).

• Human Skills: Intuition and judgement in working with and through others to achieve performance objectives. Mangers are distinguished based on their ability to consistently execute these skills.

Conversely, 80 percent of the reason those employees struggle or fail when they become a manager can be tied to their limited grasp of, or experience with, human skills. This is the crux of the irony referred to above. Doing something yourself is one thing, but getting somebody else to do it is something altogether different.

• Conceptual Skills: The ability to accurately interpret complex organizational and market dynamics, then make decisions that secure desirable competitive standing. Executives are measured on their ability to “read these tea leaves” and respond accordingly.

CONSIDER THE ROLE THE TRAINING FUNCTION CAN PLAY AS EMPLOYEES MOVE ROLES. Now, in the context of the theme for this issue, consider the role the training function can play as employees move from one role to another during their careers. For the sake of example, let’s confine our focus to a jump most make early on in their careers as they transition from front-line employee to first-line supervisor. First off, there is irrefutable research that suggests roughly 70 percent of the reason employees receive that first promotion rests with the comparative mastery of technical skill. This trend passes the common-sense test and is unlikely to change any time soon (i.e., what are

This is where the training function can serve a critical role. Think about some of the common human skills challenges a new supervisor faces: • Formally managing employees who a short time ago were peers; • Introducing change that isn’t welcomed or perceived as necessary; and • Effectively integrating new hires to a tenured and intact team. Many of these challenges can be simulated based on actual, company specific history, as a mechanism for preparing aspiring managers for their future roles. Beyond that, these kinds of immersive, assessment center experiences can provide qualified technical performers with a window into the expectations of a job primarily defined by human skills. If nothing else, it provides those individuals with the opportunity to make an informed choice. Marshall Goldsmith is the world authority in helping successful leaders get even better. Sam Shriver is the senior vice president of commercial operations and product development at The Center for Leadership Studies. Email Marshall and Sam.

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What It Looks Like

TO DEVELOP THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS By Krista Brubaker

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Is leadership development a top concern at your organization? If so, you’re right there with the majority of American companies. Building succession plans is a critical task at every company, yet very few are prepared to replace leaders when they’re lost. A 2015 Deloitte report cites that the National Association of Corporate Directors reported “fewer than one in four private company boards say they have a formal succession plan in place.” The report goes on to point out, “For a business, working without a succession plan can invite disruption, uncertainty, and conflict, and endangers future competitiveness.” Although the age ranges of generations are not hard and fast, it’s safe to say that many of your company’s leaders in the next 10 to 15 years will be millennials. A lot of people still see millennials in their minds as college students or just starting their careers, but the reality is that many of them are well into their thirties, midcareer, with plenty of experience under their belts. Not to mention, they’ve already become the largest generation in the workforce. Every company that wants to be in existence 10 years from now has to look at how well they’re developing their next generation of leaders. Considering how much the millennial generation values professional growth and development – 87 percent say it’s important in a job – the way you train them for succession has to look different than it did 10 or 20 years ago. If you’re not using modern methods, these highpotential leaders are going to recognize pretty quickly that their future would be brighter with a different company. So how do you identify your highpotential, next-generation leaders and prepare them to be highly successful leaders in your organization?

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Leadership Skills for Today and Tomorrow When you’re beginning to build a succession plan, there are a few basic questions to start with. Ask yourself: • Which leadership roles do we expect to open up within the next five or 10 years?

empower others and to create change. Only a very small minority do so for compensatory reasons or to establish a legacy.” Fair compensation matters, of course, but it’s not the primary driver for climbing the ladder. Most of your millennial employees expect leaders to be change agents that make the world a better place, so that’s what they strive to be themselves.

• Do we have any C-suite or hard-to-fill roles that may open up? • Are there any leadership roles that may need to be created within the next five or 10 years? Once you’ve identified these roles, you’ll need to determine the qualifications, skills and characteristics that will be most important for someone to be successful in those positions. Some of these may be present in your current leaders, but some may be more crucial in the future than they are with today’s leaders. Certain qualifications may not matter in the future, or some characteristics may be more important than particular skills down the line.

High potentials may also be high performers, but one does not necessitate the other.

So, when you’re keeping in mind these motivations, how do you then identify your high-potential employees for leadership?

Performance, Potential, Planning and Promises

been identified as having the potential, ability, and aspiration to hold successive leadership positions in an organization.” Your high potentials (HiPos) may also be high performers, but one does not necessitate the other. Some of your highest performers are fantastic in their roles, but they may not be effective at leading people or possess the aspiration to be a leader. And that’s OK – you still need them. You’re not looking to turn the entire company into potential leaders. On the flip side, your HiPos may not be high performers in their current roles. Perhaps they’re in a role that doesn’t match their strengths, or they’re unmotivated because there is no path to leadership. Don’t be afraid to be transparent about succession planning. In fact, millennials will especially appreciate seeing that your company is invested in creating development opportunities and paths to leadership. You can use assessments to help identify your HiPos, based on those characteristics you’ve already defined. Just make them as measurable as possible to keep the process fair and unbiased. For things that can’t be measured, have multiple people weigh in.

Decide on these must-haves (not niceto-haves) and create milestones for the potential leaders who will be in the succession plan. Doing this helps you to create a picture of the person who would be ideal for this role, so you can match high-potential employees by characteristics, and work on developing their skills before the need arises to fill a critical role.

Bersin by Deloitte defines them this way: “A high-potential employee is one who has

Identifying Potential Leaders – Motivations Matter

“Using Technology to Amplify Leadership Development” By Sanjay Advani

The next task is to identify your highpotential employees – your best candidates for progressing into these leadership roles. The preferences, habits and expectations of your millennial employees may look much different than the way your current leaders work, so it’s important to understand the general motivations that drive these potential leaders. Kimberly Fries says in a Forbes article, “Millennials seek leadership positions to

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Additional Resources “The Top 4 Things Millennial Leaders Want Most at Work” By Darleen DeRosa Learn what millennials want in the workplace and how it can help shape them into their future leadership roles.

Training managers need to develop a continuous learning journey to support leaders, and technology can help. “Succession Planning Can’t Wait: Find and Develop Your HIPOs” By Krista Brubaker Discover three basic succession planning steps to prepare and develop highpotential employees for success. “5 Effective Ways to Prepare Millennials for Leadership Roles” By Kimberly Fries Learn five ways to properly prepare millennials who are or will be in leadership roles.

Once you’ve identified someone as a high potential, tell them! You need to ensure that they’re on board with working toward a leadership role, and if they are looking to be a leader, they’ll be more inspired and loyal to your company when they know you have plans for their potential. The caveat here is that you shouldn’t make concrete promises for a particular role in a set amount of time because things may change. Keep them in the loop about the organization’s plans for them, but don’t make promises you can’t keep. If you’re worried about an identified HiPo thinking they’re set for leadership and slacking off, make sure they know you expect them to reach those milestones you’ve set to continuously prove they’re still committed to the plan. Again, remember millennials’ motivations. They’re typically not after a certain job title or status within the company – it’s about the level of responsibility and opportunities to lead the organization into changes for the better.

you use multiple channels. Seminars and group trainings can be helpful, but they aren’t personalized enough to be the basis of building strong leadership skills. Personalization makes training more engaging, efficient and lasting. The three training methods that will bring the best results in training HiPos are: 1 | Coaching 2 | Mentoring 3 | Self-directed learning The days of annual performance reviews are waning. In many organizations, yearly discussions are being replaced by monthly or weekly coaching meetings with managers. This is sometimes attributed to millennials needing “hand-holding,” but it really just means they want confirmation that they’re doing high-quality, valuable work. HiPos who are coached by their direct manager will be better prepared to coach others and bring about better business performance.

If an official leadership role isn’t opening up for them, be creative about how they can channel their abilities. Ask them what opportunities they see for improvement in the organization. Having a voice and the chance to drive positive change is mutually beneficial to the company and the high-potential employee who’s not yet in the C-suite.

Mentoring is different from coaching because a mentor will likely not be the direct supervisor of their mentee. Setting up mentorships between your experienced leaders and each of your HiPos is a highly effective way to ensure your organization is prepared for transitions.

Blending Methods to Effectively Develop Your HiPos

High-potential millennials are constantly looking for ways to improve in their work and make a bigger impact. Providing them with high-quality, on-demand learning content gives them the ability to choose which skills they’re going to

Helping your HiPos develop their leadership skills is most effective when

Personalization makes training more engaging, efficient and lasting.

Key Takeaways • Many of your leaders will be millennials within five to 10 years. • Identifying high-potential leaders means looking at character more than performance. • Millennials see work and learning as simultaneous efforts, not separate events. • Paths to succession should be personalized with coaching, mentoring and self-directed learning.

work on and fit that training into their day-to-day work. Mark Murphy says in a Forbes article, “Millennials don’t make the same learning/doing distinctions as do older generations. Everything is a constant process for millennials, and they look at things in terms of job opportunities and what they can learn, or what they can get out of the experience.” Seminars and workshops alone won’t cut it. Sanjay Advani says, “Most workshop participants return to their overcrowded workdays and lose the motivation, focus, resources and even knowledge to change their behavior on the job. What’s missing is a way to surround, sustain and scale that rich, in-person experience to enable a continuous learning journey for leaders.” To effectively develop your HiPos for leadership roles, the training you provide should fit seamlessly into the work they’re performing. Make sure your company is prepared for succession by incorporating coaching, mentoring and self-directed learning into development plans for your next generation of leaders. Krista Brubaker is a content marketing strategist with BizLibrary. She helps to research, create and enhance resources that are helpful to human resources and learning and development professionals. Email Krista.

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t a h W s r e g a n a M d o w o o G n K o t d e Ne ck raddo e By O l i v

Everyone wants to be thought of as a good manager. However, as there are so many different skills to learn, being a good boss is no easy feat. The 2018 book, “Mind Tools for Managers: 100 Ways to Be a Better Boss,” by Mind Tools founder James Manktelow and Professor Julian Birkinshaw of the London Business School, helps new and experienced leaders develop the skills they need to be more effective in everything they do. It brings together 100 of the most important leadership skills, as voted for in a survey of 15,242 managers and professionals worldwide. After delving into the research, I’ve picked out the most useful and desirable management skills that you can develop, which can help you become the best boss that you can be.

HERE ARE THE TOP 10 SKILLS.

DEVELOPING EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, SELF-CONTROL, EMPATHY AND SOCIAL SKILLS

“Leadership is all about emotional intelligence. Management is taught, while

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leadership is experienced.” – Rajeev Suri, president and CEO, Nokia Every manager wants his or her team to perform well. And while it’s important for

When you’re open and honest with your team, you can create a more positive working environment. your team members to be highly skilled, they’re less likely to achieve success if they’re not properly motivated. So, to fully engage your team members, you must develop strong people skills and find out what inspires them. Seventy-two percent of the managers surveyed for the research study said that the most important tools for

understanding others are “developing emotional intelligence, self-control, empathy, and social skills.” By developing your emotional intelligence and putting yourself in their shoes, you can find out what makes your team members “tick,” and use it to help them – and your business – to thrive.

BUILDING TRUST

“You may be deceived if you trust too much, but you will live in torment if you don’t trust enough.” – Frank Crane, U.S. film director and actor Trust is an essential part of an effective team. In a high-trust environment, people are more open and flexible. They feel able to take intelligent risks, because they’re confident that their team will support them. Without trust, people are less likely to innovate, collaborate and share the workload, because they’re worried about being criticized or exploited.

one of the most important skills that managers need to master.

73.3%

DEVELOPING NEW IDEAS THROUGH THE UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR CUSTOMERS’ PROBLEMS

“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” – Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft

of managers see building trust within your team as one of the most important things they can do to build a great team.

To deliver exceptional service, you also have to find ways to uncover what your customers want, and use this information to improve and develop your product. The problem is, your customers don’t always know what they want until you offer it to them.

This was reflected in the survey results. When it comes to building and managing a team, more than 73 percent of managers said that the most important skill is “building trust within your team.”

Almost 75 percent of managers thought that “developing new ideas through an empathic understanding of customers’ problems” was “the most important tool for fostering creativity and innovation.”

When you’re open and honest with your team, you can create a more positive working environment. You’ll gain their trust, and they’ll be happier and more productive.

For example, techniques such as customer experience mapping and business ethnography help you to look

DEVELOPING GOOD CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

“Great customer service is a critical competitive advantage for a business.” – Steve Benson, CEO, Badger Maps Good customer service is, increasingly, the key to success, and many organizations plan to deliver just that. But when companies and brands make promises, it’s the managers who have to make sure that they are kept. Managers need a detailed understanding of their customers’ needs, and the needs of other external stakeholders. And you must know how to communicate, negotiate, and get things done to make sure that those needs are met. Almost 74 percent of the managers who responded to the survey identified “understanding and developing your relationship with your customer” as

Making high-quality connections at work can create a more productive working environment. at the products or services you offer from your customers’ perspective. This allows you to deliver a seamless, integrated user experience.

BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER TO SOLVE PROBLEMS

“Cooperation is the thorough conviction that nobody can get there unless everybody gets there.” – Virginia Burden, U.S. author Solving problems is a fundamental part of a manager’s job, and while it can be tempting to solve them on your own,

three-quarters of managers agree that two (or more) heads are often better than one. “Bringing people together to solve problems” was chosen by 75 percent of respondents when asked to name “the most important tool for solving problems.” By including your team members in your problem solving, you can gain a whole range of different perspectives, as well as improving the dynamic within your team.

UNDERSTANDING THE NEEDS OF YOUR STAKEHOLDERS

“Exceptional businesses sustain bottomline results, which they invest to create meaningful, positive impact for their stakeholders.” – Punit Renjen, CEO, Deloitte Change can be difficult to deal with. So, if you’re managing projects that could impact other people within your organization, you need to make sure that your stakeholders and team members are on board. Seventy-five percent of managers said that the top tool for “making change happen” is “understanding the needs of different stakeholders and communicating with them appropriately.” Keeping everyone “in the loop” is the best way to address any concerns or queries that may arise as early as possible in the process. Good communication enables you to manage stakeholders’ expectations, too.

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION SKILLS

“Leadership is a way of thinking, a way of acting and, most importantly, a way of communicating.” – Simon Sinek, BritishAmerican author and consultant Think about all of the ways that you communicate with others at work. You write messages and emails, give presentations, attend meetings, and participate in conference calls. To become an effective leader, it’s vital that you’re able to communicate in a clear, concise and targeted way. The way that you

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communicate with others can boost your own credibility, as well as inspire others. In the survey, 77 percent of managers chose “understanding the key principles of good communication” as the most important factor to bear in mind when considering their communications strategies. There are many tools that you can use to achieve this. For example, the 7 C’s of Communication gives you a simple checklist that you can use to make sure that all of your communications are clear, concise, concrete, correct, coherent, complete, and courteous.

PRIORITIZING TASKS

“Time isn’t the main thing. It’s the only thing.” – Miles Davis, U.S. musician As a manager, your time is valuable, and you need to make sure that you’re managing it effectively. Not only do you have to manage your own time, but you need to prioritize tasks and projects for your team, too.

Eighty percent of managers in the survey selected “building good working relationships with people at all levels” as the most important tool that managers can apply to communicate effectively with others. You can improve your working relationships by being present and listening actively to your team members, and by being authentic and accommodating as a manager. Oliver Craddock is the CEO of MindTools. com, one of the world’s leading online content providers for soft skills training and development. Email Oliver.

79.5%

DECISION-MAKING SKILLS

“Quick decisions are unsafe decisions.” – Sophocles, Ancient Greek playwright

THE TOP LEADERSHIP SKILLS

To get tasks and projects completed on time, on budget, and to a high standard, managers need to have excellent decision-making skills. And although it’s often desirable to make decisions quickly, the most important thing is that your decisions are thought through properly.

Here are the top 10 leadership skills, as voted for by 15,242 managers and professionals worldwide.

Almost 80 percent of managers viewed “considering many factors, such as opportunities, risks, reactions and ethics in decision-making” as key to “making good decisions.” The ORAPAPA checklist highlights seven key areas you should consider every time you’re making a significant decision. They are: • Opportunities • Risks • Alternatives and improvements • Past experience • Analysis • People • Alignment and ethics By keeping this checklist in mind, you can take a step back, consider a variety of different perspectives, and make an informed decision.

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of managers view prioritizing tasks effectively as one of the most important planning and time management skills. Voting for the most important skills for planning and managing their time, nearly 80 percent of managers chose “prioritizing tasks effectively for yourself and your team.” With good prioritization and careful management of tasks, you can bring order to chaos, reduce stress, and move toward a successful conclusion.

BUILDING GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

“Great things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people.” – Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple The way we interact with other people in the workplace can have a huge impact on our moods and energy levels. By making high-quality connections at work, you can boost your team’s health and happiness, and create a more productive working environment.

1. Developing emotional intelligence, self-control, empathy, and social skills 2. Building trust within your team 3. Understanding and developing your relationship with your customers 4. Developing new ideas through an empathic understanding of customers’ problems 5. Bringing people together to solve problems 6. Understanding the needs of different stakeholders and communicating with them appropriately 7. Understanding the key principles of good communication 8. Considering many factors, such as opportunities, risks, reactions and ethics, in decision-making 9. Prioritizing tasks effectively for you and your team 10. Building good working relationships with people at all levels

Management tools for the real heroes of your organization You are an HR superhero! Your challenges may be great, but the rewards are greater. You must take risks, manage people and organizations, juggle many initiatives all at once AND be a change agent. Your job requires you to be quick thinking, responsive, innovative and also courageous. You have the skills to help your employees realize their potential and the tenacity to achieve mission goals.

Learn how to grow your superpowers at csod.com

Top Down Is Dead. Lead From the Middle! By Jan Wilson, M.Ed., SHRM-SCP, SPHR Traditional succession planning in many organizations is a separate function from training and development. Succession planning, by definition, focuses on the select few, while training and development is viewed more as a value add for all to move a company forward. Both are usually housed within the HR department, but often only overlap when high potentials’ areas of growth are identified and referred on to the learning function for mastery. This traditional approach poses an increasing area of risk for organizations. In today’s climate of heightened talent shortages and a migratory workforce with multiple options, people simply aren’t waiting around for someone to notice their talents. Organizations are also now being forced to focus on keeping and developing the staff they

have, rather than relying on an influx of new workers that aren’t coming, and that includes filling their managerial and leadership pipelines from within.

Line leaders will be the driving force in how your strategy flows down and is acted upon.

What if we turned the succession planning paradigm around and offered the training and development function as the “scout” function of your

succession planning efforts? Who better to see potential leaders at all levels of the organization than those interacting with them and assessing them routinely while developing them? This approach is a win-win for both groups, with an added benefit for the workplace at large. Training and development can better identify highpotential leaders at all points in their development and refer them into the succession planning function when the time is right. Succession planners will have an ally that can help them keep the planning pipeline full. Lastly, your workforce will benefit from a robust talent model that provides opportunity for advancement and career pathing easily, even for those who aren’t included in traditional succession planning efforts.

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Examining Traditional Leadership Development

Historically, C-level executives were considered the keepers of strategy and vision, and line-level managers, much like their line staff direct reports, were viewed as easily replaceable and were not included in the hierarchy, or budget, targeting abundant leadership development. Fast forward a decade or so, and my, how times have changed! According to industry research, today’s work environments cite the “attraction and retention of valued employees as one of the most critical issues faced.” Companies are realizing turnover doesn’t just deprive your business of a single worker to be replaced, it also deprives you of the social capital that a departing worker takes with them – those relationships with your customers and employees that make your business a success. However, half of the organizations in a recent research study said their existing leaders are not skilled to effectively lead their organizations today, and a startling 71 percent said their leaders are not ready to lead their organizations into the future. Only 25 percent of organizations said they had a ready and willing successor identified for one out of 10 critical leader positions.

And into the future, 84 percent of organizations anticipate a shortfall of leaders in the next five years. Eightythree percent of organizations say it is important to develop leaders at all levels, yet only 5 percent have done so. Not surprisingly, 58 percent of organizations’ top priority is closing leadership skill gaps.

Leadership development should be a pillar of your succession planning strategy.

How Do We Improve?

So, if developing leaders already in seat has become a priority, how do we go about that? One area we are lax in is the assessment of incoming mangers to our organizations, especially if they have been managers for a previous employer. How many of us actually vet managerial competencies? Usually these positions are “filling a need” emergently, and we

fill slots, rather than spending the extra time to find the best fit, making a critical assumption that if you were a manager previously, you must have skills. Sorry, but in a nutshell, that’s tantamount to letting someone you don’t even know make decisions for your business. Organizations could do a better job of assessing skills prior to hire when selecting line-level managers. Whether that means a more comprehensive interview and reference protocol, the incorporation of solid assessment tools, or observation and testing in their probationary window or some combination of all, we need to do a better job of determining where these managers fall on a spectrum and develop plans to get them to proficiency. Once you have gaps identified, you can then begin the design process as to how you want to help these leaders achieve competency. It can be a variety of assets and people that get you the desired result. Rethinking Culture Is Key

One area that seems to be disassociated with leadership development is the question of teaching and exhibiting our own organizations’ cultural expectations. In the past, we have taught culture separately – usually as mission, vision and values, and it is all of that. But oftentimes, organizations still struggle

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES “13 SHOCKING LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT STATISTICS”

By Robert Velasquez

Discover some of the challenges HR leaders face in developing leaders in this infographic.

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“INCREASING HUMAN AND SOCIAL CAPITAL BY APPLYING JOB EMBEDDEDNESS THEORY”

By Brooks C Holtom, Terrence R. Mitchell, and Thomas W. Lee

A job embeddedness framework can help develop a retention strategy focused on the organization’s strengths and employee preferences.

“LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT WORKS – WE HAVE PROOF!”

By Center for Creative Leadership

Learn ways to make learning stick after training and to get more out of leadership development..

with identifying and embedding culture largely because we don’t teach finite ways to model this behavior for others within our leadership curricula. Lee and Holtom’s work on job embeddedness can be instrumental in how to teach and strengthen culture in our organizations that goes above and beyond the usual practice of mission, vision and values. And it has the added bonus of providing a framework new hires need to successfully adopt your culture and stay. Job embeddedness outlines the various “fits” that new hires are seeking in their first few months with a new organization. • They want to know they can do the job and that we will train them to succeed. This is known as “job fit.” • They also want to know that their organization’s “espoused values” are actually “values in practice,” and they will be hyperaware of a mismatch in this regard. They are trying to validate that they have made the right decision to come on board. • Lastly, they want to fit in with the people they work with. It is no surprise that one of Gallup’s 12 questions on retention is “Do you have a best friend at work?” Our existing employees and managers need to understand how pivotal they can be in providing feedback and encouragement to those who are just coming into our organizations. It doesn’t take much time and you already have those people at your disposal, so why not teach them their role in helping with others’ engagement? Think about a time you stayed at a job just for the people. We all have at least one of those stories. This is job embeddedness at work. This is culture at work. We are missing the mark by

not tying our culture efforts into our retention efforts and leveraging job embeddedness helps us do both. When this is done well, your succession planning pipeline is bolstered. Our leadership curricula need to include teaching them how to interact with their direct reports, ensuring practice to mastery for these “human interaction” skills, and the inclusion of evaluation metrics for the business to include markers for performance. Leadership Development That Fills the Pipeline

The Center for Creative Leadership reminds us that there are so many ways to get more out of leadership development. • Protect against overload. Build in the expectation that time is needed to reflect, practice, fail (yes, fail!), plan, and implement change during the development process. • Get the team involved. Team members can keep learners focused, accountable, and on track • Use coaching. One-on-one or group coaching can provide high-touch support, create continuity and provide perspective. • Offer reinforcements. People may want to reinforce a key lesson, dig deeper into a challenge, or share ideas with co-workers. Offer related or targeted courses, webinars, lunch-and-learns, tools, books, or online learning. • Build a community of practice or social networks. Some organizations build networks where “graduates” of specific leadership development programs can maintain connections, share tips and experiences, and discuss challenges.

• Evaluate program impact. Follow-up evaluation can do three things: • give you information about the impact of the development experience and how it can be improved, • encourage people to reflect on the impact of development, and • remind employees that development is important to the organization. Succession Planning and T&D: A Match Made in Heaven!

Line leaders may not set strategy directly, but they will be the driving force in how your strategy flows down to line staff and is acted upon. Much of the innovation in organizations is bubbled up through line leaders. They are also the lynchpin in change management efforts, helping staff see what change affects them directly and react successfully to change. By combining the power of succession planning with strong leadership development via your training and development (T&D) experts, your organization will be well positioned to react swiftly to changing business needs, including adequate pipeline for your succession planning efforts. Not only will they be your leaders of tomorrow, but your retention efforts also depend on qualified, human-focused leaders. Leadership development should be a pillar of your succession planning strategy – not only to keep managers, but honestly, to keep everyone else! Jan Wilson, M.Ed., SHRM-SCP, SPHR, is an organizational development and learning consultant. Her area of specialty is turnover and retention and leadership development in the health care space. Email Jan.

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What High Potentials Really Want

in a HiPo Program

High potentials need challenges to sustain their enthusiasm.

By Sara Canaday

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More and more organizations are reaping the benefits from offering HiPo (high-potential) programs that provide intense, targeted training for their rising-star employees. But now the stakes are even bigger. In the current business environment, companies with a robust, comprehensive HiPo program have a serious competitive advantage to help attract and retain top talent. What does that mean for talent managers today? The implications are significant. Training professionals need to stretch beyond the developmental and educational goals of their programs to consider the broader impact of the entire experience. It’s no longer simply about increasing the skills and capacity of coveted talent but also: • Measurably growing future leaders • Tapping into thought-provoking, cutting-edge learning solutions • Exposing program participants to alternative perspectives and processes • Providing transformational experiences designed to promote assimilation, sense-making and interdependent thinking • Drawing in senior leaders to help expand/support the program To raise the bar and create this type of amplified experience, training professionals need to understand what high potentials really want. Upgrading HiPo programs for greater success requires an increased focus on six areas that are critically important to meet the unique needs and preferences of high potentials.

Career-Path Mapping

HiPos are future-focused and want to know what’s next. That means providing them with a career map that specifically

identifies the path for their forward progress—additional development opportunities, anticipated assignments and potential advancement. While these ambitious high potentials will want to have input and choices, this basic framework for the future will keep them engaged. As a starting point, training professionals can share “success profiles” for the various positions within their organizations, including the knowledge areas, skills and abilities required to master each job. These profiles might be divided by function (sales, marketing, finance) or by title (program manager, supervisor, senior leader). Many companies also include the percentages of people within each role to indicate the scope of career options available. Using this kind of data, HiPos can begin to envision their next steps and better articulate their immediate goals. The challenge for managers is to support those goals while finding a balance between the HiPo’s career aspirations and the long-term needs of the organization.

High-Impact Challenges

HiPos want challenges. They crave them. And truthfully, they NEED challenges to sustain their enthusiasm. That means it’s important for development activities to test their knowledge, provide them with more diverse learning experiences,

and demand greater levels of strategic thinking. Here are four ways to challenge high potentials. Multi-Disciplinary Rotation Programs These formal programs allow participants to rotate through diverse positions within an organization, exposing them to a wide variety of business functions and/or geographies. When high potentials participate in these types of rotation programs, they absorb a wide range of experiences and perspectives that accelerate their growth and improve their decisionmaking as future leaders. Business Simulations These exercises bring together highpotential cohorts to solve hypothetical business problems. These are typically complex challenges, and the HiPos may be asked to play the role of key stakeholders or decision makers. Through this process, high potentials begin to look at problems from a different perspective and stretch their leadership skills safely in a simulated environment. Many companies report that this exercise shines an interesting light on the capabilities of the participants who might otherwise be pigeonholed in different roles. Project-Based Experiential Learning With these stretch assignments, participants get involved with crossfunctional and even global projects that

GENERATING MEASURABLE IMPACT Training professionals need to stretch beyond the developmental and educational goals of their HiPo programs to consider the broader impact of the entire experience. When they move beyond the standard solutions to deliver what

high potentials really want, they can provide dynamic training programs that are extraordinarily successful, highly coveted, and strategically pivotal in creating the organization’s future leaders.

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move them closer to the organization’s overall strategy. This is a smart way to align the HiPos with some of the company’s most challenging issues and expose them to influential colleagues across lines of business.

WHAT DO HIGH POTENTIALS REALLY WANT? • Career-Path Mapping • Big Challenges • Ongoing Education • Rich Feedback • Senior-Level Exposure • Networking Opportunities

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Highly Specialized Development These distinctive, customized training programs provide a different slant or a deeper dive on a particular topic or skill. Examples of the latest trends in specialized training are courses in design thinking, mindfulness, change management, leadership branding, predictive analytics, and artificial intelligence.

Unlimited Access to Self-Paced Learning Tools

HiPos want to continue learning and growing. Plus, they absorb new information and skills at a faster pace than the vast majority of employees. Unfortunately, most organizations don’t have endless budgets for staff development. If training professionals want to leverage the strong initiative of their

high potentials, they need to offer them unlimited access to self-paced programs. Examples include internal learning management systems or subscriptions for online platforms like Coursera and LinkedIn Learning. The benefits from this “all-you-caneat educational buffet” are quickly apparent. These motivated HiPos often take full advantage of those learning opportunities, and the results are undeniable.

Rich Performance Feedback

HiPos are highly competitive, and they want to know the score. How are they measuring up to expectations? To their peers? One of the smartest ways for a development program to support high potentials is to give them ongoing, detailed feedback about their performance and their impact, along with an honest assessment of their strengths and weaknesses.

Self-Assessments

Individual Coaching

At the basic level, programs should offer self-assessments (also called psychometric tests) to help participants evaluate their capabilities, preferences and behavioral styles. More advanced assessments like Workplace Big 5, Strengths Finder and EQ-I 2.0 generate additional data points that provide an in-depth view of the employees’

This feedback option pairs each high potential with a trained, experienced coach (internal or external) for a series of one-on-one sessions. The impact of this highly personalized coaching on eager, driven professionals cannot be overstated. High potentials who have received individual coaching unanimously report that it is a priceless part of their HiPo program experience.

The impact of personalized coaching on eager, driven professionals cannot be overstated.

personality profiles and key strengths. That information leads to a better understanding of how their natural tendencies impact their decisions and behaviors at work. Multi-Rater Evaluations This second level of assessment (sometimes known as 360 feedback) provides high potentials with the opportunity to receive performance feedback from supervisors, peers, reporting staff members, and customers. While these multi-rater evaluations are customarily reserved for senior leaders, high potentials may have the most to gain from the concise results about specific leadership competencies. In fact, many 360 assessments conclude with targeted development suggestions that prompt positive changes with lasting effects.

Regular Exposure to Top Executives

HiPos want access to an organization’s movers and shakers. They want to hear from them directly and also get a chance to share their perspectives. Robust HiPo programs need to schedule regular meetings for high potentials to interact with the company’s top executives. This allows for more intimacy than an “all hands” meeting, and it provides additional opportunities for participants to practice communicating their personal brands and career aspiration. Some companies even create more formal interactions between senior leaders and high potentials through an official mentor program. These typically include one-on-one sessions over six to 12 months with an executive at the VP level or above. According to industry research, approximately 71 percent of the Fortune 500 use internal mentoring programs of this kind to efficiently pass along years of knowledge and experience to the organization’s up-andcoming leaders.

thinking and understand the importance of establishing connections they can leverage throughout their careers. Strong relationships (inside and outside the company) will give high potentials a definitive edge—a larger pool of resources, greater access to certain individuals, and increased clout to navigate office politics. Although the type of networking offered might differ across companies and industries, HiPo programs that receive the highest ratings are the ones that help participants make solid connections with real business value.

Conclusion For talent managers who need a goto solution for attracting and retaining top talent, HiPo programs offer tangible advantages. But the key to developing a wildly successful program is genuinely understanding what today’s high potentials really want. The training professionals who take the time to create programs that cut through the clutter of standard offerings and actually deliver on those needs will see the difference— in the quantity of top applicants, the quality of new hires, and the longevity of influential talent. Sara Canaday is a former corporate executive and recognized expert in leadership, specifically elevating the capacity of highpotential professionals and helping them take their careers to the next level. She is principal of Sara Canaday & Associates and author of the upcoming book, “Leadership Unchained: Defy Conventional Wisdom for Break Through Performance.” Email Sara.

Networking Opportunities

HiPos want to build supportive working relationships. They are typically forward-

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Leadership Succession Plans Impart Confidence, Strong Cultures BY MICHELE MARKEY

In 10 short years, the entire baby boomer generation will reach retirement age. As this population exits the workforce, it will create a dynamic shift in company leadership. New leaders who step into boomers’ shoes will be designated as brand stewards and challenged with maintaining the culture, products and services that made these organizations so successful.

A planned departure isn’t the only reason why company leaders change. Emergencies, illnesses, mergers and acquisitions, board dismissals, and resignations can all have a significant impact on businesses. PwC’s strategy and consulting business, Strategy&, reported in its 2016 CEO Success study that 14.2 percent of CEOs at the 2,500 largest public companies in the United States and Canada left their positions— but only about 60 percent had planned to depart from the organization. “When a key position is vacated unexpectedly, e.g., due to death, health issues, or personal reasons—or expectedly but without a succession plan—it can cause turmoil within a company,” says Jimmy Sexton, CEO of the Esquire Group, an international tax advisory firm. “When this happens, a company, or at least one or more departments or divisions, are left without leadership and direction.”

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Regardless of why, all CEOs will inevitably leave their positions, so it is critical for companies to plan for unexpected and intentional exits by their leaders. However, only two in five small businesses with fewer than 300 employees have succession plans, according to a 2017 online Harris Poll commissioned by Nationwide. Business owners who responded to the survey cited reasons for their lack of succession plans as: • They didn’t know how to create a succession plan (11 percent), • They didn’t want to give up their life’s work (14 percent), or • It was simply unnecessary to have a succession plan (47 percent).

Even business owners or leaders who think they have a succession plan may have it confused with replacement planning. This typically identifies one or two current company leaders who are available to replace someone on short notice or during an emergency. The replacement is often a temporary, stop-gap measure and doesn’t account for a long-term, continual solution like succession planning.

By putting a strong succession plan and talent development program in place, companies can eliminate gaps in leadership, reduce costs associated with finding a replacement, and negate any bad press or lost confidence in the

It is critical for companies to plan for unexpected and intentional exits by their leaders. company. “The biggest thing a company can expect from implementing a well-thought out succession plan is confidence in the continuity of leadership,” Sexton adds.

Planning for Success What exactly is a succession plan? For starters, it identifies the knowledge, skills and abilities needed by company leaders and establishes a plan to prepare individuals to perform these functions in the future. For a plan to be successful, considerations must be made for identifying skills gaps and training needs, retaining institutional knowledge,

boosting morale and retention by investing in employees, and replacing unique or highly specialized competencies. Identifying top talent at different levels of the company and assessing key competencies like communication and team building are crucial components of a succession plan. As employees are considered for leadership positions, it’s important to understand how they inspire and persuade employees, how they communicate to generate buyin, and if they can build a support team with different perspectives and experiences to generate discussion and avoid group think. Skills assessments like DiSC profiles help identify candidates’ strengths, where they have blind spots, and if they have the right makeup to be an executive or business owner. With a succession plan, there’s time to acknowledge, train and develop areas where future leaders need more work. However, Mollie Moric, human resources specialist for Resume Genius, cautions business owners to be aware of common mistakes when creating their succession plan, such as: • Concentrating succession efforts on C-suite positions;

WHAT IS DRIVING FUTURE LEADERS? With today’s younger workforce in position to be tomorrow’s leaders, company executives must understand what’s important to them. First, the workforce must be agile, empowered and engaged at any level of the company. Agile employees are flexible enough to jump from project to project while still being confident and enthusiastic. Empowered employees are self-directed, have the authority to make decisions and respond to challenges, and respected and rewarded for their innovative solutions. Engaged employees care about the outcome and are committed to the organization, its customers and its future. Today’s employees want to take ownership by making decisions, resolving challenges and finding creative solutions. Companies expecting to develop new leadership within the

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company must create an environment where people can grow, think critically, and not be afraid to fail. They also want a work culture that aligns with their personal values, a continuous path to expanding responsibilities and increased compensation, and a chance to show their creativity and talents in all job responsibilities. Finally, employees want learning and development as part of the overall work experience. To engage employees on an ongoing basis, leadership must obtain the resources and tools to integrate performance management, goal setting, diversity and inclusion, wellness, workplace design, and leadership development into the total employee experience.

• Selecting a successor based on current, not future, needs of the company; • Choosing a leader based on family relations or personal connections instead of credentials or management capacity; • Failing to implement proactive succession planning that includes an ongoing training and development program for high-potential members of staff; and • Excluding successors from succession planning discussions and decisions. “Although succession planning needs to be initiated and monitored by top-management, it should include all members of staff,” she says. “Our philosophy is to ensure that everyone receives management-level training.” Not only can positions vacated by managers who leave be quickly filled, but they are often filled by internal candidates.

Learning and Development for New Leaders Succession plan implementation can take anywhere from 18 months to 10 years, depending on the company and leadership objectives, says Mark Dorman, president of Dorman Legacy Advisors and The Alternative Board – Western Reserve. It’s not only important to coach the leader who is exiting the company but also the next generation of leaders, he adds. “They can have a great education, but do they have practical skills necessary to run a business?” he asks. “We learned long ago in the [business transition] process to ask questions of how they are developing their successors.” Leadership is a learned skill that takes time and experience to build. As companies plan for leaders to leave, they also must incorporate learning and development in their succession plans. Formal training programs designed to develop future leaders should be conceptual and experiential, customized

to the needs of the learner, designed to help embrace and lead through change, and support the goals of a workforce. Companies like the Frank Recruitment Group offer job-specific skills training for their employees, as well as the opportunity to learn and experience leadership skills early in their careers. “Providing great training for the next generation is hugely important for us, and we know that it’s one of the things our employees really want to see,” says James Lloyd-Townsend, CEO of the IT recruiting firm. For example, all new sales and recruitment consultants spend the first month in an immersive training course that provides them with initial skills and tools they will need on the job. As they work, employees continue through the learning modules that are designed to develop confident leaders at every stage of their career. Resume Genius also provides a variety of training opportunities for its employees. Moric says each department head is responsible for hosting a monthly workshop focused on teaching a new job-specific hard skill or developing an existing one. To address soft skills, company-wide workshops are held each quarter to discuss general topics such as leadership, problem-solving, communication and teamwork. All employees are encouraged to pursue external training and development opportunities, and they are provided a budget and the time to do so. Leading at all levels is also important for Resume Genius. “Instead of having our department heads lead each project, we have employees take turns acting as ‘team lead’ on internal and interdepartmental projects,” she says. “This allows employees to gain invaluable leadership and project management experience, as well as product understanding.”

The Plan’s Cultural Impact While business continuity is a major benefit of a succession plan, it also contributes to a positive impact on

office culture and team confidence. “A clear and transparent succession plan gives a candidate clarity as to what is expected of them and what they need to achieve to take over a given role or position,” Esquire Group’s Sexton says. Additionally, it gives employees confidence in the stability of the company, and it provides for an objective way to measure a potential successor’s readiness to take over.

Leadership is a learned skill that takes time and experience to build. Succession planning efforts at Resume Genius have created a culture of accountability, adaptability, integrity, fairness, meaning, continued learning, and engagement, Moric says. “We’ve found that providing employees with opportunities for growth while simultaneously providing direction and training allows them to reach their fullest potential,” she adds. “When employees know we are committed to investing in their training and development in order to help them advance within the company, it creates a team that is confident in their individual roles as well as their future contributions to the company.” By establishing a robust leadership succession plan, employees have a greater ability to move into leadership roles. Companies that develop their up-and-coming leaders benefit from improved retention of talented employees, reduced costs in external searches and faster decisions made to fill key positions, engaged employees who are encouraged by their career progress and new skills, and a positive corporate culture that encourages outside talent to seek employment with your company. Michele Markey is vice president of training operations for SkillPath, a professional learning and development company in Mission, Kansas. Email Michele.

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There’s no question, the downside of a good economy is that it’s ridiculously hard to retain your best talent. The frustrating underper formers stick around, while your rock stars are suddenly the hottest ticket on LinkedIn. So how do you build a sticky culture that inspires your best talent to stick around? It’s tempting to focus on seemingly quick fix, fun solutions that make your culture look hip and millennial-friendly, but you know what your employees want more than a trampoline in the training room and mimosas on Monday afternoon? A buttoned-up culture where their talent is valued, their contributions are recognized, and they’re inspired to grow. Here are six ways to think past the ineffective short cuts and take your retention strategy to the next level.

BUILD A CULTURE OF ACCOUNTABILITY

One of the biggest mistakes managers make when they start bleeding talent is to pull back on accountability. They figure a low-performer is better than no performer, so they avoid the confrontation they worry real accountability will bring. Or they fear that if they expect too much, they’ll stress out their teams. So they buy some pizza, cross their fingers, and let the deadlines slide. If you’re a high-performer, you know what’s more stressful than tough deadlines and high expectations? Watching slackers slide while you pick up the work. If your best employees consistently go home frustrated because they work with a lazy team, they’ll start looking around for a new place where they can work with people like them, or go out on their own so they can call the shots. Be sure every manager has the training and tools they need to set and reinforce clear expectations and have the tough conversations to ensure everyone is keeping their commitments.

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RECOGNIZE AND REWARD CULTURE BUILDERS

Has this ever happened to you? An employee receives an award for something they accomplished while leaving a path of destruction along the way. The “WTFs” start (if you don’t know what that stands for ask a millennial), and your highest performers question the sanity of an executive team that would recognize a jerk like him. If you want to build a sticky culture, be sure you’re recognizing and rewarding the positive culture-builders on your team. Find ways to recognize and reward not just “what ” people are accomplishing, but also “how ” they do it. Recognize solutions-oriented behaviors and inclusive collaboration. Celebrate those who are building up your organizational culture, the people everyone wants to work with because they get things done—the right way.

ELIMINATE FOSU (FEAR OF SPEAKING UP)

Nothing frustrates high-performers more than not having a voice. Quadruple that frustration if they’re afraid to speak up because their ideas were squelched in the past, or worse, they got in trouble for sharing their opinions. FOSU results from a tricky dynamic between leaders and employees. Your leaders may be excited and fired up, but don’t invite ideas or feedback. Or worse, they ask for feedback but never do anything with it. FOSU also happens when middle-level managers discourage

sharing and risk-taking because they’re worried about how they’ll be perceived by senior leaders. They figure it’s better to keep the issues to themselves and then lose the illusion that they have everything under control. The second challenge with FOSU is the employees themselves. Even if you’ve been working on building a more inclusive culture, it’s possible you’ve got employees with scar tissue from bad past experiences that make them feel their opinions aren’t valued – even if those experiences happened with different managers or a different company. Or you have employees who’ve tried to speak up by clumsily lashing out in frustration because they don’t have the training they need to position their ideas more effectively. Take the time to train your managers in some simple techniques to solicit strategic input that matters and be sure they understand the importance of following through

ELIMINATE STACKRANKED PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

They go by many names: forced rating, stack ranking, and bell curves. You rate people’s performance by comparing them to one another. Those who finish lowest in the ratings are put on performance improvement plans, aren’t recognized for their performance, or are even told to leave. These systems are appealing because it seems like the formula of keeping your top performers and replacing the low

ones will then ratchet up performance as everyone competes to be at the top of the ratings.

CELEBRATE THOSE WHO ARE BUILDING UP YOUR ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE. Problems That Prevent Performance In practice, however, these forced ratings systems run into real-world challenges when you’re looking to retain your top performers. • You create contradictions as you hire great employees, but then tell a segment of them that they’re not great after all. • You create internal competition rather than outward competition. • You create strong incentives to game the score rather than play the real game of serving your customer. • You’re asking people for their leastbest effort (what they have to do to stay alive) rather than their true best. • Leaders don’t learn how to lead and manage for sustainable results. • Managers aren’t allowed to reward genuine performance when talented performers end up on the low end of the rank.

HOW TO SPOT A CULTURE BUILDER 1| They Love Your Business

They understand and are energized by the big picture vision and look for creative ways to make it better.

3 | They are Curious, Eager Learners

T hey embrace new situations with curiosity and confident humility as they work to understand what’s really happening and how they can help.

2 | They Build Strong, Trusting Relationships

Culture builders know that other human beings are their lifeline to success. They invest in a wide network of trusted, go-to relationships – up, down and sideways.

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4 | They Work Hard

They dig in harder and longer than most. They care about quality and doing it right.

Forced rating systems are helpful when a leader needs to jumpstart a large organization that’s caught in a morass of sloth, no accountability, and poor execution at every level. A quick ranking to identify truly poor performance and remove it from the organization sends a message that things are changing. For the long-term, however, the answer to sustained transformational results and sticky cultures isn’t forced rankings. If the problem is poor leadership, it should be obvious: fix the problem. And then work to align compensation with what you really want to reward. If you need a team to perform at an objective level of excellence, compensate them for that performance. If you want your best performers to stay, don’t turn the team against itself with artificial comparisons that don’t benefit the work that’s done for your customers.

EXPAND YOUR APPROACH TO EXIT INTERVIEWS

Imagine that Joe gets a new gig. Joe’s peers all know Joe is frustrated with his boss and they’re struggling with their managers, too. They ask Joe, “Did they EVEN ASK you why you’re leaving?” And he says, “Nope, they DIDN’T BOTHER to ask. They don’t care.” Now Joe has left and his friends are wondering if they should, too (oh, and Joe gets a bonus at his new gig for referrals).

Do you know who is leaving and why? Do you have a solid exit interview process in place done by an empathetic leader who cares? If not, it’s worth the energy to build it. Sure, you want the data, but the exit interview itself is a cultural intervention.

PAY FAIR MARKET VALUE (SO OBVIOUS, OFTEN OVERLOOKED)

Laura, a millennial friend who loves her job and was getting great feedback about her performance, called to vent the other day. “All my colleagues tell me that the only way to get a raise around here is to get another job offer and bring it to them--then they’ll match it. That strategy has worked well for several of them. So, I’ve joined several networking groups and am determined to get another job offer so I can get the raise.” Two weeks later she called back, and you guessed it: She was taking that new gig, doing similar work. Why do otherwise smart HR teams create a dynamic that sends their employees shopping? If budgets are tight, consider right-sizing so you can pay your team fairly. You’re better off with a team of eight highly-motivated rock-stars than 10 you settled on because you couldn’t afford to attract the right talent – and who are looking around for a better opportunity.

NOTHING FRUSTRATES HIGH-PERFORMERS MORE THAN NOT HAVING A VOICE.

WINNING WELL: OWN THE U.G.L.Y. TECHNIQUE

If you want to eliminate FOSU (fear of speaking up), encourage your managers to regularly solicit strategic input from their teams. The new year’s a great time to use the Own the U.G.L.Y. technique, which starts by asking four strategic questions. - What are we Underestimating (what’s U getting in the way of our success)? - What’s got to Go (what must we stop G doing)? L- Where are we Losing (where are we underachieving and why)? Y- Where are we missing the Yes (what missed opportunities are we overlooking)?

If you’re serious about taking your retention strategy to the next level, be sure your training and infrastructure helps managers set, reinforce, manage and celebrate clear expectations that inspire everyone to do their best. Karin Hurt and David Dye are co-founders of Let’s Grow Leaders. They are international keynote leadership speakers and trainers, and the award-winning authors of “Winning Well: A Manager’s Guide to Getting Results Without Losing Your Soul.” Email Karin and David.

Topics

You Should Cover in Your New

Leader Mentoring Program By William A. Gentry, Ph.D.

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Think back to the time you got promoted into your first leadership position in your professional career. Can you remember? Now, I have two questions for you. First, how did you feel? I’m sure it was something totally new, and you were excited. You may have even felt a little fright, too. No doubt you were up for the challenge and grateful for the opportunity, but maybe you were also a little nervous and scared. You may have even felt that whole “imposter syndrome,” too.

Organizations simply are not investing enough in their largest population of leaders – entry- and first-level frontline managers – many of whom have never managed before. Do you realize the importance of these leaders? They directly manage more employees than any other managerial population in your organization. They have the closest connection to many key performance indicators like customer satisfaction, employee engagement and productivity. They are the future leaders of your organization and are a signal to the viability of your leadership pipeline.

Next question: Were you prepared for it? If you look at the research, odds are you weren’t.

Not Enough Development for New Leaders According to a CareerBuilder survey, almost 60 percent of new leaders receive no training when they get promoted into their first leadership position. And those new leaders who actually do are not likely to receive as much time, resources and attention through training and development as more senior and seasoned leaders typically do. You might not believe this is a huge problem, but think about this: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were over 7 million first-line supervisors in 2014 with close to 2 million job openings. That’s a lot of managers, and many of them had never led before. And a majority of them get no training whatsoever. Organizations are neglecting to help new leaders make the toughest psychological and emotional shift in their careers: moving from a high-potential, superstar employee to a manager. Is it any wonder that there are problems with leadership pipelines these days?

Organizations are neglecting to help new leaders make the toughest psychological and emotional shift in their careers.

Developing a strong and healthy leadership pipeline starts with your firsttime supervisors, managers and new leaders, and is critical to the success of your organization’s business strategy. Yet, so many organizations are not doing enough. But you are in a position to do something about it, and one relatively inexpensive way to do it is through a mentoring program specifically designed for new leaders. This article will highlight six topics research suggests mentoring programs

ABOUT THE RESEARCH

The six topics discussed in this article are based on the research from the book “Be the Boss Everyone Wants to Work For: A Guide for New Leaders.” The research’s data came from 297 first-time managers and new leaders who participated in a three-day leadership development program by a third-party nonprofit executive education and leadership development vendor. The leaders averaged 36 years of age, and 55.2 percent were male, 65.7 percent lived in the United States, and 78.1 percent worked in the private sector. for new leaders should cover. In what follows, you will understand what the six topics are and how your mentors and new leader mentees can have developmental conversations around each topic.

The New Mindset of New Leaders

Many new leaders have what famed psychologist Carol Dweck calls a “fixed mindset.” Those with a fixed mindset tend to avoid challenges, give up easily when times get hard, disregard criticism and negative feedback, and are threatened by successful people. In her research, ineffective leaders tended to have a fixed mindset while successful ones had a growth mindset. Those with a growth mindset welcomed challenges, endured through tough and challenging times, embraced and used critical feedback to better themselves, and learned from the successes of others. Mentors should talk with their new leader mentees about their own personal mistakes and failures and what

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they learned from them. By having open conversations about failures, new leaders will understand that it’s acceptable to fail and to make sure to learn from their own failures.

The New Skill Set of New Leaders

Something that is usually shared amongst new leaders is that they were promoted largely due to their technical skill and savvy. The salespeople who bring in the most sales are usually the

ones promoted to lead the sales team. The best researcher is usually the one who is promoted to lead the research team. That technical skill and savvy that got them the leadership gig quickly becomes a detriment if they rely solely on that. New leaders must understand that it is other skills, like communication and influence, that they must rely on to be effective in their new leader role. Mentors can give pointers to new leaders about how to read the emotions of others,

RESOURCES TO MAXIMIZE THE SUCCESS OF MENTORING PROGRAMS

This article covers what topics new leader mentoring programs should cover, but that is only one small part of the implementation of the mentoring program. A mentoring program should outline program objectives, have strong organizational support, understand the procedures around selection, matching and participation, and how to evaluate the program, along with the programmatic aspects. Here are resources to help you with a successful mentoring program.

“Designing Workplace Mentoring Programs: An Evidence-Based Approach” By Tammy D. Allen, Lisa M. Finkelstein, and Mark L. Poteet Discover tools, resources and best practices to design, develop and implement formal mentoring programs within organizations.

“Formal Mentoring Programs: A ‘Poor Cousin’ to Informal Relationships?” By S. Gayle Baugh and Ellen A. FagensonEland Examine differences between informal and formal mentoring programs to decide which is right for your organization.

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“Mentoring for Leadership Development” By William A. Gentry Learn how to initiate and lead mentoring programs for leadership development in your organization.

“Designing Mentoring Schemes for Organizations” By Paul Stokes and Lis Merrick Take an in-depth, international and competencies-based approach to the psychology of mentoring to design a mentoring strategy to fit your organization.

understand what the motivations and goals of others are, and adjust their communication and influence style accordingly to fit what the other person wants.

The New Relationships of New Leaders

New leaders are no longer part of their team; new leaders now lead the team. Oftentimes these new leaders were peers and maybe even friends with their co-workers one day, and then they get promoted and now they have to lead those friends and former peers and colleagues. Mentors can make that adjustment a lot easier for their new leader mentees by listening to their frustrations, and giving some examples of how they made that transition. They should also help their new leaders understand the importance of setting a vision, providing role clarity, and understanding how to uncover what motivates each of their direct reports (what the Center for Creative Leadership calls direction, alignment and commitment).

The New Attitude Around Work for New Leaders

New leaders struggle in letting go of what made them successful as an individual contributor (doing all the work and doing it well) and embracing what will make them successful as a leader: coaching and developing their own direct reports to do their work well. Feedback should be of particular importance to new leaders. Mentors should discuss with their new leader mentees the different types of feedback that exists, how to deliver feedback well, how often, and best practices

surrounding feedback. But it’s not just delivering feedback that is necessary. In addition, mentors should discuss with new leaders how to set a climate of feedback for their team, how to encourage members of the team to give

New leaders are a signal to the viability of your leadership pipeline. the new leader feedback, and what the new leader can do to ensure that the feedback was heard, addressed and implemented (or if it wasn’t, the reasons behind that decision).

The New Perspective for New Leaders

Many new leaders are used to keeping their head down and doing the work. That’s what got them promoted into leadership in the first place. But new leaders must lift their heads up and understand how their work, and their team’s work, fit into their larger department, other functions, and the mission and goals of the organization. They have to work across silos and boundaries to accomplish things with others who may have different (and sometimes competing) goals. No doubt, organizational politics come into play. Mentors should help new leaders understand that work does not have to be an “I win and you lose” situation. They should listen to the struggles new leaders have in dealing with the politics in organizations. They should encourage new leaders to change their perspective

that politics is neither negative nor positive, but rather, the air we breathe in organizations. Coach new leaders to have a win-win mentality in a genuine, authentic way that benefits all parties involved.

The New Focus for New Leaders

Speaking of genuine and authentic, mentors must stress the importance of integrity and character in everything new leaders do. As leaders, all eyes are on them even if they don’t think anyone is watching. Mentors should talk to new leaders about ethical failures of leaders in the organization’s past, why those occurred, and how to set new leaders up to succeed if similar situations arise.

Conclusion I often tell new leaders I train, coach and work with that leadership would be really easy if it wasn’t for the <insert your favorite expletive> people involved. It can be the most difficult, frustrating, scary, worrisome, and thankless job imaginable. But it can be so rewarding as well. Mentoring programs can help new leaders if the topics discussed are pertinent to what they will be facing. Because of their relevance, these six evidenced-based topics will enhance what is learned in mentoring programs for new leaders and will maximize the success.

William A. (Bill) Gentry, Ph.D., an industrialorganizational psychologist and leadership researcher with a specialty of researching and helping new leaders, is currently the director of career and professional development at High Point University. Email William.

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CASEBOOK

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT FOR NEW MANAGERS: ACROSS THE ENTERPRISE BY CHRISTINE BARAKAT

In 2017, The Home Depot (THD) successfully launched a two-year enterprise-wide leadership development program for new managers called Leading Orange for Managers (LOM). Creating and executing LOM was a large undertaking and called for strategic alignment across the business as well as in the learning and development (L&D) department. THD is a home improvement Fortune 100 company with various business units and entities serving numerous markets (home improvement retail, home services, and maintenance, repair and operations). Leaders and associates work in office environments, in retail stores, on customer sites, and in distribution centers. Associate development is a top priority for THD based on feedback from the Voice of the Associate survey. The LOM program develops new managers on foundational leadership concepts. Developing new managers at the beginning of their leadership journey enables them to be more successful, serve their team members better, and drive a culture of development. Over a two-year period, managers going through the LOM program complete 32 hours of training and development. Currently, approximately 2,000 associates are actively going through LOM. January 2019 will mark the conclusion of the initial implementation

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of the two-year program. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s estimated that the first group to complete the full program will be about 200 to 250 leaders.

BE INCLUSIVE OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF ASSOCIATES AND BUSINESS AREAS.

To date, the average Level 1 evaluation scores across all courses are 4.67 out of 5. The average Level 3 scores are 4.53 and 4.28 from participants and their managers respectively. The Level 1 scores measure learner reaction to the courses and the Level 3 scores measure application of the learning resulting in behavior change, as reported by the learners and their managers. The opportunities to level-set on leadership behaviors while meeting other managers from across the enterprise are invaluable. This article highlights how the L&D department executed the LOM program with a focus on instructional design (ID). ENTERPRISE-WIDE AUDIENCE The LOM program initially deployed as an instructor-led training (ILT) program for the Atlanta Store Support Center (THDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s headquarters) audience. The ILT

experience consisted of opportunities for skills practice and peer feedback along with electronic handouts and workbooks. Learners continued application with on-the-job exercises called Beyond the Classroom. These self-driven activities and reflections aligned with program content areas and resources. The ID team created materials that would work for any audience at THD, including stores, distribution centers, and others. Here are some ways that the team met this challenge. IDs designed experiences with broad, culturally appropriate language that would apply to different parts of the business. To do this, they used common language, acronyms and terms. For example, in the coaching and development course, instead of using coaching examples specific to one audience, IDs wrote a scenario that could happen to any audience member, regardless of their work environment, language and policies. In addition, the team used diverse examples of race, gender and background to be inclusive of the different types of associates and business areas at THD. The team also represented different audiences with a variety of media. IDs worked with internal media experts to create photos, animations and videos representing the different business areas and departments at THD. For

example, IDs wrote scenarios that any new manager could face but used media from key parts of the business for each scenario. Additionally, some examples took a universal approach. In a course on collaboration, IDs worked with media developers to create a video about the importance of collaboration in the context of firefighting. Even though the firefighter example was not specific to the environment of THD, it helped learners to make connections and improve decision-making about collaboration. On the other hand, courses like business acumen taught concepts using THD’s earnings report and also focused on a store profit and loss to help learners recognize trends and behaviors driving the numbers in the core part of the business. This topic allowed learners to learn about financials while giving them the confidence and resources to share the company’s performance with their teams back on the job. Finally, a dedicated project team of L&D subject matter experts (SMEs) representing different areas of the business reviewed and approved the materials. The purpose of this was to ensure all audiences were included. ASYNCHRONOUS LEARNING While the team continued to create and facilitate instructor-led courses, they also created asynchronous versions of the ILT content to benefit leaders in other environments at THD. The team created an experience that matched the integrity and interactivity of the ILT program. For the asynchronous experience, the team of IDs created a comprehensive, blended learning approach consisting of three parts. First, for the initial learning experience, IDs created e-learning courses. And to ensure interactivity for each course,

the team developed rich media experiences in partnership with media experts. Videos and motion graphics featured different THD environments, and the courses used language that fit the culture and different parts of the business. Next, learners completed a series of activities back on the job that had them interacting with their leaders, other leaders and their teams. These experiences ranged from one to three hours and provided them with opportunities to practice new skills and get feedback from others.

DEVELOPING NEW MANAGERS AT THE BEGINNING ENABLES THEM TO BE MORE SUCCESSFUL.

Finally, learners came back to the LMS to reflect on their on-the-job experiences. This is where they wrote about lessons learned and answered open-ended questions, allowing them to reflect. Additionally, the team built experiences to drive learners’ vertical development by helping them address potential limiting mindsets and to think at a more advanced level. PARTNERSHIPS ACROSS L&D While key partnerships across HR and the business were necessary to pull off this program, the ID team worked closely with L&D strategists and SMEs to create content and align on delivery. The strategy managers and project team were responsible for conducting initial analyses on the business needs for new managers and aligning the needs with THD’s overall strategy. IDs met with this team to create and review leadership models, drafts and final deliverables.

This team represented various business groups at THD and provided an accurate picture of activities and language that would resonate with each one. As mentioned before, a rich media experience was integral to creating a broad learner experience for all solutions. In addition, for delivery, IDs collaborated with leadership training managers (LTMs), highly skilled facilitators focused on interactive and engaging classroom experiences, to ensure messaging and experiences worked for the audience. The LTMs played a key role in teaching concepts and helping learners walk away with additional on-the-job experiences. They also helped build a sense of community among learners at each session and tied each experience to past and future ones. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS L&D continues to work on the best ways to provide ongoing support to managers. With the use of the company’s intranet, there are various resources like videos, book summaries and tip sheets specific to THD’s culture, values and environment. L&D is also leveraging enterprisewide content in other programs with additional leaders. Other benefits are that LOM courses can be used on their own or as part of a full leadership development program. In addition, the L&D team is piloting an action learning program for managers that builds in coaching and peer support groups to run concurrently with the LOM program. Christine E. Barakat is a senior instructional designer at The Home Depot. She has been in the field of L&D for approximately 10 years, with a focus on design and development. Email Christine.

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G L O B A L O U T LO O K

HOW TO CREATE EFFECTIVE LEARNING FOR A GLOBAL, MULTILINGUAL TEAM BY LEANNE BLANEY

By 2050, the world’s population will have increased to 9.7 billion people. Thanks to ongoing advances in technology, millions of these individuals will operate and work remotely for international businesses who will have their headquarters based on a different continent – or even a different hemisphere. Indeed, for many this is already their reality. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that between 2014 and 2024, the number of interpreters and translators employed in the USA is projected to increase by approximately 29 percent. Workers who have the ability and knowledge to converse in multiple languages and to understand global cultures will be in high demand. Consequently, students at higher level institutes around the world are being actively encouraged to study languages and to avail every opportunity to travel abroad. So, what is the alternative for those who have already completed their studies and joined the workforce? How can companies that have joined the global market manage to cultivate and develop global, multilingual teams? The secret increasingly lies in embracing the power of digital training solutions. MAINTAINING A HIGH STANDARD OF TRAINING WORLDWIDE Online training solutions allow members of a global, multilingual team to access and undertake identical training to their international colleagues, in their own language, with regional and cultural

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differences considered. Online training means that team members and their managers can be confident that their level of training, knowledge acquired and assessments undertaken are on par with their peers. THE BENEFITS OF A BLENDED TRAINING APPROACH Traditional classroom training can be a challenge, especially carried out on an international scale, or when training a multilingual audience. Relying on

MANY INTERNATIONAL BUSINESSES AGREE THAT TRAINING DELIVERED IN THEIR MOTHER TONGUE ARE THE MOST EFFECTIVE.

individual tutors to lead and instruct individuals within a classroom/ workshop environment can be risky. Much depends on the quality and effectiveness of the teaching offered, and it can be difficult to foolproof the learning materials and delivery to ensure that all learners undertaking training experience the same standard of teaching. This is particularly the case when the training is being conducted either by an instructor who is not speaking in their mother tongue or is

being undertaken by learners who may not be fluent in the language. THE IMPORTANCE OF LEARNING IN YOUR FIRST LANGUAGE Research conducted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) found that optimal learning within primary school children was achieved when conducted in the children’s first language. UNESCO and Oxfam have adopted a similar approach when educating adults within their initiatives in Africa and Afghanistan, among other destinations, and have recorded a high degree of success. Therefore, it makes sense why in recent years business owners and companies have been striving to ensure that their learning initiatives and training approaches follow the same mandate. Indeed, many international businesses universally agree that training delivered in their mother tongue tended to be the most effective and had the greatest long-term impact on their workforce’s productivity and development. Yet, studies have demonstrated that at present, more than half of the international companies surveyed did not have a strong understanding of available translation services and how they could be utilized to help improve their internal and external business correspondence. Furthermore, given that the provision of a laptop or mobile device and Wi-Fi enables workers to proactively embark upon their online training experience,

as well as create and develop their own e-learning courses, the question has now been posed: How do we create effective learning for a global, multilingual team? The answer lies in considering two key factors: Consistency: When delivering training, consistency is essential. Learners must receive the same key messages, especially in relation to activities that must be completed in accordance with legislative practices or in a prescribed fashion, such as health and safety procedures. Culture: When designing online training, it’s important that the variations which exist between differing cultures in terms of language, learning approach and instruction are identified and addressed. For instance, audiences based in the USA prefer an individualistic approach whereas Guatemalan audiences prefer a more group-centric approach. ADDRESSING CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN GLOBAL TRAINING PROGRAMS Learning designers need to choose the most suitable strategy to create effective training for global, multilingual teams, as outlined below.

This “one-size-fits-all” approach will intentionally meet all appropriate international employer guidelines, and thus prove exceptionally cost-effective for the organization, as there will be no need to create local variations. Possible negative connotations associated with this strategy may include the risk that the learning materials are considered bland and prove difficult for the instructors and learners to engage and utilize.

cultural integration requires effective communication and insight provided by insiders within both the corporation and the culture who can guide learning designers in terms of the target audience and how to avoid misconceptions or prejudices associated with cultures. When successfully created, however, the training material can be powerful and can result in an engaging, exploratory and multilayered e-learning course.

2. Localization Juxtaposed with the aforementioned “culturally neutral” strategy. This approach will ensure e-learning materials are designed to specifically include local cultural inputs. This can range from delivering the e-learning materials in the primary language of the local geographical area through to the inclusion of culturally specific references. Positives of this strategy include creating targeted e-learning that encourages learners through colloquialisms and cultural references to engage fully with the training content as they feel it is wholly relevant to them. However, possible negatives may include the fact that it limits learner’s experience of other cultures and, when implemented correctly, may prove quite costly to create numerous cultural variations of similar training materials.

1. Culturally Neutral

3. Cultural Integration

This strategy is favored by many global organizations. The e-learning materials are specifically designed to be “culturally neutral.” Signs, symbols, images or illustrations that indicate or suggest particular affiliations with certain areas/ cultures, or which may be deemed offensive or unsuitable within certain cultural contexts, would not be included. Colloquial language or abbreviations and recognizable cultural references would also be avoided. Such a strategy is generally favored as the training will be universally identical and delivered in a simple and direct manner.

Cultural integration strategies are now frequently incorporated into online training for global, multilingual audiences. This strategy aims to create a single culture-rich strategy that recognizes and facilitates cultural diversity among learners. Learning designers ensure relative cultures through tools such as questionnaires to identify key cultures and the range, and preference, of learners toward learning styles, etc. Frequently challenging

considered strategy

the most to adopt,

WHEN DELIVERING TRAINING, CONSISTENCY IS ESSENTIAL.

GETTING GLOBAL, MULTILINGUAL TRAINING RIGHT The need for effective learning for workforces is universal and will continue to become a greater fixation and concern for many international and global organizations in the coming years. With a blended learning approach now widely considered the preferred training method for contemporary companies, it makes sense that learning designers must now turn their attention to developing and refining their strategies when developing online training for global, multilingual teams. Working in conjunction with company insiders and subject matter experts (SMEs), as well as insiders familiar with cultural frameworks, the future of online training is about to become increasingly effective and exciting.

Leanne Blaney is the project director at Bolt Learning. A passionate educationalist, she completed her Ph.D. at the University of Dublin where she worked extensively in creating and facilitating innovative learning tools for adult learners. Email Leanne.

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TOP 20 COMPANIES

WHAT’S NEXT IN TECH STELLA LEE, PH.D.

THE ROLE OF CHATBOTS IN WORKPLACE LEARNING While chatbots have been around for decades (the first chatbot ELIZA was created by Joseph Weizenbaum in 1966), only in recent years have chatbots become a ubiquitous trend – in the form of virtual assistants, product trainers, customer service agents, and online tutors, to name a few.

simplify the hunt for information across multiple sources with few clicks, make recommendations and keep a record of the conversations. Furthermore, some chatbots can conduct content analysis to further refine and personalize the information to individual users.

By definition, a chatbot is a computer program designed to simulate conversations with humans through websites, mobile apps, wearable devices, or home appliances. In the learning and education domain, there have been a few successful cases that suggest the potential benefit of chatbot

• Performance support: In addition to users seeking information, chatbots can anticipate questions and interact proactively to push out performance support material, particularly for a mobile and geographically dispersed workforce. The ability to provide consistent answers is useful for compliant-based content or any other materials that require a high level of standardization. Chatbots’ 24/7 availability also work well for shift workers or for global companies.

CHATBOTS SHOULD NOT BE A REPLACEMENT FOR ACTUAL HUMAN COMMUNICATION. usage, particularly in settings where there are large bodies of learners to support. One such famous example is Jill Watson, the artificial intelligent (AI) teaching assistant that was based on IBM’s Watson platform, and developed to handle questions posted in a discussion forum for Georgia Institute of Technology’s online computer science program. Interestingly, none of the students in the course suspected that Jill was not human, and one student even wanted to nominate her for a best teaching assistant award! In the corporate sector, chatbots are just starting to flourish in learning and development. The following list provides some ideas and possible applications for the use of chatbots in workplace learning. • Reference and instructional assistance: Organizations often have information in silos, spread across many departments, and company intranets could be complicated to navigate with poor information architecture. Chatbots can

• Coaching and mentoring: Not only can chatbots scale personalized coaching and mentoring sessions, they help to make learners not feel judged when they ask questions and seek clarifications. One of the challenges in coaching and mentoring is for people to feel comfortable to talk openly and honestly. Chatbots can employ dialectical strategies to provide empathic responses, hear another person’s point of view and accept them without judging, and to allow people to express their feelings and concerns. While chatbots have the potential to create individualized learning experiences and support performance, there are some factors to consider in using chatbots for learning. • Manage expectations: Due to the limitation of natural language processing and machine learning algorithm, chatbot interactions could sometimes lead to awkward answers, frustrate users, and cause people to develop a general sense of mistrust. Keep in mind that even

“intelligent” chatbots are limited to certain knowledge domains, and it is extremely difficult for chatbots to understand context, infer meanings, unpack ambiguity, and to have a useful memory. • Focus on human-centered inclusive design: Chatbots’ replies to questions are based on their repertoire of previously encountered questions and answers. If most of the past questions came from the demographics of a certain majority, chatbots will inevitably exhibit a bias toward the demographic majority in the responses and potentially underserve others. Humans need to work alongside the system to take ethics into account and to mitigate bias. Active monitoring and correcting these assumptions are urgently needed and require constant effort. • Chatbots cannot replace humans: Humans converse in a way that chatbots cannot. We incorporate emotional intelligence in our decision-making process, we understand context to a larger extent, and make connections or draw inferences. While chatbots can engage and provide services at scale, freeing up time for staff to focus on more in-depth and complex interventions with learners, there are limitations in what the platform can do. Chatbots should not be a replacement for actual human communication. Rather, we ought to think of them as cooperatives, working side-by-side with us to enhance the overall workplace learning experience. Dr. Stella Lee has over 20 years of experience in consulting, planning, designing, implementing, and measuring learning initiatives. Today, her focus is on large-scale learning projects including LMS evaluation and implementation, learning analytics, and artificial intelligent applications in learning. Email Stella.

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BE AN EXPERT Training Industry research analysts seek insights that benefit you—the training leader. From understanding the unique process capabilities that differentiate Great Training Organizations™ to exploring the components of the Modern Learning System, gain greater understanding of the training industry through our vast research library.

This research explores questions and insights about the popular 70-20-10 model and how it relates to today’s corporate realities.

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SECRETS OF SOURCING DOUG HARWARD

DEVELOPING THE NEXT GENERATION OF

TRAINING LEADERS

The old proverb, “The shoe cobbler’s kids have no shoes,” applies very well to our profession. Many leaders of training organizations focus so much of their time and energy on making sure their constituents have the training they need, but they often neglect making sure their own staff has the training they need to be successful. Developing our next generation leaders of training is one of the most fundamental responsibilities we have as leaders of training. It ensures the hard work we are doing now to implement effective and efficient learning programs will be sustained over a long period of time. In addition, it demonstrates to our client base that we are so in tune with the needs of training and development that we demonstrate best practices in our own shop. This is so important in communicating to our executive team that we understand the best practices of succession planning and we practice what we preach. But unfortunately, this is rarely the case – thus the analogy of the old proverb. Training leadership is a valuable and noble profession that requires the knowledge of the fundamentals of learning. These fundamentals and principles come from more than 100 years of research by the world’s most notable psychologists in how adults best learn. Concepts like the forgetting curve, the spacing effect, the power

of reinforcement, and coaching and mentoring are just a few of these contributions. These principles are the underlying drivers of new technology and innovation in our profession today. And there are also valuable decisionmaking concepts that allow us to better understand how to manage a portfolio of learning programs. For example, there is the portfolio rationalization model that helps us understand what learning programs we are offering that are not in line with the needs of the business. And there is the 70-20-10 model (as well as an updated ratio referred to as the OSF ratio) that helps us understand how to balance the amount of structured, informal and on-the-job training we provide. And there are, of course, many more. But one of the most important things we can do to develop next generation leaders of training is to be good leaders ourselves. Learn the principles of training management. Learn how to be a great mentor and coach of other training managers. Contribute to the profession by speaking and writing about your experiences and what you’ve learned along your journey in the training industry. From where I sit, becoming a great leader of a training organization does not come through experience by itself. It requires the ongoing study

of innovation and training through programs that teach the necessary practices and tools to be an effective training manager, such as the Certified Professional in Training Management (CPTM™) program. It requires being a

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS WE CAN DO TO DEVELOP NEXT GENERATION LEADERS OF TRAINING IS TO BE GOOD LEADERS OURSELVES. student of the profession. It requires implementing best practices and resource management. It requires having an innovative mindset and challenging the status quo. It requires pushing boundaries and refusing to continue doing the same things the same way they’ve always been done. And yes, it does require experience through doing the job – but doing it in a deliberate way. Good leaders of training organizations work very hard to ensure they meet the needs of the business. But great leaders also ensure their own team has the fundamental skills to manage the training they provide. Doug Harward is CEO of Training Industry, Inc. and a former learning leader in the hightech industry. Email Doug.

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LEARNER MINDSET MICHELLE EGGLESTON SCHWARTZ

FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT: A RISKY LEADERSHIP STRATEGY?

We’ve all heard the popular phrase, “Fake it till you make it.” This expression elicits various mental pictures of people who lack confidence in their ability to do something, so they fake their way to success. There is one important downfall to this tactic – faking competence is essentially lying and can have a negative impact on a business. And as with any stream of lies, the truth will eventually surface.

training must caution the use of this approach within their organizational walls. Employees should not be left in a position to fake knowledge. Learning and development (L&D) must strive to identify and close skills gaps by providing employees with access to the right training.

Can you imagine if you found out that your surgeon, who was about to perform high-risk surgery on you, lacked the essential skills to do the job but had an inflated sense of confidence in his ability to be successful? Now, this is an extreme example, but it showcases the slippery slope of faking competence and ability.

In the context of corporate training, there is a clear lack of investment in training for first-time managers and even more shortfall in coaching skills for those managers. All too often, high performers are moved into management positions due to their outstanding performance as a doer and are rewarded with a promotion to manage people. Going from doer to manager requires a completely different set of skills but often goes overlooked by many organizations.

At the heart of this “Fake it till you make it” strategy is the desire for increased confidence. There is a desire to exhibit strength in the face of a challenging situation or circumstance. Science and research have shown that this theory can have positive effects on our selfesteem when used in certain situations. For example, forcing yourself to smile when you’re not feeling cheery has been shown to lift your mood, and dressing for the job you want can lead to increased performance. While you may not always have the answers or solution to the problem, exuding a calm and confident demeanor can create a calming effect and decrease the anxiety of those around you. While there are some foreseen benefits to faking your way to success, corporate

BUILDING INVESTMENT IN FIRSTTIME MANAGERS

If first-time managers are not provided with the necessary training and education, then they are essentially left to fake their way through their new job. This strategy can lead to high risks for organizations, including high turnover from employees who are not managed correctly, decreased employee performance, and lack of efficiency. A bad manager (just like a bad employee) can greatly impact company culture and can infect an otherwise healthy culture. L&D must work to develop a robust plan to train new managers. This investment can significantly impact many of the company’s key performance indicators

(KPIs). There are many informal ways to develop new managers. Instituting mentor programs where new managers can regularly meet with seasoned

EMPLOYEES SHOULD NOT BE LEFT IN A POSITION TO FAKE KNOWLEDGE. managers can allow an open dialogue with questions and concerns that arise in the context of the day to day. Having positive role models in the workplace can increase the confidence of first-time managers. Having a resource library with leadership book recommendations, podcasts and TED Talks can provide new managers with access to develop in a self-paced manner and apply those insights on the job. Maintaining a social forum or community of knowledge where employees can connect over shared topics can serve as a resource when new managers have questions. L&D must do its best to assemble the resources to help build strength in the role that touches the majority of the company’s employees. These leaders can set the tone of the entire organization and be a source of improved retention, heightened engagement and ultimately a competitive edge for their organization. Michelle Eggleston Schwartz is the editorial director at Training Industry, Inc. Email Michelle.

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CLOSING D E A L S ONE MACRO STEP FOR GROVO, ONE MICROLEARNING STEP FOR CORNERSTONE ONDEMAND BY TARYN OESCH

Since its founding in 2010, Grovo has been through several funding rounds, raising a total of $73.3 million before its acquisition by Cornerstone OnDemand (CSOD) for $24 million late last year. The largest was its $40 million Series C round in 2016, one year before entering a partnership with CSOD, which integrated Grovo’s microlearning content into CSOD’s platform. (Grovo’s content is now exclusive to CSOD customers, thanks to the acquisition.) Grovo created its brand completely around the concept of microlearning, even trademarking the term in 2017. While the trademark has not had an impact on the industry’s use of the term, CSOD’s acquisition of Grovo may indicate a growing focus on microlearning. Certainly, says Josh Schwede, vice president of content services at CSOD, “From a financial standpoint, the acquisition presents an opportunity to improve our revenue on content. Grovo has been a key partner in our Content Anytime offering, and upon completion of this acquisition, we will recapture their content royalties.” He adds that CSOD will add two new content brands: “Produced by Cornerstone” and “Cornerstone Originals” – thanks to the acquisition of Grovo’s course library and content creator tool. CSOD, which already had a strong learning platform (the company is on Training Industry’s 2018 Top 20 Learning Portal/LMS list), can now add content and an authoring tool to its offerings, making this acquisition a valuable one. Grovo has been building up an extensive microlearning library over the

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last few years, forming partnerships with content providers like Sandler Training and Lange International. The partnering of platform and content providers is a trend in the industry; this acquisition takes that partnership to the next level by combining the two companies. The fact that CSOD’s new content is in a microlearning format is likely a great benefit to the company and the people who use its platform to learn. Microlearning, writes Irene Tan, senior director of learning and development at Alorica, “promotes comprehension, clear retention of the information and implementation of coursework in everyday operating procedures.” In fact, she reports that Alorica has seen more than 60 percent improvement after retraining employees using microlearning. Much has been written about the fact that we are busier than ever – or at least, we feel like we are. With great demands on our learners’ energy and attention, microlearning provides a way to make sure that employees learn what they need (and want) to learn – without taking too much time away from their work. When done well, microlearning is an effective just-in-time, in-theworkflow learning tool. “Microlearning is especially effective for learning very targeted, specific skills in a condensed, digestible format,” says Schwede. “For example, some of the most popular courses involve topics like mindfulness, organization, antiharassment, and learning about new systems and tools.”

When combined with other training methods in a multi-modal learning approach, microlearning may offer even greater benefits. Training Industry research has found that most organizations use between three and six modalities in a training program, suggesting that multi-modal programs may be more effective. Another study found that when organizations use more modalities, they are more likely to provide training in any given learner’s preferred modality, which leads to greater impact.

IN A MULTI-MODAL LEARNING APPROACH, MICROLEARNING MAY OFFER EVEN GREATER BENEFITS.

Late in 2017, CSOD launched a new strategic plan that included expanding its e-learning presence. Jason Corsello, senior vice president of strategy and corporate development, told Training Industry Magazine a few months later that the new plan would support the “next phase of growth for the business, going from $500 million in annual revenue to a $1 billion revenue company.” The $24 million acquisition of $73.3-million company Grovo seems to be a significant step in that same direction.

Taryn Oesch is the managing editor of digital content at Training Industry, Inc. Email Taryn.

C O M PA N Y N E W S

ACQ UI S I T I O N SAN DPA RTN E R SHIPS Simplify Compliance, a portfolio company of Leeds Equity Partners, acquired Bluepoint Leadership Development, Inc. (“Bluepoint”), a provider of leadership training and content. Bluepoint personnel will join Simplify Compliance, helping to expand its learning capabilities to include best in class leadership training. This is the fourth acquisition for Simplify Compliance since its formation in 2016 The Adecco Group, the world’s leading HR solutions partner, announced it will acquire General Assembly, a pioneer in education and career transformation that offers accelerated learning programs in high-demand 21st-century digital skills. The acquisition will position the Adecco Group as a leader in the fastgrowing up-/re-skilling segment.

BetterUp, the first leadership development platform to connect coaching to sustainable behavior change, is partnering with Watermark, Silicon Valley’s leading community of senior and emerging women executives and entrepreneurs, to make executive coaching accessible to women at every stage in their careers. Docebo announced its inclusion in the new LinkedIn Learning Integration Partner Program. The integration gives organizations and learners access to LinkedIn Learning’s entire catalogue of more than 12,000 best-in-class learning courses within their Docebo Content Marketplace. It will allow users to access, browse and subscribe to quality learning content directly from their Docebo platform.

Thinkful, the school that brings high-growth tech careers to people everywhere, acquired Bloc, an online education company. This deal enables both companies to accelerate development of new programs, provide technical career acceleration and deliver top talent to employers everywhere. Thinkful and Bloc have a combined 12 years of experience building technical education online. SAP SE acquired Callidus Software, a leader known for its lead to money applications, including sales performance management and configure-price-quote. These applications, marketed under the brand CallidusCloud®, will provide SAP and its customers a differentiated, cloud-based customer relationship management solution.

INDUSTRY NE WS NEW RESEARCH INSTITUTE TO HELP ADULT LEARNERS HARNESS POWER OF EDUCATION

Strada Education NetworkSM, a national nonprofit dedicated to strengthening America’s pathways between education and employment, announced the creation of Strada Institute for the Future of Work (Strada Institute). Strada Institute’s research will identify solutions for working adults and inform Strada’s mission impact investments aimed at transforming educational pathways for working learners. INDUSTRY LEADERS COMBINE TO CREATE GLOBAL PLATFORM FOR DIGITAL CREDENTIALS

Credly will acquire Pearson’s Acclaim badging business in response to global demand for digital credentialing and

talent recognition. The partnership between Acclaim and Credly brings two leading organizations together and provides the most comprehensive solution suite for skill recognition, credential verification and talent management. JOHNSON & JOHNSON INSTITUTE ADDS INNOVATIVE ANALYTICS-BASED LEARNING PLATFORM

A new digital learning capability now available from the Johnson & Johnson Institute, a world leader in professional education, provides hospitals and surgeons across a range of specialties with an unprecedented ability to assess and enhance technical skills in robotic, laparoscopic and open surgery with the goal of improving outcomes and reducing costs.

TWO INDUSTRY PLAYERS UNITE TO PROVIDE VR LEARNING SOLUTIONS

Two learning & VR industry pioneers, Aquinas & PeVRformance Group are joining forces with the creation of AquinasVR. The newly created AquinasVR will lead the development and production of VR experiences and content to augment and amplify corporate trainings and help bridge the corporate skills gap.

INTERESTED IN SUBMITTING COMPANY NEWS? PLEASE SEND TO EDITOR@TRAININGINDUSTRY.COM

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