Modern Leaders | March/April 2020 by Training Industry Magazine

M A R C H /A P R I L 2 0 2 0

MODERN LEADERS CONVERSATIONS BOSSES SHOULD BE HAVING | 16 Coaching Strategies for New Managers

WHAT PEOPLE WANT IN A LEADER | 30 How Do You Measure Up?

FAST-TRACKING PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY | 40 5 Tools to Build Trust and Unlock Innovation

BUSINESS

PERSPECTIVES

MANAGING

WORLD-CLASS

TRAINING

INSPIRE THE LEADERS OF TOMORROW

Thayer Leader Development Group is not afďż˝iliated with the United States Military Academy at West Point or the West Point Association of Graduates - ÂŠ TLDG 2019

Board Meetings

Team Building

Applied Academic Sessions

Guided Historical Experience

Keynote Speakers

Coaching & Consulting

Few places can inspire you more than the legacy of the United States Military Academy at West Point. With breathtaking vistas, majestic architecture and a National Historical Landmark hotel that has hosted Medal of Honor recipients and Presidents, West Point exudes beauty and history.

Develop "Leaders of Character" by walking in the footsteps of renowned leaders and decorated soldiers from the past, present, and future. Come be inspired.

BUILDING LEADERS OF CHARACTER thayerleaderdevelopment.com 845-446-4731, ext. 8924

KEN TAYLOR

FROM THE EDITOR

DO LEADERS’ SKILLS NEED TO EVOLVE?

This edition of Training Industry Magazine assembles a collection of perspectives on how the role of the leader needs to evolve. Whether you’re a sales leader or head of a business unit, you’re responsible for driving results and maximizing the impact of your team.

AS THE BUSINESS MARKET EVOLVES SO MUST OUR LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES.

Business today demands that leadership teams bring a holistic, people-centric approach to team development. This will require leaders to become coaches with high levels of emotional intelligence. Leaders must become comfortable with less formal structure and quickly adapt to changing business environments. So, where do leaders find these new skills, and how can learning and development (L&D) help? Soft skills like adaptability, agility, emotional intelligence and presence are emerging as critical skills at the core of good leadership for the future of work. Effectively leading with empathy, agility and contextual relevance allows leaders to help employees achieve their full potential. By actively working on these skills, leaders are more likely to have engaged teams that understand the company’s direction and how they can support the company’s goals. Leaders who are focused on L&D create a psychologically safe environment that allows employees to thrive in the absence of fear. They encourage innovation and risk-taking, because they can envision the

future state of the company and have a plan to get there. So back to my question, where do leaders find these skills, and what can L&D do to help? L&D needs to identify the core skills that leaders need to be successful and create development opportunities to instill those skills in all employees – not just leadership. These core skills can help every employee in the execution of their jobs. For example, if an employee is trained on the same skills as their manager and their manager’s manager, they are more likely to recognize cues for adaptability and handling change, understand the value of having managers who are present with the right attitude when challenges arise, and be familiar with the language used to develop vision and strategy for the company. As the business market evolves so must our leadership development strategies. By developing leaders who can effectively manage change, organizations are well positioned to thrive in a competitive market. As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the evolution of today’s leaders required skill set. Please send along any suggestions for us to consider in future editions of Training Industry Magazine. Ken Taylor is the president and editor in chief of Training Industry, Inc. Email Ken.

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MAGAZ INE - MODERN LEADERS 2020 I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

CO N T E N TS

TA B L E O F VOLUME 13

ISSUE 3

MARCH/APRIL 2020

FEATURES

ganizations do not get the time and resources needed to be succes ring one of the biggest psychological and emotional shifts we mak r professional lives – going from a hard working employee to a front first-level manager, supervisor or director. A CareerBuilder sur und that 58% of new leaders received no training when they w omoted into their first leadership position. A Zenger Folkman st und it takes 12 years on average for a leader to get any leaders velopment aimed at helping them be better leaders. That’s a m service to those who are new to leadership and want to succeed but t given the resources necessary to thrive in their new roles. Some m nk that these new frontline leaders should not be the focus velopment. But consider this: Entry- and first-level frontline manage any of whom have never managed before – directly lead the larg mber of employees over any other managerial population. They h e biggest direct impact on key performance indicators like custom tisfaction, employee engagement and productivity. Moreover, th w leaders signal the health of the leadership pipeline. Those nificant reasons to reconsider the importance of this leaders pulation and develop them accordingly. One efficient and cost-effec y to help new leaders is to get their own bosses involved in t

CONVERSATIONS BOSSES SHOULD BE HAVING

26 WHAT PEOPLE WANT IN A LEADER

40 FAST-TRACKING PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY

6 DEVELOPMENTAL CONVERSATIONS BOSSES SHOULD HAVE WITH THEIR NEW MANAGERS By William A. Gentry, Ph.D.

Focus development efforts on your newly promoted frontline managers.

21 24 26 30 34

DRIVING SALES TRAINING RESULTS THROUGH MANAGER COACHING By Kerry Troester

Break the pattern of delivering the same training but hoping for better results with coaching.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF EXECUTIVE PRESENCE By Charlie E. Hardy

Define your personal brand by establishing executive presence.

WHAT PEOPLE WANT IN A LEADER: HOW DO YOU MEASURE UP? By Steven J. Stowell, Ph.D. and Stephanie S. Mead, MBA

Uncover the eight skills that define high-quality leadership.

DIGITAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS: IS YOUR MESSAGE GETTING ACROSS? By Cindy Huggett, CPLP

Discover five key practices for successfully leading and facilitating online events.

CREATING A CULTURE OF AGILITY WITH CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: THE FOUR PATTERNS OF CULTURE THAT STOPS AGILITY IN ITS TRACKS By Pam Boney

In the absence of strong character, human fear patterns spread through teams and cultures.

BUILDING LEADERSHIP: SCALING EFFECTIVE DEVELOPMENT ALONGSIDE HYPERGROWTH By KJ Jenison

Harness the power of agility to sustainably develop leaders in the face of hypergrowth.

40 44

FAST-TRACKING PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY: THIS IS NOT A DRILL! By Natalie Richardson

Learn five safety tools to unlock team performance and innovation.

TEACHING EMPATHY: DRIVING LEADERS TO SUCCESS By Loren Sanders

It is no longer acceptable for leaders to see empathy as a weakness.

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MAGAZ INE - MODERN LEADERS 2020 I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

IN THIS ISSUE

THOUGHT LEADERS

FROM THE EDITOR By Ken Taylor

The role, and skill set, of the modern leader needs to evolve.

GUEST EDITOR

SCIENCE OF LEARNING

By Tiffany Poeppelman

Leverage rotation programs to provide a high growth mindset.

By Srini Pillay, M.D.

Brain science can inform leadership development in the modern workplace.

PERFORMANCE MATTERS By Julie Winkle Giulioni

Continuous learning is the only way to keep pace with the changing business landscape.

15 53 55 57

BUILDING LEADERS

By Sam Shriver and Marshall Goldsmith

Power is influence potential; leadership is an attempt to influence.

WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEXT IN TECH By Stella Lee, Ph.D.

Embrace the changing nature of work and leverage technologies to augment leadership.

SECRETS OF SOURCING By Doug Harward

Consider these four factors when selecting your leadership training supplier.

LEARNER MINDSET

By Michelle Eggleston Schwartz

Leaders must embody strong people skills to effectively navigate change.

INFO EXCHANGE

CASEBOOK

GLOBAL OUTLOOK

Training is more than delivering content, and it has more impact than simply increasing skills.

Discover how one company addressed challenges presented by interacting in co-located teams.

CONNECT WITH US

CLOSING DEALS

COMPANY NEWS

1 (866) 298-4203

Talent management is changing, and organizations are looking to companies like EY to adapt.

Keep up with the latest in the training industry by reading news from the last quarter.

editor@trainingindustry.com

TrainingIndustry.com

ABOUT OUR TEAM

STAFF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Doug Harward dharward@trainingindustry.com

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Sarah Gallo sgallo@trainingindustry.com

DESIGNER Kellie Blackburn kblackburn@trainingindustry.com

EDITOR IN CHIEF & PRESIDENT Ken Taylor ktaylor@trainingindustry.com

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Hope Williams hwilliams@trainingindustry.com

DESIGNER Alyssa Alheid aalheid@trainingindustry.com

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Michelle Eggleston Schwartz meggleston@trainingindustry.com

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Amanda Longo alongo@trainingindustry.com

ADVERTISING SALES sales@trainingindustry.com

MANAGING EDITOR, DIGITAL Taryn Oesch toesch@trainingindustry.com

DESIGNER Mary Lewis mlewis@trainingindustry.com

EDITORIAL BOARD JUDI BADER, CPTM Senior Director of Learning Arbyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Restaurant Group

MATTHEW S. PRAGER, CPTM Executive Training Manager U.S. Government

MICHAEL CANNON, M.ED. Senior Director, Head of Learning & Development Red Hat

MARC RAMOS Vice President, Chief Learning Officer Sitecore KELLY RIDER Vice President, L&D Content Strategy & Experience SAP Learning & Development

MEGAN CASADOS Director of Training DISH

DR. SYDNEY SAVION General Manager, Learning Air New Zealand

BARBARA JORDAN, CPTM Group Vice President, Global Learning & Development Sims Metal Management CATHERINE KELLY, MA, BSN, RN, CPTM Director of Learning Programs Brookdale Senior Living SHIREEN LACKEY, CPTM Talent Management Officer, Office of Business Process Integration Veterans Benefits Administration LAURA MORAROS Global Head of Sales Learning Facebook

KERRY TROESTER, CPTM Director, North America Sales Training Lenovo

Fostering B2B editorial excellence

American Society of Business Publication Editors

2018 Cross-Platform Package of the Year Top 10 Award

A | S | B | P|E

American Society of Business Publication Editors

2017 National

ONLINE Award Winner

SUBSCRIPTIONS ELECTRONIC:

Print copies are available for purchase at magcloud.com for $15.95.

ARTICLE REPRINTS To order reprints of articles, please contact Training Industry at editor@trainingindustry.com.

PUBLISHER

KEE MENG YEO Adjunct Professor Grand Valley State University & Davenport University

Training Industry Magazine is published bi-monthly by: Training Industry, Inc. 6601 Six Forks Rd Ste 120 Raleigh, NC 27615

A | S | B | P|E Fostering B2B editorial excellence

Training Industry Magazine connects learning and development professionals with the resources and solutions needed to more effectively manage the business of learning.

NATASHA MILLER WILLIAMS Vice President, Talent Engagement & Development Nielsen

SCOTT NUTTER General Manager, Research, AQP & Development Delta Air Lines A | S | B | P| E

MISSION

Fostering B2B editorial excellence

2017 Regional

ONLINE Award Winner

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MAGAZ INE - MODERN LEADERS 2020 I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

Great Leaders Lead with SLII®

SLII. Powering Inspired Leaders

Today’s leaders are present at all levels of business. They inspire the people around them. They adapt and evolve to fit the needs of now. They are present and authentic in every conversation. Because today’s next-level leaders care about people. And when you know a leader cares, the impact is exponential. Visit kenblanchard.com/SLII to see how we are empowering today’s leaders.

TIFFANY POEPPELMAN

GUEST EDITOR

DEVELOPING THE NEXT GENERATION OF TALENT THROUGH ROTATION PROGRAMS Recent research shows that one in five CEOs come from sales and marketing backgrounds – making it critical to invest in these skills for early career talent who aspire to develop into future leaders and executives. Members of the younger generation are continuously looking for alternatives to jumping into their careers. Rotational programs expose employees to different roles and experiences to build their skills over time, which positively impacts talent performance and retention.

ROTATION PROGRAMS PROVIDE A HIGH GROWTH MINDSET MENTALITY. Today, early career rotational development programs are offered by organizations in nearly every industry and by almost all Fortune 100 companies. This includes LinkedIn’s Business Leadership Program (BLP). LinkedIn’s rotation program not only selects, hires and trains recent graduates for careers in sales but flips the classroom by ensuring that these young professionals understand what it means to be truly customer oriented. The program is approximately six months and has made an incredible impact on participants each year since its inaugural cycle in 2013. Here are three ways in which rotation programs can bring organizational value: DEVELOPING CORE SKILLS The customer is at the heart of everything. When customers win; the company wins. BLP ensures that customer needs are at its core by focusing rotation placements

on building critical leadership skills and competencies alongside a strong baseline knowledge of the sales cycle. This is done through rotations in the global customer operations center and talent acquisition teams which allow participants to build critical communication skills, gain a sense of the customer experience and build internal product knowledge. One of the greatest opportunities that LinkedIn offers is giving early career talent a chance to start their career with the right foundation for supporting the customer’s needs and solving their challenges. These rotations are grounded in the development of trust, empathy and great communication skills. The program rotations also help graduates become acquainted with LinkedIn’s products and tools and understand what it’s like to walk in the customer’s shoes. BUILDING A ROBUST NETWORK Broadly, the experiential learning and classroom training within BLP allows program associates to engage in new challenges, master and apply skills across contexts, and broaden their perspectives. This approach is extremely effective in meeting the needs of a changing workforce, as well as establishes the next generation of leaders with critical skills. Rotation programs also offer broad exposure to the organization and demonstrate the importance of building foundational relationships early in an employee’s tenure. Rotation programs offer a wide-reaching network throughout the company that will prove valuable down the line when these early career

graduates rise to management and leadership positions. CREATING ADAPTABLE EMPLOYEES As current worker skills become obsolete and new skill needs emerge daily, the paradigm of highly-specified job training becomes less relevant. To combat this, organizations can invest in core leadership competencies by hosting training on selfawareness, communication and resilience. These topics give recent graduates the confidence to embrace challenges in their personal and work lives. Rotation programs provide a high growth mindset mentality with an openness to foster the right habits out of the gate. At their core, rotational development programs help develop the transferable skills needed to lead successfully in a business environment characterized by constant, rapid and unpredictable change. Teaching these skills early is paramount to creating great sales and business leaders. By focusing on these critical foundations, organizations can create opportunities for program associates to become trusted business partners rather than focusing solely on the sale. How are you future leaders?

developing

your

Tiffany Poeppelman is the global head of LinkedIn’s sales rotation program – Business Leadership Program (BLP). She leads her team to provide early career professionals with unique development opportunities to learn the critical skill of selling. Email Tiffany.

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MAGAZ INE - MODERN LEADERS 2020 I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

TWO FREE VIRTUAL CONFERENCES TO FUEL YOUR TRAINING INITIATIVES WHILE EARNING CONTINUING EDUCATION HOURS REMOTELY.

March 26, 2020 The Future of the Workforce

April 30, 2020 Building a Culture of Learning

Gain new perspectives on preparing your employees and your organization for the needs of the future today.

Discover practical insights on creating and maintaining a culture of continous learning in your organization.

TICE Virtual Conferences are pre-qualified for credit hours with leading human resources and training certifications.

SRINI PIL LAY, M.D.

SCIENCE OF LEARNING

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES AND SOLUTIONS FOR THE MODERN WORKPLACE: PERSPECTIVES FROM BRAIN SCIENCE The modern workplace differs from workplaces of yesteryear. Workplaces are experiencing unprecedented change and a heightened level of stress and anxiety. In lieu of these changes, how can brain science inform leadership development in the modern workplace? UNPRECEDENTED CHANGE Cognitive dissonance: When continuous change is present, a state of brain chaos – referred to as cognitive dissonance – can occur. In this state, the brain will be tempted to revert to old habits to restore order, and people may become stuck in old ways. As Campbell and colleagues pointed out in Harvard Business Review, even good leaders will make bad decisions if they rely too heavily on the past. “Transformation culture” strategies: The basic need is to design leadership strategies for a transformation culture and ensure a clear path within the organization. While this may sound like the same old practice, people should learn how to have existential confidence rather than just ordinary confidence based on data and certainty. Existential confidence: Jim Selman and I have discerned: Existential confidence requires switching from “knowing” to committing to possibilities with a sense that one is sufficient to deliver on the potential present but that is not yet reality. This is a more proactive kind of leadership, where leaders lead from problems worth solving rather than reacting by trying to put out fires every day.

On any given day, there are more fires to put out than we have time for. However, a discerning modern leader will decide which problems are the most pressing, inspiring and worth solving. Navigating unknown landscapes will require skills such as imagination and intuition to develop feasible hypotheses and solutions. Combine new brain-based competencies with strategy meetings: Build a capacity for imagination that sets them up for fruitful strategy meetings. Without this capacity for existential confidence, and a structured exploration of possibility and imagination, strategies will be fall short of adaptive and competitive. MANAGING STRESS IN A MODERN WORKPLACE Talk the talk: For years, I have taught organizations brain-based strategies to reduce stress. For instance, mindfulness, reframing and refocusing can all be applied to mitigate the stresses facing the workforce. Managing anxiety, depression or addiction in the workplace can be challenging. There’s often not enough time to go through lengthy discussions on these issues, but a simple video series distributed to an entire organization can communicate that the company cares about people getting the help they need as quickly as possible. In the modern workplace, there is an immediate need for stress reduction. Walk the talk: During my time serving as chief medical officer of a virtual reality

(VR) company, we designed brain-based strategies for VR immersion that can reduce anxiety in real time.

THERE IS AN IMMEDIATE NEED FOR STRESS REDUCTION IN THE MODERN WORKPLACE. For instance, a VR paradigm that uses nature-based scenes can relax the brain’s anxiety processor, as well as scenarios that directly address disengagement habits that can lead to mind wandering and anxiety. In a modern organization, having a space to reduce stress in the moment is crucial to reducing anxiety and hopelessness while simultaneously increasing engagement. We call our corporate program “Walk the Talk” to imply that it’s not enough for a modern organization to simply talk about stress reduction. We must be able to solve issues with mental health as they arise in the workplace. Overall, the brain-based message is that we must prepare the brains of leaders in real time. And building a transformation culture with existential confidence and active workplace stress reduction can go a long way. 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.

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MAGAZ INE - MODERN LEADERS 2020 I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

| 11

TAILORED LEARNING SOLUTIONS

UNDERSTANDING FIRST A strategic, consultative approach to learning is one that understands your key challenges—and delivers outcomes to support your critical objectives. This is what targeted, data-driven learning solutions are all about. This is how Raytheon Professional Services will impact the performance of your people and your business.

rps.com @RaytheonRPS Raytheon Professional Services

JULIE WINKLE GIULIONI

PERFORMANCE MATTERS

LEADERS ARE LEARNERS … ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY’RE TEACHING

Leaders are learners. We hear it all the time, and it makes sense. Continuous learning is the only way to keep pace with the challenges constantly confronting organizations. Only those leaders who are committed to expanding their understanding will be prepared to address:

leaders make the commitment to assuming a teaching role, it can be assumed that the additional study and preparation will yield greater fluency in the topic. But that’s just the tip of the arrow. Teaching puts leaders face-to-face with conditions that enable them to learn so much more.

• Changing business conditions, competitive pressures, and disruption from new and evolving sources.

Reality – Through teaching, leaders get to confront the challenges facing their people. It’s easy to become distanced from the day-to-day existence of employees. But when leaders step into teaching roles, they quickly learn the recurring issues of their workforce. Working through the how-tos of any topic offers an opportunity for employees to share the barriers associated with what’s expected of them. And this kind of reality check allows leaders to gain greater perspective.

• Shifting employee demographics, expectations and needs. • Innovation and the application of new technologies and methodologies. Leaders who are committed to learning appreciate that the half-life of critical skills is shrinking quickly. They appreciate and take advantage of the nearly infinite resources for development – including books, articles, conferences, and podcasts. And yet, there is one vehicle that’s frequently overlooked – even by leaders deeply committed to learning. It’s teaching. Leaders can turbo-charge their learning when they are placed in a teaching role.

“TEACHING IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF UNDERSTANDING.” – ARISTOTLE Teaching is the highest form of learning, opening the door to profound insights and a comprehensive understanding that cannot otherwise be activated. When

Behavior change – How frequently do leaders expect the learning and development (L&D) function to work miracles? Put leaders in a teaching role, and they quickly begin to appreciate the complexity of skill building and professional development. They discover the importance of overcoming resistance and helping others unlearn what no longer serves them. They experience firsthand the time and effort required to instill new behaviors. They also learn how to better support development and become better allies for future change initiatives. Communication – Leaders improve their communication by teaching. Through real-time feedback, they hone their ability to frame a message that resonates with others. And they begin to recognize the number of times a message must be

delivered before it finally sinks in, helping them better support learning and day-today performance. Congruence – When cast in a teaching role, leaders quickly discover the significance of their actions. “Do as I say, not as I do” simply doesn’t fly with today’s employees. If a leader instructs others in a particular way of accomplishing a task, the expectation is that he or she will perform the same way. Disconnects or messages that undermine it are typically met with pushback. Consistency between words and action is key, making teaching one of the most powerful support strategies available to L&D professionals. The act of teaching also helps leaders develop important facilitation, listening and questioning skills that serve them both inside and outside of the classroom. Leaders come face-to-face with the wildly different experiences, perspectives, preferences and approaches of their people, helping them embrace and leverage diversity. And they develop an appreciation for the messiness of learning and the power of trust in creating an environment that encourages the risktaking required for growth. So, if you’re looking for a powerful leadership development strategy – that can also extend the reach of your L&D team – invite leaders to teach, and let the learning begin. Julie Winkle Giulioni has 25 years of experience working with organizations worldwide to improve performance through learning. Email Julie.

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MAGAZ INE - MODERN LEADERS 2020 I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

| 13

60% OF US MAKE NEW YEARâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S RESOLUTIONS B U T O N LY A B O U T

8% OF US WILL ACHIEVE THEM. Take this quiz to see if the Certified Professional in Training Management Program is the strategic solution to help you get that corner office.

TAKE THE QUIZ

SAM SHRIVER & MARSHALL GOLDSMITH

BUILDING LEADERS

DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP GOO!

Ever think about how the most powerful people in your organization have comparatively little control over their calendars? Everybody wants to see them, and most – if not all – of those requests are accompanied by some semblance of defendable business rationale. For example, we worked with an executive a few years back who shared that, before she made one discretionary decision regarding her upcoming work week, she was booked into 40 hours of prioritized meetings. Since you are in the middle of considering these things: What exactly is power? And perhaps more importantly: If you are a learning professional who seeks to develop strategies to help those that have the potential to become those powerful people, how do you proceed? To answer those questions, it may be helpful to consider power and its relationship to leadership. Power is influence potential. Think of it as a reservoir of dormant energy waiting to be deployed. Comparatively, leadership is an attempt to influence. Think of it as the kinetic energy a leader puts in motion to get things done through others. Those of us responsible for designing and implementing strategies to develop leaders have been actively studying that energy for a long time. For instance, we have known since the 15th century and the documented observations of Niccolò Machiavelli that the source of power emanates from two highly interdependent sources:

• Legitimacy: The power of your position. It includes your ability to formally reward or sanction others, as well as the decision authority that comes with your title. In general, people are promoted into positions of legitimate power based on their ability to deliver results, build trust and develop relevant expertise. They lose that power when they fail to properly exercise their authority or make decisions that are not aligned with organizational strategy or cultural imperative.

• Host 1: Yeah! I don’t care who you are, or what you are trying to do; when you are in his presence you feel a surge of confidence that you simply don’t feel when he isn’t around.

• Referent: The power of trust and credibility. Do people “identify” with you? Do they candidly tell you the truth, especially when there is perceived risk attached to that transparency? Typically, people earn referent power with others gradually. They can lose referent power almost instantly when the actions they take or the decisions they make are not aligned with the reputations they have built over time.

All of that is to say, if you want to develop leaders in your organization, at minimum, do these four things:

Energy in motion – leadership – has always been difficult to define (which is probably the reason there are nearly 7,000 definitions). So consider a description we recently came across while listening to two radio talk show hosts discussing the leadership attributes of Dan Mullen, football coach for the University of Florida: • Host 1: He may not be the smartest guy when it comes to X’s and O’s, but he has this leadership goo that just sort of sticks to you every time he walks into a room. • Host 2: Leadership goo?

LEADERSHIP IS THE KINETIC ENERGY A LEADER PUTS IN MOTION TO GET THINGS DONE THROUGH OTHERS.

1. Identify the leaders who deploy energy in your organization. They have the goo! 2. Identify the people who are drawn to that energy and seek to source it themselves. They want the goo! 3. Put them in a room together as often as possible (in full recognition of the scheduling challenges identified previously). 4. Fight the urge to establish air-tight objectives or construct an agenda for these exchanges. Simply sit in the back of the room – whether physical or virtual – and watch the energy start to flow. Marshall Goldsmith is the world authority in helping successful leaders get even better. Sam Shriver is the executive vice president at The Center for Leadership Studies. Email Marshall and Sam.

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MAGAZ INE - MODERN LEADERS 2020 I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

| 15

ces needed to be successful during one of the biggest psychological and emotional shifts we make in our professio nd that 58% of new leaders received no training when they were promoted into their first leadership position. A Z tter leaders. That’s a major disservice to those who are new to leadership and want to succeed but are not given velopment. But consider this: Entry- and first-level frontline managers – many of whom have never managed be key performance indicators like customer satisfaction, employee engagement and productivity. Moreover, these n population and develop them accordingly. One efficient and cost-effective way to help new leaders is to get the eadership lessons while maximizing the chances that what is learned will stick with new leadership personnel. P ce appraisal and formal feedback, which is critical to the work of any boss. This article highlights six evidenced-ba Mindset Bosses should help new leaders move away from what psychologist Carol Dweck calls a “fixed mindset” – here they accept challenges, feedback on shortcomings and failure. Bosses can reinforce that mistakes and failu age new leaders to implement what they learned in the future. The conversations bosses have with new leaders en those fears? Let me tell you about the mistakes I made when I was new to leadership. What would you have d o do the next time you are in a similar situation? As a leader, how will you cultivate a growth mindset for you direc ill. Continued reliance on those skills will leave them struggling in their leadership role where other skills are key, do you like to be communicated with in terms of emails, status updates, meetings and the like? Is it the same as hod and timeliness of communication? Think about the people you work with. Do they like to be influenced using l n you adapt your approach to influence to best fit their preferences? A Different Work Relationship One of the b y friend – to boss. Bosses of new leaders must have conversations that help new leaders understand their new w ns around three fundamental concepts that emerge when effective leadership occurs, according to Center for Cr ur team been involved in establishing those goals? Alignment – What conversations have you had with team m e goals and mission of the team? Commitment – How have you gone about learning what motivates your team m u keep each of your team members engaged in their work? A Different Attitude Toward Work Many new leaders nd start delegating, coaching and developing their direct reports to do the work. Here, bosses can speak with new nges others and, if done well, allows them to succeed? How do you feel about feedback? What’s the best piece of you? That way you can feel comfortable knowing that I can take and implement it for the better. In turn, you will open feedback and development for your team. A Different Perspective Having a different perspective means tur come with them. Bosses should let new leaders know that politics are a natural part of any organization. It’s not following: Tell me what you have noticed about other departments or functions. What are their goals, missions an t’s because people have an “I win, and you lose” mentality. In the future, how might you promote a win-win menta ine, authentic, ethical and of good character shouldn’t be something new. It should be an expected quality of

Developmental Conversations Bosses Should Have with their New Managers

ave you ever tried something new? Maybe it was a sport or hobby you wanted to take up in your leisure time or perhaps a new computer program or system your organization adopted. Most of the time, when you are new to something, there’s someone – a coach, instructor or trainer – to guide you, in some programmatic, thoughtful and deliberate way. Rarely are you just thrown into it without someone supporting you along the way, right?

| 16

In my experience, there’s one example where the answer to that question is a resounding no: Being new to leadership. It is troubling that those who get promoted into their first formalized leadership position in organizations do not get the time and resources needed to be successful during one of the biggest psychological and emotional shifts we make in our professional lives – going from a hard working employee to a frontline or first-level manager, supervisor or director. A CareerBuilder survey found that 58% of new leaders received no training when they were promoted into their first leadership position. A Zenger Folkman study found it takes 12 years on average for a leader to get any leadership development

onal lives – going from a hard working employee to a frontline or first-level manager, supervisor or director. A Care Zenger Folkman study found it takes 12 years on average for a leader to get any leadership development aimed a n the resources necessary to thrive in their new roles. Some may think that these new frontline leaders should n efore – directly lead the largest number of employees over any other managerial population. They have the bigg new leaders signal the health of the leadership pipeline. Those are significant reasons to reconsider the importan eir own bosses involved in their leadership development. Having one’s boss involved in their development introd Participating in developmental conversations as part of weekly or monthly meetings can also be tied into a new ased topics that bosses of new leaders should coach on and points to consider when having developmental conv avoiding challenges, giving up in difficult situations, and ignoring criticism and negative feedback – to embracing a ure on the job are part of being a leader, and no one is perfect. They can also create a developmental culture of s should address the following questions: What are you most afraid of in your new role as a leader? What can I d done in my situation? So this situation didn’t quite work out the way you wanted. What did you learn from it, and ct reports, so they are not afraid to make mistakes? A Different Skill Set New leaders are often promoted becaus such as communication and influence. The developmental conversations bosses have with new leaders should a your team members? If not, how will you have to accommodate to make sure you are fitting their needs in term logic and data? Are they influenced by values and ethics? How can you become more aware of how people are in biggest challenges for new leaders is understanding that their relationships with their colleagues has changed fro work relationships, and teach them to navigate the transition from being part of the team to leading the team. Foc reative Leadership research: direction, alignment and commitment. Direction – What is the goal and mission of yo members to understand how each prefers to be managed? Do they know what their exact roles and responsibilit members? Who does public praise work for? Who does private praise work for? If you don’t know, how can you are unable to stop doing the work, which inevitably gets them in trouble. They fail to understand that they must st w leaders about the importance of developmental conversations: How do you delegate work? How can you deleg f feedback you’ve ever received? How timely was it? Was it positive or negative? Could you give me feedback on understand that your direct reports need to feel comfortable giving you “upward feedback,” and you can start t rning one’s attention from the work and toward the many constituencies, stakeholders, departments, functions a t positive; it’s not negative. It’s neutral and part of the everyday circumstances of companies. These conversation nd motivations? How can your team’s goals, missions and motivations fit in with theirs and vice versa? Usually, wh ality when working across departments and functions that still promotes friendly competition? Emphasizing a Fo f leadership. Bosses of new leaders should emphasize this sentiment in their conversations. Think about leade

By William A. Gentry, Ph.D.

aimed at helping them be better leaders. That’s a major disservice to those who are new to leadership and want to succeed but are not given the resources necessary to thrive in their new roles. Some may think that these new frontline leaders should not be the focus of development. But consider this: Entryand first-level frontline managers – many of whom have never managed before – directly lead the largest number of employees over any other managerial population. They have the biggest direct impact on key performance indicators like customer satisfaction, employee engagement and productivity. Moreover, these new leaders signal the health of the leadership pipeline. Those are significant reasons to reconsider the

One efficient and cost-effective way to help new leaders is to get their own bosses involved in their leadership development.

importance of this leadership population and develop them accordingly. One efficient and cost-effective way to help new leaders is to get their own bosses involved in their leadership development. Having one’s boss involved in their development

introduces and reinforces leadership lessons while maximizing the chances that what is learned will stick with new leadership personnel. Participating in developmental conversations as part of weekly or monthly meetings can also be tied into a new leader’s performance appraisal and formal feedback, which

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MAGAZ INE - MODERN LEADERS 2020 I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

| 17

is critical to the work of any boss. This article highlights six evidenced-based topics that bosses of new leaders should coach on and points to consider when having developmental conversations.

A Different Mindset Bosses should help new leaders move away from what psychologist Carol Dweck calls a “fixed mindset” – avoiding challenges, giving up in difficult situations, and ignoring criticism and negative feedback – to embracing a “growth mindset” where they accept challenges, feedback on shortcomings and failure. Bosses can reinforce that mistakes and failure on the job are part of being a leader, and no one is perfect. They can also create a developmental culture of learning and encourage new leaders to implement what they learned in the future. The conversations bosses have with new leaders should address the following questions: • What are you most afraid of in your new role as a leader? What can I do as your boss to lessen those fears? • Let me tell you about the mistakes I made when I was new to leadership. What would you have done in my situation? • So this situation didn’t quite work out the way you wanted. What did you learn from it, and what are you going to do the next time you are in a similar situation? • As a leader, how will you cultivate a growth mindset for you direct reports, so they are not afraid to make mistakes?

A Different Skill Set New leaders are often promoted because of their technical skill. Continued reliance on those skills will leave them struggling in their leadership role where other skills are key, such as communication and influence. The developmental conversations bosses have with new leaders should address:

| 18

• How often do you like to be communicated with in terms of emails, status updates, meetings and the like? Is it the same as your team members? If not, how will you have to accommodate to make sure you are fitting their needs in terms of the mode, method and timeliness of communication? • Think about the people you work with. Do they like to be influenced using logic and data? Are they influenced by values and ethics? How can you become more aware of how people are influenced, and how can you adapt your approach to influence to best fit their preferences?

Bosses must teach new leaders to navigate the transition from being part of the team to leading the team.

A Different Work Relationship One of the biggest challenges for new leaders is understanding that their relationships with their colleagues has changed from peer – and possibly friend – to boss. Bosses of new leaders must have conversations that help new leaders understand their new work relationships, and teach them to navigate the transition from being part of the team to leading the team. Focus these conversations around three fundamental concepts that emerge when effective leadership occurs, according to Center for Creative Leadership research: direction, alignment and commitment.

• Direction – What is the goal and mission of your team? How has your team been involved in establishing those goals? • Alignment – What conversations have you had with team members to understand how each prefers to be managed? Do they know what their exact roles and responsibilities are in fulfilling the goals and mission of the team? • Commitment – How have you gone about learning what motivates your team members? Who does public praise work for? Who does private praise work for? If you don’t know, how can you find out? How can you keep each of your team members engaged in their work?

A Different Attitude Toward Work Many new leaders are unable to stop doing the work, which inevitably gets them in trouble. They fail to understand that they must stop doing the work and start delegating, coaching and developing their direct reports to do the work. Here, bosses can speak with new leaders about the importance of developmental conversations: • How do you delegate work? How can you delegate work that challenges others and, if done well, allows them to succeed? • How do you feel about feedback? • What’s the best piece of feedback you’ve ever received? How timely was it? Was it positive or negative? • Could you give me feedback on how I am managing you? That way you can feel comfortable knowing that I can take and implement it for the better. In turn, you will understand that your direct reports need to feel comfortable giving you “upward feedback,” and you can start to instill a climate of open feedback and development for your team.

s is to get their own bosses involved in their leadership p personnel. Participating in developmental conversatio evidenced-based topics that bosses of new leaders sho ed mindset” – avoiding challenges, giving up in difficult s takes and failure on the job are part of being a leader, a h new leaders should address the following questions: W uld you have done in my situation? So this situation did et for you direct reports, so they are not afraid to make skills are key, such as communication and influence. Th t the same as your team members? If not, how will you uenced using logic and data? Are they influenced by valu p One of the biggest challenges for new leaders is unde d their new work relationships, and teach them to navig Center for Creative Leadership research: direction, alig with team members to understand how each prefers es your team members? Who does public praise work f y new leaders are unable to stop doing the work, which i peak with new leaders about the importance of develop best piece of feedback you’ve ever received? How time turn, you will understand that your direct reports need ive means turning one’s attention from the work and to zation. It’s not positive; it’s not negative. It’s neutral and ls, missions and motivations? How can your team’s goal win-win mentality when working across departments an

A Different Perspective Having a different perspective means turning one’s attention from the work and toward the many constituencies, stakeholders, departments, functions and all the politics that come with them. Bosses should let new leaders know that politics are a natural part of any organization. It’s not positive; it’s not negative. It’s neutral and part of the everyday circumstances of companies. These conversations should include the following: • Tell me what you have noticed about other departments or functions. What are their goals, missions and motivations? How can your team’s goals, missions and motivations fit in with theirs and vice versa?

• Usually, when things go wrong, it’s because people have an “I win, and you lose” mentality. In the future, how might you promote a win-win mentality when working across departments and functions that still promotes friendly competition?

Emphasizing a Focus Being genuine, authentic, ethical and of good character shouldn’t be something new. It should be an expected quality of leadership. Bosses of new leaders should emphasize this sentiment in their conversations. • Think about leaders in the organization who have thrived because of their authenticity and character. What can be learned from them? • Think about leaders who have failed at the organization due to their lack of integrity. What happened, and why did it happen? What lessons can be learned from these failures?

Conclusion New leaders often struggle, but their bosses can be a great resource to them. By showing new leaders vulnerability in sharing their struggles, experiences, failures and success, bosses can let new leadership know they are not alone. Take the time needed to have great developmental conversations about the mindset, skill set, relationships, attitude, perspective and focus needed to be the type of boss everyone wants to work for. William (Bill) A. Gentry, Ph.D. is an industrial-organizational psychologist and leadership researcher, specializing in researching and helping new leaders. Bill currently serves as the director of career and professional development and the Siegfried Leadership Fellows program at High Point University. Email Bill.

ABOUT THE RESEARCH The six developmental conversations in this article are based on research from the author’s book, “Be the Boss Everyone Wants to work For: A Guide for New Leaders.” Data was collected from 297 new leaders who participated in a three-day leadership development program hosted by a third-

party, nonprofit executive education and leadership development vendor. On average, leaders were in their mid-thirties, were evenly split in terms of gender (55.2% men and 44.8% women), approximately two-thirds lived in the United States and almost 80% worked in the private sector.

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MAGAZ INE - MODERN LEADERS 2020 I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

| 19

DRIVING SALES TRAINING RESULTS THROUGH MANAGER COACHING BY KERRY TROESTER

Albert Einstein once said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results.”

was taught in training, and in a week, the number jumps to 90%. Without proper reinforcement, sales training can be a wasted investment.

Many organizations are stuck in a pattern of delivering the same training but hoping for or expecting better outcomes. The goal of most sales training is to kick off change or develop new behaviors, such as a new sales approach, process or methodology. But often, training fails to make a sustainable change in sales behavior.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SALES COACHING

Industry data shows us that training alone cannot achieve the goal of engaging, equipping and empowering sales professionals to be valuable, relevant and differentiating in every buyer interaction. Research illustrates that a single training event will not result in behavior change. Studies show that we retain less than half of the information presented one hour after training. After one day, people forget more than 70% of what

While sales training alone may not achieve the business outcomes desired, industry statistics show that sales coaching seems to have a positive effect on business performance. Sales coaching is commonly defined as a formal process that uses one-on-one meetings to help salespeople achieve new levels of success by discovering hidden issues that inhibit their performance and identifying actions to move forward. But what impact does sales coaching have on performance and business results? • Sales coaching has had the greatest impact on win rates and quota attainment over the past five years, according to CSO Insights.

• According to Aberdeen Research, companies that provide realtime, deal-specific sales coaching increased revenue by 8.4% yearover-year – a 95% improvement over companies that don’t provide that level of coaching. • A recent Harvard Business Review report illustrates that sales coaching is both growing and proving its value in businesses today. The report shows that, in the past five years, top businesses have focused more on developing coaches to work with sales reps than has been done in the last 50 years. The biggest benefit from sales coaching is boosting performance of the middle group of sales reps. The HBR report further finds that top quality coaching will improve the results of the middle 60% of a workforce by up to 19%. However, the HBR research also found that the bottom 10% of the sales force

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MAGAZ INE - MODERN LEADERS 2020 I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

| 21

and the top performers have minimal gains in production with coaching. This is not a surprise as the top performers are already high achievers, and the bottom performers may simply not be on the right career path. One factor in determining the success of a sales coaching program is the level of formality and regularity enforced by the organization. Some organizations have a more informal or random approach to sales coaching – coaching happens whenever the opportunity arises.

MANY ORGANIZATIONS ARE STUCK IN A PATTERN OF DELIVERING THE SAME TRAINING BUT EXPECTING TO SEE BETTER OUTCOMES.

A best practice is adopting a more formalized process and coaching schedule. The strongest results come from integrating dynamic coaching components that tailor the coaching practices to individual or segment-specific needs. Dynamic sales coaching showed double digit improvements in sales performance on both quota attainment (21.3%) and win rates (19.0%) over the study’s average.

HOW SALES COACHING CAN ENHANCE SALES TRAINING So how can we utilize the performance results from sales coaching to improve retention rates and impact from sales training initiatives? Sales coaching can build on sales training efforts to drive sustainable performance improvements. Here are some best practices on how to incorporate sales coaching practices into a sales training plan to drive success: 1 | GET EARLY SALES MANAGER BUY-IN

Training only pays off when sales managers are invested and actively

| 22

engaged in helping achieve business objectives. Organizations need to ensure that managers not only buy into the vision but are committed to the ultimate success of the training initiative. The first step is to build relationships with them and make sure that they understand the business goals the training seeks to achieve. How will this help them in their role as a sales leader? How will this benefit the organization as a whole? A key success factor is getting the managers involved early on in the process, especially for new initiatives. A successful practice is to get them to provide input and help shape the program. Listen to their feedback, integrate their suggestions and ask them what they would need to make this initiative a success. Managers are more likely to buy into a program that they helped design. This partnership and buy-in will be critical during the execution and evaluation stages of the training initiative. 2 | TRAIN THE MANAGERS ON HOW TO COACH

Not every sales manager was promoted based on their ability to coach others but rather on their ability to sell and drive revenue. And many managers don’t receive the training they need, because organizations overlook the importance of sales manager training. According to Harvard Business Review, there are two main reasons why organizations overlook sales manager training. First, some sales leaders believe that, because sales managers were once successful salespeople, they should be able to manage salespeople effectively based on natural instinct. Second, some sales leaders lack the business justification to warrant a formal program because of the expense. Many sales managers believe that if they are meeting with and managing their team members, they are coaching them. But managing is typically a oneway street while coaching relies on open communication by both parties. The key

element of success in any coaching practice is the manager’s ability to listen and guide rather than direct. Manager training should include learning how to coach. One of the world’s most popular coaching models is the GROW model. This model is often used for problem solving, goal setting and performance improvement. GROW is comprised of four elements: • Goal – What do you want to achieve? • Reality – What is the current reality? • Options – What are the available options? • Will – What action will you take? Sales managers need to understand the key elements of coaching in order to help reinforce a change or drive

are skilled and well-versed in coaching best practices.

TRAINING ALONE DOES NOT RESULT IN LONG-TERM BEHAVIOR CHANGE WITHIN A SALES ORGANIZATION.

These expert coaches should regularly touch base with managers and help them work through any issues or roadblocks they may hit along the way. This will also ensure the sales managers are holding up their promise to coach their teams. 5 | TRACK AND SHARE RESULTS

Managers need to be made aware of the program’s success. Data should be based on program objectives, collected and reported at the appropriate evaluation level to assess the initiative’s success. If it is a success, they are more likely to continue coaching and be an active participant in future training initiatives. If it is not, they need to own some of the outcome and try to correct the mistakes. Top sales leaders will look to their sales teams to tell them if a program is a success or not. Making sure the sales managers are well-versed in the program results and statistics will help them win over top management.

PUTTING IT IN TO ACTION new behavior that is meant to result from a training program. Organizations should invest in coaching training around acknowledged coaching methodologies, such as GROW. 3 | INCORPORATE MANAGERS IN TRAINING

Too often managers require their teams to attend a training session, but fail to attend it themselves. Or the managers attend but are not paying attention or actively engaged. Salespeople need their leaders to model success for them. Research published in Frontiers in Psychology shows that when employees view their leaders as empowering and capable, they work more proactively. The same findings hold true for sales training and behavior change. If the

manager does not appear engaged in the initiative, the team will sense this and check out of the training. The manager not only must learn what the training is asking employees to do but become a model of how it should change their sales behavior. 4 | FOLLOW-UP AND REFRESH

The key success factor for any initiative is to have the managers coach their reps after the training is completed. They need to work with them to not only refresh the training content but also help them make the behavior change. This engagement will help the knowledge retention issues discussed earlier in this article. During the process, the sales managers should be coached by expert coaches. Expert coaches can be external consultants or internal employees that

As we have discussed in this article, training alone does not result in longterm behavior change within a sales organization. Organizations need to ensure that managers are involved early on in the training initiative and serve as a key component in refresh training. Too often, sales managers do not receive the training they need to be effective coaches. Organizations that hope to transform and progress forward need to ensure they have a consistent sales coaching practice, and this coaching practice needs to be an integral part of every training initiative. Kerry Troester is the director of sales training for Lenovo in North America. She holds a master’s degree in business administration from the Wharton School of Business and is a member of the Training Industry Editorial Board. Email Kerry.

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MAGAZ INE - MODERN LEADERS 2020 I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

| 23

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF

EXECUTIVE PRESENCE BY CHARLIE E. HARDY

HOW DOES EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IMPACT EXECUTIVE PRESENCE? Understanding and practicing EI positions you to consistently exhibit executive presence. Daniel Goleman, author of “Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ” asserts that EI consists of four fundamental domains: SELF-AWARENESS The first domain of emotional intelligence is self-awareness. Being emotionally self-aware means having an intimate knowledge of your emotions. The ability to read and understand your emotions allows you to recognize their impact on work performance and professional relationships. It is also a good practice to periodically evaluate your strengths and limitations. Overall, self-assessment builds self-confidence – another key aspect of EI.

IF YOU ARE NOT INFLUENTIAL, YOU ARE NOT LEADING.

Executive presence plays a major role in your success. This is shaped by your emotional intelligence (EI), image, interactions and impressions with others both in person and online. Ultimately, it will define your brand and reward you with personal fulfillment, promotion and the potential to reach your goals.

WHAT IS EXECUTIVE PRESENCE? Executive presence allows you to establish your personal brand. Each person develops a brand whether intentional or unintentional. It encompasses the holistic approach you take in presenting yourself to the outside world. You are constantly developing your brand. This includes the manner in which you speak, how you dress and how you generally

| 24

conduct yourself both in person and online. You are consistently communicating to others who you are. Executive presence is comprised of a proper balance of these attributes. In addition to appearance, it is significant to have a mastery of EI skills in order to develop and cultivate your executive presence. Your emotional quotient (EQ) can position you for an opportunity that does not rely upon your intelligence quotient (IQ). EQ is like learning to play the piano. You must study theory and harmony in order to play the right chords to create a melodic presentation. Regarding emotional intelligence, these skills include decision-making, change tolerance, communication, social skills, customer service, accountability, assertiveness, trust, empathy, stress tolerance and time management.

SELF-MANAGEMENT Cultivating EI also requires selfmanagement. Whether or not it’s in your job title, you are a manager. As a manager of self, you must learn to exhibit self-control. Keeping disruptive emotions and impulses under control allows you to be a consistent contributor within your work environment. When colleagues recognize that you are trustworthy and conscientious, they are more likely to positively engage. Leadership will respond favorably when you have a standard of excellence, take initiative, and demonstrate the skills needed to adjust to change and overcome challenges. SOCIAL AWARENESS EI extends beyond self-knowledge to social awareness. By developing

the ability to sense other people’s emotions, you become more open to understanding their perspectives. Additionally, being aware of your organizational culture helps you build networks and cross-team collaborations. Together, these attributes ensure that customer needs are met. RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT The fourth domain of EI is relationship management. As you evolve your executive presence, consider your ability to take charge and inspire others. Can you positively influence and develop the talents and contributions of others on your team? With clear communication, you can engage and guide teams and become a catalyst for change within your organization. Working with teams, of course, will also require proficiency in resolving disagreements and cultivating relationships.

HOW DO YOU DEVELOP EXECUTIVE PRESENCE? Executive presence is consistently rated as the most important skill of an effective leader. Extending beyond technical and functional knowledge, mastery of executive presence can become your “wow factor.” Consider the following: • Do you project confidence and communicate clearly? Speak in clear, well-modulated tones that fit the occasion and audience. People

MASTERING THE ATTRIBUTES OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE CAN DYNAMICALLY IMPACT EXECUTIVE PRESENCE.

connect with energy, passion and joy. You are always communicating yourself to others, and 55% percent of your nonverbal communication involves your attire. Dress well and appropriately for the occasion at hand. • Do people listen when you speak? Learn to command a room. Be comfortable sharing engaging stories, metaphors and anecdotes. • Do you know how to influence outcomes? Authentic leaders are able to master the art of influencing outcomes. If you are not influential, you are not leading. What you know may not matter to people unless they first know how much you care. In order to develop acumen in executive presence, you must learn how to win hearts and minds by developing empathy and relating to others. It is also important to be mindful of other elements that impact executive presence, such as body language and non-verbal communication. Surprisingly, only 7% of what people remember from interactions include the spoken word while 38% accounts for the tone of your delivery. The remaining 55% represents the nonverbal aspects of communication. For example, your handshake is a significant medium of communication. Touch is another non-verbal cue for promoting a bond and making a lasting impression. Indeed, people are twice as likely to remember you after shaking hands. When developing executive presence, be mindful of making eye contact and using wellplaced gestures. EI is a key element in developing executive presence. According to Goleman in “An EI-Based Theory of Performance,” emotional intelligence can affect an individual’s success and upward mobility in an organization.

WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF EXECUTIVE PRESENCE? Being perceived as leadership material is essential for advancement. According to a new study by the Center for

MASTERING EXECUTIVE PRESENCE Mastery of executive presence can become your “wow factor.” Here are a few tips to get you started: • Project confidence and communicate clearly. • Expand your emotional intelligence. • Be authentic.

Talent Innovation, executive presence accounts for 26% of what it takes to advance within an organization. The research also highlights the significance of first impressions, as people tend to make personality assessments in under five minutes. Travis Bradberry, Ph.D., a leading authority in emotional intelligence, states that people with a high degree of EI earn more money than people with a low degree of EI. The difference in salary? Almost $30,000 more per year! A person could earn $1,300 more per year for every point increase in emotional intelligence. Indeed, mastering the attributes of EI can dynamically impact executive presence. Ultimately, executive presence is shaped by emotional intelligence, image, interactions and impressions. It doesn’t happen overnight. Invest in cultivating your executive presence. You will be rewarded with personal fulfilment, promotion and the potential to reach your ultimate goals. Charlie E. Hardy is the CEO for the Centre for Excellence, LLC. He is a certified leadership coach with the John C. Maxwell Team and a certified COREMAP life coach. He is also the faculty lead for professional development in the Percy J. Vaughn, Jr. College of Business Administration at Alabama State University. Email Charlie.

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MAGAZ INE - MODERN LEADERS 2020 I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

| 25

WHAT PEOPLE WANT

IN A LEADER HOW DO YOU MEASURE UP?

BY STEVEN J. STOWELL, PH.D. AND STEPHANIE S. MEAD, MBA

| 26

One thing is clear: High-quality leadership is an enormously powerful force in shaping an organization’s long-term, sustained success. In order to get the best out of their people while contending with the inevitable dilemmas, uncertainty and complexity that comes with operating in today’s business environment, leaders must be at the very top of their game. Over the past five years, we have been asking people to list the top three qualities they want in their leaders. We have collected survey responses from over 2,100 leaders and individual contributors working in organizations across a broad range of industries, including manufacturing, entertainment, pharmaceutical, hospitality, government and transportation. The data is in and, after careful analysis, we have identified eight major categories of characteristics and skills that people find most desirable in a leader: 45.2%

Communication skills

44.2%

Interpersonal skills

41.9%

Values and ethics Personal attributes Credibility

22.3% 21.8%

Coaching and feedback

16.7%

Direction and strategy

5.6%

Management essentials

30.2%

Let’s examine what this research can tell leaders who want to improve their leadership abilities and take employee engagement to the next level.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS Over 45% of the people in our study indicated that the ability to communicate effectively is an essential leadership skill. However, we know that effective communication is often the most challenging part of a leader’s job. Leaders spend a significant amount of time in interpersonal interactions of some kind. Organizations are in a constant state of change. People need a leader who can share important information and artfully engage in dialogue, as well as other modes of communication. That said, what is most revealing is that responses to our study identified the ability to listen as the most critical communication skill. People want to be heard. They want to engage in two-way dialogue and have open lines of communication with their leaders.

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS Although communication is obviously an important element of people skills, over 44% of our survey respondents indicated that there are additional aspects of interpersonal relationships that enable leaders to build rapport and create emotional connections with others. These are behaviors and tactics that are critical but often overlooked – including emotional intelligence, supportiveness, approachability, empathy and patience. Team members want leaders who are present and consistently treat people

with respect. They want leaders who are self-aware, composed, fair and able to work effectively with all types of people. Interpersonal skills combined with communication abilities foster strong and enduring working relationships.

VALUES AND ETHICS Nearly 42% of our survey respondents indicated that they want their leaders to demonstrate strong values and uphold high ethical standards. Employees want to know that they can count on their leaders to do the right thing no matter what. Leaders can’t expect others to act ethically if they don’t model those behaviors themselves. They have to be worth emulating. It is not only who you are on the inside but what you do on the outside. Leaders who live their values naturally build trust and credibility among their employees and in their organizations. The research described in James Kouzes and Barry Posner’s book, “The Leadership Challenge,” found that people value honesty the most over other leadership qualities (89%). Our research reinforces the long-held notion that people want leaders with integrity.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES Over 30% of respondents indicated that a leader’s personal attributes — passion, commitment, flexibility, optimism and accountability — are important leadership characteristics. Particularly when organizations encounter challenges, people ask themselves: Is my leader dedicated and engaged?

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MAGAZ INE - MODERN LEADERS 2020 I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

| 27

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS COMBINED WITH COMMUNICATION ABILITIES FOSTER STRONG AND ENDURING WORKING RELATIONSHIPS.

Is my leader persistent and capable of working through setbacks? Is my leader passionate and able to take action? Does my leader get results? Does my leader act like an owner? Is my leader accountable? Is my leader consistent and reliable but flexible when needed? Enthusiasm and commitment can be difficult to sustain over time, especially during periods of upheaval. However, to help the organization achieve its goals, leaders need to be willing to invest themselves fully in their work and in the success of their team members.

COACHING AND FEEDBACK Coaching is a valuable mechanism for maximizing the potential of others, helping people contribute their best talents and skills while driving results for the organization. Employees who receive regular coaching and feedback will perform at a higher level and be more engaged. Nearly 22% of our survey respondents wanted their leaders to be able to coach and develop others effectively. In another study we conducted, 70% of respondents indicated a preference for leaders who coach them directly, openly and candidly when working together to develop solutions. People want a leader who shares feedback about blind spots, supports their professional growth and provides the information they need to excel in their roles.

| 28

CREDIBILITY Leadership credibility develops over time and is determined more by leaders’ actions than their words. Our research indicates that having a leader with a high degree of competence, expertise and experience is extremely important to people. Employees want to feel confident that their leader has the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively lead the team, execute on the tasks at hand and generate desired results. Leaders need to be avid learners and demonstrate that they are willing to work as hard or harder than everyone else. Leaders truly set the tone for how people grow and invest in their ongoing personal development.

DIRECTION AND STRATEGY People in the modern workforce want to be connected to a cause they can feel good about; something that is sustainable, enduring and bigger than themselves. They want to be valued for their abilities and recognized for their potential. They want to work for visionary leaders who set audacious but attainable goals and fight tirelessly for the future. Understanding the importance of the work they do everyday matters to them. All this should underscore why having a clearly communicated direction and strategy is a key component of employee engagement. Visionary and strategic leaders know exactly what winning means for them, their teams and the organization. They can formulate an ideal picture of a preferred future state and clearly describe the destination to

others. They are not afraid of thinking big and going all out, but they also balance their ambitions with agility, patience and reason.

MANAGEMENT ESSENTIALS Interestingly, only 5.6% of our survey respondents indicated that fundamental management skills were important to them in a leader; soft skills seemed to take much greater precedence. Even so, a leader’s success depends in part on his or her ability to master the fundamentals of management — planning, organizing and staffing — combined with and supported by people-leadership traits. The people in our study who contributed to this category indicated that they want to follow someone who executes on plans and makes things happen. These are leaders who have the discipline and organizational skills needed to get things done effectively and efficiently. We have found that leaders with strong business acumen and an enterprise mindset are better able to influence others and drive results. They know how to bring plans, processes and people together to unlock great results.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU? Although everyone has their own leadership style and strengths, your success as a leader will be determined by your ability to consistently demonstrate and cultivate capabilities and characteristics that fall into the eight categories above.

The key is to look at leadership as a set of beliefs and capabilities that are seamlessly integrated into the work leaders do each day. There are certainly situations that call for formal and deliberate leadership: Introducing a new mission or vision Conducting a performance review Introducing a change initiative Launching a new product or service Leading a formal meeting But situations like those listed above represent only a small fraction of a leader’s time. We need to be mindful and recognize that the type of leadership people seek occurs in the midst of micro-opportunities and daily activities. Most of the work leaders do happens as the work is being executed. Take communication and coaching: A leader’s best opportunities to share information or coach others typically occur during project reviews, team huddles, spontaneous moments of engagement or when a challenge arises. Leadership can and should be practiced as we walk through the office, respond to calls and exchange emails with our colleagues. When we engage people in dialogue, coach or create plans, our leadership skills and style surface. These situations put us in perfect position to practice positive leadership, provide reinforcement, share our vision for the future and create real value for the business. The opportunities to apply good leadership skills are abundant. However, if leaders

don’t recognize the day-to-day moments along with the big, visible moments, they could miss valuable opportunities to share information, spark creative ideas, promote encouragement or create ownership for a plan of action. With a little awareness, leaders can leverage these moments and shape a lasting leadership legacy. People around us are forming opinions and unconsciously deciding whether they will give us their best performance. Even the very best leaders cannot achieve success alone. To make a measurable impact, you must enroll and influence others. Over time, people will draw their own conclusions about whether you are interested in them, care about their development and want them to succeed. This will often be decided in daily interactions, so smart leaders will work hard to recognize what is important to the workforce and use these skills in leadership situations of all types.

Steven J. Stowell, Ph.D., is the founder and president of CMOE, a leadership development solutions provider. Stephanie S. Mead, MBA, is the executive vice president of CMOE. Email Steven and Stephanie.

LEADERS HAVE TO BE WORTH EMULATING.

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MAGAZ INE - MODERN LEADERS 2020 I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

| 29

Is Your Message Getting Across? By Cindy Huggett, CPLP

At the end of Emma’s virtual team meeting, she felt frustrated. Her agenda was sidetracked, the discussion didn’t go as she had hoped and technical challenges got in the way – again. Despite encouraging her remote team to use webcams and to use the mute button to help diminish background noise, only a few followed through. She just couldn’t seem to make these online meetings work for her dispersed team. Can you relate to any of Emma’s challenges? Maybe your role is different. You may be a presenter who speaks to a remote audience, a facilitator who teaches online classes or a coach who meets with virtual clients. Regardless of your purpose

| 30

for online meetings, we can all relate to Emma’s experience with virtual events not going as planned for one reason or another. While online meetings have become common in today’s modern workplace – and we are collectively getting better at them – most virtual meetings have room for improvement. According to one recent study, approximately nine minutes are wasted in every one-hour online meeting just trying to resolve connection issues. So what can we do about this problem? In my almost 20 years of leading and facilitating online events, I’ve found there are five key practices that work. Each of

them center on your professional online presence. You can’t control the behavior of other remote participants, but you can determine how you will show up in a digital environment. Applying these five simple, but effective, techniques will make all the difference in whether or not your online message is received as intended.

Audio Authority It’s hard to underestimate the importance of a crystal-clear audio connection in digital communication. Sometimes messages don’t get through simply due to poor audio.

When given the choice to connect to an online meeting by telephone or by voice over IP (VOIP), choose the one that will give you the best connection quality. If you have a poor signal, you might think, “It’s okay; it’s bearable.” However, it’s disrespectful to your audience to knowingly join an event with poor audio. Many online platforms allow for an audio test, so use it to check your sound quality and background noise levels. A common mistake in digital communications is to use speaker phone (or the built-in-microphone on your device), which is designed to pick up far away sounds. This leads to unintended noise on the line and contributes to poor audio quality. Always use a headset for clear audio sound. You can also invest in a noise canceling headset and install noise canceling software. Next, focus on your voice. If you’ve never heard the sound of your own voice over the airwaves, call yourself and leave a voicemail. Play it back and listen to the quality of your audio. Do you speak too fast? Do you properly enunciate words? Do you use too many filler words? One more quick tip: If it’s an early morning conversation, warm up your throat ahead of time with some simple vocal exercises, like humming your favorite song.

Adjust Video The fastest way to improve the quality of your online communication is to use your webcam for video calls. Video streaming leads to more effective communication, because you can see facial expressions and catch other nonverbal clues.

If you’re one of many people who don’t like turning on their webcam, I’ll say this in the nicest way possible: Get over your fear of being on camera. Put on your favorite solid-color shirt, some makeup (if that makes you feel better about being on camera) and a smile. Focus on your audience instead of yourself, and it will become easier over time. Only turn off your webcam if the bandwidth capability doesn’t support streaming video. If you’ve adjusted every possible setting and the video deters the online event quality, then turn it on for a brief hello and then turn it off for the duration of the meeting. To put your best face forward and show up professionally on webcam, do these three simple things: • Adjust your webcam to the correct height so that your eyes are level with the camera. You may need to raise your device or lower your chair. • Place light in front of you, not behind. If you sit with a window behind you, close the blinds or relocate your setup so that you’re facing the light. • Check your background to ensure it’s appropriate. If you’re concerned about this, consider a portable green screen and use software to create an artificial background.

Audience Engagement The next key to digital communication success is to engage your remote audience. When you aren’t together in the same room, there’s tremendous temptation to multitask and only pay partial attention to an online speaker. As an online meeting leader, you can set expectations ahead of each virtual event. Let everyone know the purpose of the meeting and explain any expectations for involvement. For example, your email invitation could say, “In this meeting, we will all be on webcam and will brainstorm solutions to X situation.” If you’re not the leader, you can request this information so that you are prepared. Then, carefully plan the first 10 minutes of your online event. Have something on screen for everyone to discuss as they join, like an icebreaker question. You could compare the weather outside each window or discuss current events – anything to get participants talking and comfortable with each other. While I always prefer actual dialogue, the chat function also works to encourage conversation. This informal banter is the equivalent to small talk that takes place among attendees before any other in-person event. However, without the leader’s invitation, this dialogue usually doesn’t occur naturally in an online environment. Next, find ways to use the platform tools (chat, polling, status indicators, drawing tools, etc.) to keep the audience

Digital? Online? Virtual? These three terms are used interchangeably. Each one implies the use of technology to connect with others. You could be using laptops, mobile devices, keyboards or microphones. All of these methods include connecting remote participants to one another for communication.

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MAGAZ INE - MODERN LEADERS 2020 I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

| 31

involved. Whether you have an extremely large audience, an audience of one or anything in-between, your ability to keep them engaged and interested

will directly impact the effectiveness of your message. After all, your message won’t be heard at all if no one is paying attention.

Adapt Visuals

PREPARATION CHECKLIST Use this checklist to enhance your professional online presence as you prepare for your next virtual event: AUDIO • Telephone or VOIP (which has the better connection quality?) • Noise cancelling headset • Vocal warmups VIDEO • Camera at eye level • Lighting in front • Appropriate background AUDIENCE INTERACTION • Icebreaker question available • Interaction incorporated VISUALS • One thought per slide PREPARATION • Workspace set up • Devices charged and ready

| 32

Most online meetings involve the use of visual aids, such as presentation slides. These enhance your message and should therefore be meticulously planned. If you’re taking an inperson message (such as a presentation or training class) and moving it online, you’ll likely double or triple the number of slides in your presentation. This is to keep the screen moving and help capture audience attention, as well as provide extra instructions that an online platform may require. For example, if I share a chart and want my audience to zoom into a detail and highlight key points, I’d include a slide with directions on how to complete these tasks. Visuals should be crisp and clear with only one main thought per slide. Sans serif fonts generally work best online. Your audience’s display options may vary widely. Will they have huge external monitors or be on mobile devices? Test your visuals in advance to see how they translate online. Use large font, high-quality graphics and minimal text when possible.

Advance Preparation None of these keys to successful digital communication happen by accident. They require advance preparation on your part. The famous saying,

“Proper preparation prevents poor performance,” holds just as true for online communication as it does everywhere else. But what specifically do you need to prepare? Your workspace, your technology and yourself. Start by taking stock of your workspace. Whether you work from an office, your home or your local coffee shop, your work area dictates the quality of your online connection. An enclosed space is ideal for high sound quality and allowing yourself to focus solely on the digital space. But since perfect environments aren’t always possible, spend a few moments optimizing the space you do have available. To prepare your technology, ensure the basics: Laptop charged up, mobile devices updated and headset plugged in. Consider having a backup device ready to connect if needed. And most importantly, take time to prepare yourself – especially your voice and video.

In Closing When you decide to focus on your digital communication skills, your message will come across more clearly. By following these five simple keys to success, you and your team will be able to say, “We’re communicating well, and we just happen to be doing it online.” Cindy Huggett, CPLP helps organizations and training professionals move to the virtual classroom. Email Cindy.

And the Four Patterns of Culture that Stop Agility in Its Tracks BY PAM BONEY No one wants to work in a toxic culture or with dysfunctional co-workers. But ask them why it happens, and very few can name the root cause that makes people stir up trouble. Mostly, they want relief from the symptoms as soon as possible, so most tend to reach for quick, surface solutions. Band-aid securely applied; the problem usually disappears underground. For a while, everything goes smoothly, because when dysfunction is absent,

| 34

everything feels completely different. You don’t know why, but you are productive, focused and engaged. While it lasts, your work unfolds with ease and agility. You forget that human drama may surface just when you least expect it.  Here’s how it goes: Imagine yourself preparing for a great day at work. You’ve had a good night’s sleep and are ready to make real progress on an idea

you’ve been curating. Your intentions are pure, your mind is sharp and you expect to have a productive day. You’re an hour into work and decide to bounce your ideas off a colleague. As soon as the conversation begins, he launches into gossip. “Did you hear about the meeting this morning?” he says. “They are behind closed doors discussing something urgent... But some of us were not invited. Were you?” he asks.

Then silence.  You notice something change inside your gut and wonder, “Hmmm, why wasn’t I invited?” A vague feeling of insecurity begins to creep into your thoughts. Your unconscious survival instincts kick in and trigger emotions that originate from unspoken fears. You can’t identify it, but a physiological change has begun inside you. Your reptilian brain is adeptly conditioned to notice threats to your self-esteem and triggers an outpouring of questions. You are aware this is an old familiar feeling – this feeling of being left out.  Your colleague is missing the internal character-strength to manage his own self-esteem fears, and he’s about to draw you into the same distraction. The question is whether you will join him.  The next moment is where you will choose one of two things. You might succumb to the threats that surface from your unconscious and act without considering the consequences. Or you will ignore the trigger, reassure your colleague and dive into the productive day you had planned.  Can you name the one thing that makes you different from your colleague? What we are illustrating here is the single most crucial ingredient to a culture of agility – character intelligence and strength. Without it, we are destined to fall to our lowest level in moments of temptation. Character-driven leaders and people can demonstrate the character required to manage selfesteem and stop threats in their tracks before they spread into culture. This requires self-knowledge, self-awareness and self-responsibility.  Here’s the challenge: If the pervasive norms in culture are unconscious, habitual behaviors will operate from hidden fears that spread. Observable results can be seen in the form of four distorted extremes of personality. In the

absence of strong character, human fear patterns spread like a contagion into team climates and culture alike. Unresolved insecurities in leaders become the extremes of their leadership. Four primary ego-insecurities contribute to and shape cultures that cannot possibly be agile. Instead, they become driven by underlying fears and are reinforced by those who gather around those collective fears. Worse, a culture like this will continue to attract those fears, continuously reinforcing it. What is needed is a way to identify it, and fast.

vulnerable. This fear results in an over-focus on being powerful to hide a fragile underbelly. What’s often missing are the balancing character strengths of humanity, which include trust, likability and empathy.

The elite-bureaucratic culture: This 3 | human pattern is shaped by people

who gather around an over-tilted need for status above others. The underlying ego-fear is inferiority. You will notice an excessive need for hierarchy designed to help them overcome feelings of inadequacy that arises as a distorted need for pride. What’s often missing are the balancing character strengths of resilience, which include openness, creativity and inspiration.

Teach learners how to operate from inner strength and give The chaotic-narcissistic culture: them a culture where 4 | This human pattern is shaped by people who gather around a need they can thrive. for freedom and attention that arises Here’s how you’ll know when balanced character strength is missing in your team or culture:

The conflict-avoidant culture: This 1 | human pattern is shaped by people

who gather around an over-tilted need for approval. The underlying fear is rejection. What you will notice is an excessive need to be nice and take care of everyone, even if they don’t perform. An excessive need to make sure everyone’s feelings are considered is present but arises from a misplaced envy of those who might use their power to take advantage. What’s often missing are the balancing character strengths of courage, which include integrity, confidence and boldness.

autocratic-dominant culture: 2 | The This human pattern is shaped by

people who gather around a need for power. The underlying egofear is vulnerability. You will notice an excessive need to be forceful under the guise of protecting the

from rebellion to authority figures. The underlying fear thwarts feeling trapped in sadness or boredom that comes from previously feeling neglected. What you will notice is an excessive need for the freedom to pursue lofty ideas and delusions. The outlandish rebellion from reality is designed to help overcome feelings of being too much for others to handle or tolerate, so it is based in shame. What’s often missing are the balancing character strengths of wisdom, which includes perspective, diligence and focus.

Unfortunately, most existing go-to solutions and personality assessments do not measure or address the root cause. They beat around the bush and are close – but no cigar. With personality assessments that put you in a box and tell you what you do but not why, you are left without the development path that could help you identify and overcome hidden fears. Most assessments offer acronyms that are difficult to recall, so they are never applied in action. Most feedback processes contain either subjective projections of

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MAGAZ INE - MODERN LEADERS 2020 I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

| 35

Case Study A large health care company with decades of success suddenly experiences extreme pressure from external competitors that are faster to market. The culture has become conflict-avoidant over time, and non-performers have experienced decades of not being held accountable. Turnover is low, but profits have declined to unacceptable levels and innovation has all but disappeared. Market pressures cause the board to hire a new CEO to change the culture. This requires a major shift in focus on results-driven versus consensus-driven decision-making, especially about performance. Unrest escalates as a result of accountability. Use of the framework for balanced character helps people understand why the shift is necessary. Those who are agile quickly learn how to perform. Those who are rigid end up leaving or are exited. People adopt a common language for agility, and the culture tilts intentionally to adapt to market demands.

biases or measure competencies that tell you what you already know. You might be competent and knowledgeable but still unknowingly trigger counterproductive behaviors that arise from hidden fears.

stop nurturing thoughts about others not recognizing your potential. Just having those negative thoughts will ensure you’re not going to show up at your best.

Here’s the deal: When we merely treat symptoms, the problem inevitably surfaces again. A sustainable solution must address cause and effect in a way that is memorable, actionable and sustainable. The best way to enable these essentials is to teach learners how to operate from inner strength and give them a culture where they can thrive. In short, a culture where everyone takes personal responsibility for ensuring a culture of psychological safety. To make it memorable requires a framework and common language for character strength development. Indeed, those who have experienced a healthy workplace climate are not likely to tolerate anything less.

Each of these situations has one thing in common: Healthy self-esteem can only come from leadership character. Some call it “the blind spot of our time” because of an absence of language around it. Despite being a core part of leadership training in the military, business and psychology, industry leaders have virtually ignored the topic for decades, relegating it to the philosophy and religious domains as if it was not their problem.

Reflect on these character dilemmas:  • How do you get someone to trust you? You can’t, but you can practice being trustworthy. Then people will more often trust you.  • How do you get someone to stop blaming and complaining? You can’t, but you can provide education about what causes people to deflect responsibility. Then hold them accountable.  • How do you persuade others to promote you? You can’t, but you can

| 36

Those who have experienced a healthy workplace climate are not likely to tolerate anything less. A universal language and framework of organizing principles that help leaders understand their journey of character strength development has been missing from our human resources training and development solutions. We can no longer use our personality as an excuse for how we show up. Character development requires a lifelong

commitment to self-awareness, selfknowledge and self-responsibility. The coaching profession has arisen to solve the problem but is expensive and needs reliable measures that provide evidence for change. Character development is crucial to our future and is the lever to solve many of the complex problems of our time. Furthermore, the modern workforce is knowledgeable and intolerant of unconscious leaders that are blind to how their ego-fears play out in extreme dynamics. Power plays, status moves, popularity contests and selfpromotion are distinctly associated with outdated corporate politics. Today’s savvy workforce is educated, feedback hungry, radically honest and intolerant of poor leadership. They consume what they want to know with their devices and vote for good leadership with their feet. Will organizational learning and development professionals notice this severe gap in knowledge and meet the challenge? All new awareness starts with education and training. Only then can we cultivate the alert sense of what lurks under the surface of a culture that is unable to operate in the flow of agility. Until then, our lightning-fast reptilian brain will remain in charge of our destiny.   Pam Boney is the founder and CEO of Tilt365.com. Email Pam.

BUILDING LEADERSHIP: SCALING EFFECTIVE DEVELOPMENT ALONGSIDE

By KJ Jenison

Companies grow, and people are promoted who must develop their leadership skills. It’s a pattern as old as business itself. Yet for many organizations, it’s become an elusive rainbow they chase through changing circumstances. Whether those be changes in revenuedriven priorities or who the key decision makers are, these circumstances tend to work against effectively and sustainably developing leaders. At Procore Technologies, all of this was coming fast and all at once. In just a few short years, Procore, a construction management software company, saw company and employee growth accelerate at a rate by which standard development programs and approaches could not sustainably keep up.

IN ORDER TO BE EFFECTIVE, AGILITY IS NEEDED. Two concepts became critical for success: Utilize an evidence-based leadership framework that served as an overarching operating system

| 38

A FRAMEWORK FOR EFFECTIVENESS

An effective leadership development framework alongside hypergrowth works well when rooted in improvisational practices, as ambiguity is a guaranteed certainty among organizations. Senior leadership will always be in some state of change. Organizational learning leaders will come and go with model and tool preferences that vary from one to the other. To counterbalance this, Procore learning and development (L&D) used a singular framework as a stabilizer. One that would act as an umbrella for any model, tool or vendor that came along. This afforded the benefit of housing learning methodologies into a singular operating system where every leader could speak with one voice.

In order to be effective, agility is needed. This is where organizational development and the theatrical arts share common ground. The same construct of agility is used in the art of improvisational acting: Your scene partner says or does something, and you need to react in the moment. Your instinct will most likely be to toss whatever they did aside and lean into something more comfortable for you. However, in doing so, you miss out on something truly magical – power of “Yes and.” In taking your partner’s action, agreeing to it and then adding a new layer on top, the interaction becomes an agile and inclusive experience for everyone involved.

However, a unified leadership voice alone cannot deliver on effectiveness. Much like a singular framework acting as an operating system, a 360-degree assessment is needed to identify the voices a leader needs to hear and listen to in order to be an effective leader. Each organization must decide what will work best for them in collecting 360-degree feedback. In a state of hypergrowth, Procore chose to gather feedback on frequency of leadership behaviors. By providing leaders with feedback on how frequently and effectively they demonstrate leadership skills, they can adapt a development plan that allows them to flex in the uniqueness of their

regardless of vendors, and begin with frontline leaders. It would have been quite easy to follow the more traditional method of starting a leadership development program with executives and senior leaders, working it downward through the ranks. However, in the rapid environment of a growing software as a service (SaaS) company, this would have left leadership relying on the momentum of the program to keep up in enough time for the language and frameworks to reach frontline management. Instead, a new trend and path was forged.

daily work, thus enabling a higher rate of success and change management.

START ON DAY ONE During every five-day, new hire orientation, Procore trainees receive three hours of dedicated leadership development content. During this time, every new hire participates in a values clarity exercise where they focus on understanding and distinguishing which values are most important to who they are as a person. They then engage in conversations to explore other participant’s core values. Lastly, participants compare their core values with the company’s, and assess how well their values align with the organization.

Organizational circumstances tend to change, yet the same development tactics are applied over and over again. Agility is needed for scaling effective leadership development by: /// Building from a singular operating system framework. /// Starting with everyone from day one. /// Focusing on frontline managers. /// Leveraging your leaders as your best marketers.

Clarifying one’s personal values serves as a strong indicator of employee engagement. By putting every new hire through this exercise in their first week, a company can increase the likelihood of developing and investing in employees who are committed to the organization as a whole as opposed to spending time and resources on those who are never truly aligned. This activity also fosters a strong connection to direct management. Fuller leadership development programs focus on values-based leadership and encourage leaders to understand and respect the values present on their teams. In addition, an online curriculum was developed to allow anyone in the organization to advance their leadership

skills. This leadership curriculum is comprised of 20 online courses with 10 focused on leadership behaviors and 10 dedicated to business acumen. Laying the foundation for developing leadership skills early on in a person’s career enables them to better position themselves for a promotion and allows them the immense benefit of knowing themselves in order to lead themselves.

FOCUS UP FRONT, INCLUDE EVERYONE It is true that, for any organization to succeed, it needs strategy and direction set by senior leaders and executives. Yet, for that strategy and direction to move, it needs the willing efforts, drive and commitment of everyone who is nearest to the products and the customers. These individual contributors make up the bulk of most organizations and are led and managed on a daily basis – not from the senior leaders but from frontline managers. Procore’s L&D team shifted all leadership development focus to these frontline managers. In doing so, workshops and lunches typically reserved first for senior leaders and executives extended invitations to frontline leaders at all levels. As a result, leaders across all levels of the organization formed strong bonds and cohorts. First-time managers were sitting next to department leaders, all sharing in the realization that every leader struggles with the same or similar obstacles. These programs foster a strong sense of camaraderie and community throughout all levels of leadership. As one high-potential senior leader reflected, “It’s paramount that new and existing leaders go through this program and take the needed time to get feedback, have space to reflect and a cohort to look to the future with. You shouldn’t be in senior management if you haven’t completed this.”

LEADER AS MARKETER When you give people strong content that can be readily applied and enables leader-driven discussions in the classroom alongside an annual, quality 360-degree assessment, your leadership development

program takes on an effective, grassroots approach that is bigger and better than any breakroom flyer, mass email or HRmandated training.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS FOSTER A STRONG SENSE OF CAMARADERIE AND COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT ALL LEVELS OF LEADERSHIP. MAKE IT STICK In the end, all anyone can do is put together a leadership development program they find effective for their company and scale it as they see fit. As more companies find themselves in constant change, the path laid out in this article can provide insight on adapting at the speed of change. At Procore, this approach has taken hold. Leaders and their new hires are having values-focused conversations within those critical first 90 days, senior leaders are learning and developing alongside front-line managers, and program agility remains at the forefront. One senior leader summarized, “I really felt like, for one of the first times, I can take direct and actionable steps to change my leadership approach for the better and improve those around me.” KJ Jenison is the head of learning and development at Procore Technologies. He has experience in leadership development and talent management in the industries of SaaS, airline management and telecommunications, as well as improvisation at The Second City in Chicago. Email KJ.

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MAGAZ INE - MODERN LEADERS 2020 I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

| 39

BY NATALIE RICHARDSON

FAST-TRACKING PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY: THIS IS NOT A DRILL! Ever since Google released the Project Aristotle research on key ingredients of high performing teams, psychological safety has emerged as a golden child in the field of team development. Defined as a shared belief among teams that it is safe to speak up and take risks without fear of reprisal, psychological safety encourages the free exchange of ideas, creative risk-taking and enhanced problem-solving. It unlocks team performance and innovation. To get the best out of teams, the modern leader must nurture psychological safety. Yet, the contemporary organizational environment of constant change seems to actively work against it. This is because psychological safety is highly contextual. It’s about how you feel in different situations and group settings. For example, you may have high levels of trust with colleagues Adina and Akash, but when the three

| 40

of you present to the board, you may feel less psychologically safe to speak. Previously, leaders could cultivate psychologically safe environments over time, but as the world of work and organizations evolve to be more agile, teams no longer have this luxury. Team members are working in short sprints on complex problems, often in crossfunctional teams of relative strangers – gig workers, external stakeholders, and those from different departments and locations. Where once practice made perfect, teams are now striving to build psychological safety in short time periods and high pressure environments. Then, once established, people must start from scratch with the next project team. How can teams develop psychological safety when there is a high level of urgency and little room for practice?

The following are five tested safety tools you can use to support teams and rapidly develop psychological safety:

TOOL 1: THE GLUE When time gallops, pressure mounts and deadlines loom, it can be tempting to jump straight to task, forgetting the human beings you’re interacting with. If people do not take the opportunity to understand and value where others are coming from, destructive forms of conflict emerge. Team members gear up for a fight or tune out, feeling disengaged and unsafe. Teaming is a social process. Multiple perspectives and diverse viewpoints can contribute to better problemsolving and faster innovation, but it’s not enough to have diversity. People need a sense of belonging and

acceptance to create the social glue. When bringing cross-functional teams together, start by connecting at a human level. This isn’t about small talk; it’s about purposefully and positively connecting to form high-quality bonds.

Framing is a device that eliminates fear from an uncertain landscape. From the outset, framing creates a shared lens for all team members to work through: a lens of learning and collaboration.

SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS: To apply “the glue,” ask team members to share a photo from their phone that represents who they are and describe how it relates to their values. Take the time to share stories and explore. Encourage people to ask one curious question or make one connecting comment for at least three team members.

TOOL 2: THE FRAME Human beings love certainty. When we find ourselves in ambiguity, it’s natural to feel a level of discomfort or fear.

PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY UNLOCKS TEAM PERFORMANCE AND INNOVATION.

As your team forms, make your frame explicit. You might humbly acknowledge the interdependence of the team. There will be tension and there will be failure, and this is good because teams learn from it. It’s how people collaborate and help each other move forward that matters.

The goal is to meaningfully evolve in real time, not get a perfect solution. As new teams come together, acknowledge that you are learning about each other, so the expectation is to stretch your thinking, assume positive intent and stay curious about everyone’s perspectives. Framing is linked to the idea of permission. In the words of Brene Brown, “Sometimes there are things that get in the way of being courageous or vulnerable. In those times, it can help to give ourselves permission to act or feel a certain way.” Framing gives team members upfront permission to have a voice, take risks, make mistakes and even fail.

SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS: One framing activity is to split the team into small groups, each with a set of

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MAGAZ INE - MODERN LEADERS 2020 I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

| 41

12 to 24 printed images. Groups are to come up with as many different meanings as possible in two-minutes by combining different images. For example, a picture of a rock and a picture of a jail cell could be combined to create the saying, “between a rock and a hard place.” Cards can be reused multiple times. After the game, debrief this as a metaphor for the work to be undertaken. There are no wrong answers. It’s about creative exploration and participation to solve the challenges at hand.

THE STRENGTH OF A CROSS-DISCIPLINARY TEAM IS IN THE COLLISION OF IDEAS.

TOOL 3: THE PLAY BUTTON When thinking about psychological safety, it’s common to think about the brain, rather than the body. Yet, the body produces two key hormones involved in establishing psychological safety. The first is serotonin. Serotonin is closely linked to cognitive functioning, regulation of cognitive biases, social affiliation, fairness and mood – all important to innovating and problemsolving. Exercise is one good way to boost serotonin levels. The second is oxytocin, which improves social skills and bonding, trust, positive recollection of memories, well-being, and stress reduction. Laughter is one great way to release oxytocin. Play combines both laughter and exercise. Not only does it boost oxytocin and serotonin levels, it fasttracks psychological safety by fostering creative mindsets, enhancing social connection and silencing your inner critic leading to enhanced vulnerability.

SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS: There are plenty of ways to play. In cross-cultural teams, a fun way to get the team moving and laughing is the laugh game. Ask everyone to write down how they would convey laughter over text message. You will be surprised at how diverse this is – from the French “mdr” to Thai “5555.” Assign everyone a laugh. Then get them to pair up and try to pronounce

| 42

the laugh they’ve been assigned, changing to a new partner every 10 seconds. Watch as hilarity ensues. This has the added bonus of helping people suspend judgement and fail fast for enhanced teaming.

TOOL 4: THE FRICTION FEEDER The strength of a cross-disciplinary team is in the collision of ideas: the creative tension that occurs when differences in perspective ostensibly oppose each other. Done well, this

enables new ideas to be unleashed. Done poorly, it fragments the team as people defend their ideas and resist other viewpoints. The trick is to create enough friction so that people don’t slide back into comfortable habits, but stay open to possibility and explore potential solutions. In his book, “The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety,” Dr. Timothy R. Clark explores the crucial role of the modern leader in increasing intellectual friction while decreasing social friction. Intellectual friction is testing ideas to ensure that the result

occurring, and then surfacing them for the group to deal with consciously.

SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS: When the process starts to feel uncomfortable: 1. Breathe. 2. Acknowledge the tension and name any dysfunctional behaviors. 3. Normalize productive discomfort – reinforce that this is an important part of the creative process. 4. Listen to responses – both what is being said and what is left unsaid. 5. Get curious – ask people about their experience in the moment. 6. Summarize and synthesize what is important to move forward. 7. Ask the group where they would like to go next.

TOOL 5: THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE

is the best it can be; social friction is the office politics and positioning that creates unnecessary roadblocks. Decreasing social friction strengthens relationships in the team, maximizing results through the mature acceptance of dissent. To optimize intellectual and social friction levels, leaders should be highly present and hold space for individuals to share perspectives, learn, understand and appreciate each other. This involves being highly attuned to the team’s energy, paradoxes, dissonances and tensions

Another way to increase creative tension and destigmatize dissent is to physically assign it. Choose one or two individuals who would not necessarily speak up of their own volition and make them the devil’s advocate. Give them not only permission but an imperative to voice issues and concerns not already uncovered by the group. Assigned dissent allows groups to explore conflict without it devolving into personal or emotional conflict. It creates an atmosphere of inquiry where bravery is valued, and the poking, prodding and taking apart of ideas is all part of creative process.

SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS: There is another way to play the devil’s advocate: When conflict or two solutions arise, invite the opposing parties to argue the case for the “other side.” This means each must

truly explore and understand the perspective of the other, rather than just defending their own. Like all good things, psychological safety doesn’t happen overnight. However, by using these safety tools, you can fast-track it, and with a bit of luck and enhanced team problemsolving, you’ll stumble upon a few solutions of your own. Natalie Richardson is a principal consultant at Performance Frontiers. With a master’s degree in applied positive psychology and bachelor’s degree in adult education, she is passionate about transforming human and organizational systems for positive change. Email Natalie.

QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN USING SAFETY TOOLS TO RAPIDLY BUILD PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY 1. THE GLUE: What are some questions team members can ask each other to prompt a deeper understanding of who they are? 2. THE FRAME: How can you lay the foundations for curiosity and vulnerability at the outset? What can you do to you make permission explicit? 3. THE PLAY BUTTON: How can you keep your team laughing and on their feet? 4. THE FRICTION FEEDER: What are some key indicators that tension has become too great? How can you help teams balance curiosity and conviction? 5. THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE: Are there any team members whose voice could be better heard?

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MAGAZ INE - MODERN LEADERS 2020 I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

| 43

Driving Leaders to Success Empathy We want leaders to have it, employees to behave with it and everyone to display it when interacting in groups. Sadly, it is not innate. The good news is that we can teach people specific behaviors that enable them to gain empathic skills. Behaviors of empathy can be learned even if someone is not born with the capacity. Think about the way behavioral therapy is used to help someone with autism recognize common social queues even when the reaction is not intuitive. This approach can be developed and used with leaders who struggle with empathy. With knowledge and experiential practice, leaders who struggle with empathy can learn skills and become better at practicing empathic behaviors.

| 44

There is a direct connection between empathy and people’s ability to learn.

How Can We Do This? Empathy is about understanding and sharing someone else’s feelings. Many people confuse this with sympathy, which is about having the same feelings as someone else or feeling compassion for the way another person feels. Empathy is important to life experience and how we work together when feelings are involved in getting work done. Helen Riess, associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and director of the Empathy and Relational Science program at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, frequently speaks on the topic. She describes the “essence of empathy” as, “seeing, hearing and having our needs responded to.” She conducted a study with doctors and patients monitoring participant’s physiology to see whether they were in sync or in discord. She found that our neural networks actually interact with the neural networks of others during interactions, and this helps us understand and appreciate other people’s emotions. Her conclusion led her to do a study that revealed how frequently in the medical community empathy is diminished, but with training, empathetic behaviors could be taught. She came up with specific techniques for medical professionals

that improved patient and compliance.

satisfaction

As learning professionals, we can apply much of the psychological research about teaching empathy to our corporate classrooms, especially where leadership is concerned. Empathy, from a learning perspective, is will versus skill. Often leaders have been taught that too much empathy inhibits their ability to make concrete decisions. This simply is not true. A good leader will make better decisions if they have empathy. They will recognize that their ability to get work done through others relies on elements of curiosity and genuine interest to understand the impact a situation has on an employee. It is no longer acceptable for leaders to see empathy as a weakness. How can we as learning leaders raise the bar that drives leaders to success from an empathy perspective? We can teach empathetic behaviors.

Be Present in the Moment Be mindful and in the moment with people during every interaction. Even people who score low on an empathy scale can get better at this by practicing empathy behaviors, and based on Helen Reiss studies, it works. Donna Wilson and Marcus Conyers developed a strategy to teach children active listening in their book

“Brain Smart: 60 Strategies for Increasing Student Learning.” It’s called HEAR. We can use this practice in our classrooms with adults. It is a good and structured way for people to check themselves when they are preparing to listen or be in the moment with an employee.

Halt: Stop what you are doing or thinking, and clear your mind. Give the person you are interacting with your full attention.

Engage: Turn your head so your

right ear is toward the speaker to show that you are engaged.

Anticipate: Look forward to whatever the person is about to say, and be ready to learn something new. Replay: Think about what is said, and replay it in your mind by analyzing and paraphrasing. This will help you remember.

Understand Your Mood It’s important for leaders to understand their moods and the impact they have on others. Your mood plays a role in determining your success. If we can teach leaders to be aware of their emotions and what is happening in their own bodies with different triggers, we can teach them to identify with other people’s feelings and moods.

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MAGAZ INE -TITLE - MODERN HERE LEADERS 2020 I 2020 WWWI. T WWW. RAI NINGINDU T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ S T RY MAGAZ . C OM/IMAGAZ NE I NE

| 45

If we are not teaching empathy with empathy, we are valuing content over people. Leaders are often faced with escalated situations. We can start by asking about their tendencies. Is it best to react first or listen first? The “amygdala hijack” coined by Daniel Goleman, which is an immediate emotional response that we later may wish we did not have, is a great talking point. We can share examples of what this looks like. For example, the time Mike Tyson bit Evander Holyfield’s ear in the third round of their heavyweight rematch in 1997, or when Marcos Baghdatis smashed tennis racquets at the 2012 Australian Open. There are also a number of compilations of celebrity meltdowns on YouTube to choose from. Although, some are not suitable for work. Learning professionals can create activities where leaders identify the employees’ feelings, ask questions about them and listen for understanding. This becomes a research and fact-finding mission for a leader instead of simply listening to the emotional employee.

Recognize Your Power Dacher Keltner, a professor of psychology at University of California Berkley, found that leaders who are not self-aware exhibit behaviors that get increasingly worse the higher they climb. When these leaders become more self-aware and work at focusing on more empathetic behaviors, they become more successful. You can read some of his tips in his article, “Don’t Let Power Corrupt You.” When leaders

| 46

recognize and understand their power, it is easier for them to understand that they are responsible for the care and development of other people and their experience at work. There is a direct connection between empathy and people’s ability to learn. In fact, educational research shows that people who receive empathy from others at an early age develop a higher capacity to learn. Empathy helps learning and brain development while simultaneously combating stress, and we know high stress is a deterrent to learning. A leader that understands their power and uses it with a measure of empathy, allows their employees to bring their best selves to work each day. They get more work done through others, because employees feel seen, heard and cared for.

Practice Empathy Make practicing empathy a habit. Work practicing the behaviors into everyday work, and make a commitment to it. Remember, empathy is a skill not a trait. Thinking of it as a trait will not allow you or your team to develop it organically. Practicing and looking at failures as learning opportunities will get you closer and closer to success. With each interaction, think about what went well and how the opportunity to be empathetic could have gone better. Apologize if you need to; leaders are human, too.

Teaching Empathy with Empathy Because we are purveyors of learning, we should not forget that we need to consider our own levels of empathy. If we are not teaching empathy with empathy, we are valuing content over people. We must understand where the leaders we are trying to impact are in their learning journey, and engage them with experiential and behavioral content. Just giving them knowledge is not enough. We need to teach the concept and allow them to use it. We need to help them create strategies

and plans. We must model empathy in the classroom, and we need to define feelings when there is push back. Empathy drives retention. We cannot think of empathy as something people have or do not have. Empathy is a skill we must drive and grow. Loren Sanders is a senior manager in the enterprise Learning and Development Center of Excellence at CVS Health. She an adjunct faculty member at Lake Forest Graduate School of Management where she teaches organizational communications, strategic talent management and leads the faculty senate HR academic discipline committee. Email Loren.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR BUILDING YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF EMPATHY ♥ “Wired to Care” by Dev Patniak ♥ “The Art of Empathy” by Karla McLaren ♥ “Getting the Picture” by David Nash ♥ “Empathy: Why It Matters and How to Get It” by Roman Krznairc

;) ,%:) % 8%0)28 *36 8,%8 )RU \HDUV ZH KDYH SURYLGHG RQ GHPDQG / ' WDOHQW WR WKH ZRUOGÂ¶V OHDGLQJ FRPSDQLHV (GXFDWLQJ PLOOLRQV RI OHDUQHUV LQ RYHU FRXQWULHV DQG GLIIHUHQW ODQJXDJHV RXU H[SHULHQFHG SURIHVVLRQDOV DQG LQGXVWU\ UHFRJQL]HG VHUYLFHV JLYHV \RX WKH VSHHG DQG IOH[LELOLW\ WR PHHW \RXU WUDLQLQJ QHHGV :H VHOHFW IURP RXU UHSXWDEOH LQGHSHQGHQW / ' ZRUNIRUFH DQG KDQG SLFN WKH EHVW WDOHQW ZLWK WKH VNLOO VHWV PDWFKHG WR \RXU RUJDQL]DWLRQ DQG OHDUQHUV VR \RXU H[SHUW LV D SHUIHFW ILW 7R OHDUQ PRUH YLVLW WKHWUDLQLQJDVVRFLDWHV FRP

7UDLQHUV 9LUWXDO ,QVWUXFWRUV &RDFKHV ,QVWUXFWLRQDO 'HVLJQHUV &RQWHQW 'HYHORSHUV /HDUQLQJ 6WUDWHJLVWV 3URMHFW 0DQDJHUV

62)7 6.,//6 7(&+1,&$/ 75$,1,1* &86720 $1' 35235,(7$5<

CASEBOOK

TRAIN FORWARD: RESULTS FROM AN EMERGING COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE BY TOMMY BROWN AND MOLLY SULLIVAN

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is responsible for delivering an incredibly complicated product to its residents and visitors in the form of a functioning multimodal transportation system. To do this, training professionals in every region, mode and business area are tasked with developing a workforce capable of delivering the best results for the state. This results in a multitude of shared needs for the hundreds of trainers at WSDOT like training facilities, philosophies surrounding delivery techniques and evaluation of how effectively the training meets the needs of the workforce. The training community of practice at WSDOT was born from a necessity to train and empower a diverse workforce. WSDOT operates around three strategic goals: inclusion, practical solutions and workforce development. Inclusion itself is paramount to good training. Beginning with the concept that a trainer will be engaging a diverse audience and developing training to meet their needs is a fundamental requirement. Practical solutions are an internal concept aimed at garnering the best results by doing the right thing, at the right place, at the

| 48

right time and using the right approach. Since training is a pillar of any company and is central to the foundation of workforce development, it was the right time to invest more in training.

TRAINING IS MORE THAN DELIVERING CONTENT, AND IT HAS MORE IMPACT AT WSDOT THAN SIMPLY INCREASING SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES.

ALL ABOUT VALUE From the beginning, the training community of practice was focused on providing the best possible outcomes with the least time expenditure, delivering high value at a low cost. To achieve this, all available and engaged trainers attended a day-long workshop including an agile, immersive meeting to

answer one question: How do we deliver the best training at WSDOT? During the course of the activities, the goals of the group were expressed, refined and prioritized to address what exactly WSDOT needs to deliver exceptional training and development. That meeting produced a handful of overarching goals and people who would take on the responsibility of stewarding those goals to fruition. The group built a set of guidelines into a Kanban board to communicate themes and objectives. Through candid discussions and collaborative meetings one theme began to emerge â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the less time trainers spend scheduling and facilitating their courses, the more time they have to address the needs of their audience, allowing them to put more effort into improving the quality of the material they deliver. What emerged is an initiative to make each meeting an opportunity to train forward. The goal is simply to create value for the people who attend through virtual and inperson engagement around training and development. With a typical attendance of around 20 people, the objective is for the meetings to hold valuable bits of

strategy, tools for success and people sharing challenges, as well as learning experiences. EMERGING RESULTS The training community of practice has taken the challenge of coordinating learning development and improving the quality of the WSDOT workforce as an opportunity to build relationships and share ideas. As a result of those relationships, face-to-face contact is made between trainers who may never have met before, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easier to connect with trainers around the state. Better coordination between trainers allows WSDOT as an agency to develop a workforce prepared to meet emerging challenges in the transportation sector. With hundreds of individuals around the agency, the community allows trainers to connect and share their experiences, expertise and resources, no matter what type of training they deliver or mode of delivery. For an agency like WSDOT that creates and delivers hundreds of different kinds of training, the knowledge shared with one another in these meetings is highly valuable. This quarterly forum creates a low cost opportunity to share that expertise and work through challenges as a community, which only adds to the diversity and effectiveness of each of our trainings. Training is more than delivering content for an audience, and it has more impact at WSDOT than simply increasing skills and competencies. It develops

communities, coordinates efforts and creates connections between groups that were previously siloed. The emergence of a group with a unified goal to share ideas, strategies and tools is a critical component for successful learning and development in an agency as large and dispersed as WSDOT.

new tools and techniques. Because of the community of practice, the group was able to engage in a collaborative discussion to identify the most valuable features in a new learning management system.

The results from the WSDOT training community of practice include a SharePoint site to facilitate easy access to a collection of resources, complete with a discussion board for continuing conversations after meetings conclude. The community has also started a growing photo inventory of training rooms and locations and a Kanbanbased tracking system for agency-wide training improvements.

Connecting individuals across a widespread organization with complex and variable business areas allows WSDOT to develop more robust networks and working relationships. As the business of transportation continues to shift and change, a welcoming environment that fosters idea sharing and innovation is a result in its own right, but the processes and tools shared in the training community of practice also plant ideas in the minds of trainers that can transform how they go about their work. That simple shift in how each member creates a concept of what it means to be a trainer at WSDOT can help them create and deliver training in a way that continues to prepare the workforce for the challenges and opportunities ahead.

THE COMMUNITY ALLOWS TRAINERS TO CONNECT AND SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES, EXPERTISE AND RESOURCES, NO MATTER WHAT TYPE OF TRAINING THEY DELIVER.

Through this work, the group of trainers has gained valuable space and time to participate in sharing and reviewing challenges and success stories associated with the implementation of

CREATING CONNECTIONS

As transportation and the technology that drives it continue to evolve, the WSDOT training community of practice continues to grow and adapt to meet the needs of the agency. Tommy Brown is a technical training consultant at the Washington State Department of Transportation. Molly Sullivan is a training coordinator with a focus on environmental subject matter at the Washington State Department of Transportation. Email Tommy and Molly.

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MAGAZ INE - MODERN LEADERS 2020 I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

| 49

GLOBAL OUTLOOK

THREE REASONS WHY VIRTUAL TEAMS ARE DIFFERENT BY THERESA SIGILLITO HOLLEMA

Global virtual teams are ubiquitous for good reasons. Organizations can form teams with the best talent regardless of location and gather diverse perspectives for complex problems. Anyone who works virtually quickly encounters differences when interacting with a co-located team. Simply putting on headphones and hoping for the best does not work. Once team leaders and teams understand why working virtually is different, they have the agency to make effective changes. Global virtual teams are a group of people with a shared purpose who work together across geographies and use technology to communicate and collaborate. In my research, I wanted to answer the question: How does distance and cultural diversity impact how people think, feel and act on a global virtual team? To answer this question, I turned to academia and combined the robust research, models and theories therein with the realities of multinational organizations. In this article, we will examine three ways the unique context of global teams impacts collaboration. 1. CONFIGURATION MATTERS The location of each team member can impact virtual team collaboration. The easiest configuration is having all team members at the same location; the second easiest is having all

| 50

team members working remote. The challenge is everything in between – hybrid teams. Remote teams are easier to manage than hybrid workforces, because everyone is in the same situation. This is not true of hybrid teams, where some locations have more than one person. Hybrid configurations are as varied as snowflakes and may experience challenges due to the unbalanced placement of team members, the seclusion of team members, or the advantage of being in the same location as the team leader or headquarters. Hybrid teams may also benefit from isolated team members, particularly if the isolate is the team leader, because the team builds structures for inclusivity. Team members in hybrid teams can also experience “co-location blindness,” meaning they rely on local colleagues even though distant colleagues have more expertise. Virtual team leaders need to consider configuration when developing an inclusive team environment. 2. DISTANCE BREEDS ABSTRACTION According to construal-level theory, we perceive items at a distance as more abstract than those nearby. Consider your agenda three months from now, you have a vague idea of the events taking place. But tomorrow, you know where you need to be, with whom you will meet and how you

will get there. You know the details. According to professors Wilson, Crisp and Mortensen, we think of people on global teams in the same way. We know our colleagues close to us in detail – she is an introvert, he is a morning person and she likes structure. We speak of our distant colleagues in more general terms (i.e., they are Spanish). We are more abstract and less detailed in describing them, and often we select a differentiator. In global virtual teams, cultural diversity is an easily accessible contrast.

AS LONG AS CULTURE REMAINS A MYSTERY, SUBGROUPS WILL PERSIST.

How local subgroups view their distant colleagues can lead to an “us-versusthem” dynamic. This is because the team members do not know each as unique humans with distinctive characteristics. Colleagues in the same location may exacerbate this dynamic. Local colleagues may experience feelings of anxiety when working with distant, culturally different colleagues. They may feel it is easier to work with local colleagues, as they speak the same language and work in a predictable way. Moreover, co-located team members may confirm these

feelings with comments like, “Yes, I struggle to work with them, too.” One way to address this phenomenon is to develop cultural competence among team members. As long as culture remains a mystery, subgroups will persist. Once team members learn about the culture of their virtual teammates and work closely with them, they will begin to identify the unique characteristics of each person. 3. THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENT GOES VIRTUAL When a team finishes a meeting, they leave the meeting room and share similar experiences. They encounter the same environment, HR policies, tax regimes and local holidays. When virtual team members leave a video call and look out the window, each person sees something different. They encounter different environments, HR policies, tax regimes, local holidays and cultural norms. Some team leaders have the illusion that their team is intact, and they can create a team charter with agreed norms and behaviors. They can do this, but they must realize two important conditions.

cultural diversity is not only within the team but also from outside the team. For instance, I worked with an English manager who wanted to replace a key person on his team based on merit. The local Indian managers, where the team member was located, wanted to replace based on qualification. He was surprised and dismayed that his wellfunctioning virtual team was impacted by local policies. Virtual team leaders need the cultural competence, curiosity and generative listening skills to reconcile the differences for global solutions. DEVELOPING NEW COMPETENCIES Today’s organizations need agile professionals who can connect and engage with customers, suppliers, colleagues and stakeholders regardless of location. This means building on what employees already know about leadership and teamwork to include cultural competence (the ability to collaborate across cultures) and virtual competence (the ability to collaborate across time and space). Developing the competencies to work on a global virtual team is a combination of knowledge, skills, mindset and behaviors.

First, they are asking some of their team members to behave differently than they would naturally. For instance, a team norm is established, and it is expected that everyone share their opinions during meetings. Some team members may be from cultures in which they confer with supervisors or other colleagues before contributing an opinion. This difference may cause tension, especially with locals who expect to be consulted.

DEVELOPING THE COMPETENCIES TO WORK ON A GLOBAL VIRTUAL TEAM IS A COMBINATION OF KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, MINDSET AND BEHAVIORS.

Second, the team may face unpredictable issues that arise due to cultural norms. As professors Cramton and Hinds found in their longitudinal research, the impact of

Leading and working virtually is here to stay. Leaders and employees who build the capacity to seamlessly work globally and virtually will make the difference when their work demands agility, innovation

and impact across geographical and organizational boundaries. Theresa Sigillito Hollema is a director at Interact Global. She is a trainer and team facilitator specializing in three topics for global virtual teams – cultural competence, team development and leading virtually. Email Theresa.

FOUR ACTION PILLARS FOR VIRTUAL TEAM LEADERS Given the reality of global virtual teams, virtual team leaders can focus their attention on four areas: Eliminate uncertainty. Virtual teams often experience uncertainty. Team members benefit from knowing their role and responsibilities, their colleagues in the other locations, the cultural diversity of the team and how the team will work together. Create a team. Distance is an energy that pushes team members apart. Team leaders need to counter that energy to bring team members together. Virtual teams need a strong team identity in which team members are proud, committed and engaged. Bring in the humanity. Technology encourages a task-focused, deliverableoriented culture which ignores the personalities of the team. Leaders must make team members feel valued for their uniqueness and supported in their work and careers from their separate locations. Complete the work. Doing the work from a distance will require techniques for using technology, resolving conflict, organizing tasks for interdependence and creating structure. Leaders must facilitate high-quality teamwork.

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MAGAZ INE - MODERN LEADERS 2020 I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

| 51

Boost Your Advantage With

TRAINING INDUSTRY WEBINARS AND LEVEL UP TO INCREASE YOUR SUCCESS. From emerging learning technologies to bridging skills gaps to creative leadership strategies, Training Industry webinars take a deep dive into the business of learning so that you, as a learning leader, can help your learners swim.

Browse free webinars or on-demand presentations. www.trainingindustry.com/webinars

STELLA LEE, PH.D.

WHAT’S NEXT IN TECH

LEADING IN THE AGE OF TECHNOLOGICAL DISRUPTION

Advances in technologies such as cloud computing, blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic process automation are having a profound effect on our lives and reshaping our business environments. As technologies disrupt at an ever-increasing rate, leaders across organizations need to embrace the changing nature of work, anticipate shifts in business needs and leverage technologies to augment leadership. Amid this change, there is an opportunity for learning leaders to demonstrate the appropriate use of technologies and focus on strategic transformation. Below are some ideas to get started: Focus on human first, technology second. Behind every technology is a person. Decisions on technology implementation, usage, data collection, analysis and intervention must be based on how technology can serve people – not the other way around. Learning leaders need to look beyond their responsibility to provide training. When implementing a new learning analytics tool, for example, we must mitigate bias, as well as respect and take privacy and data protection into consideration. It is critical to have the right technology management and data governance processes in place. While we rely on IT departments to make appropriate recommendations, it will serve us well to be well informed on data management and ethics. Learn to lead online. As we bring global talent together and form remote teams, leaders need to reconfigure the way we lead. One study predicts that 73% of all

teams will have remote employees by 2028. Leading a strong remote team presents many challenges for leaders, especially those who are accustomed to face-to-face interactions. Learn to adapt to new and different technical solutions based on your team’s size, communication preferences and the organization’s culture. Understand the various communication options available and use them accordingly. Synchronous communications – such as live chats, voice over IP calls and video calls – allow real-time interaction and build a sense of belonging. While asynchronous communications – such as emails, discussion forums, messaging software and collaboration platforms –are helpful in discussing more complex or in-depth topics. People can respond in detail to a question or topic that they might have answered incompletely in a realtime conversation.

BE PREPARED TO UNLEARN AND RELEARN CONTINUOUSLY. Understand the “why.” Technology must be used for a practical purpose, not for the sake of using technology. The benefits of integrating technology into learning and development are well-supported, ranging from enhanced motivation to increased accessibility. However, there are times that technology is not relevant to or supportive of workplace learning. Don’t jump to video-based learning without confirming that employees have the means to play back the videos or critically examining if video is the best format

for the subject matter. Don’t fall into the trap of the Shiny New Tech Syndrome. Dazzling technology doesn’t necessarily promise more effective learning or align with larger business goals. Focus less on the details of the technology and more on its impact and use. Make data-driven, evidence-based decisions. Technologies, such as big data analytics and AI, can be immensely powerful. Leverage these tools to make evidence-based decisions supported by hard data rather than making decisions that are intuitive or based on observation alone. Recognize that multiple data types across technology platforms can inform decisions, and find out what support is available to accurately interpret the data. However, remember that simply having data does not mean that it will be used appropriately or lead to improvements in learning. Attention must be focused on analyzing data and providing interventions based on its findings. There are many ways for learning leaders to thrive in this age of technological disruption. Changes in technology require changes in leadership strategies and styles. Start with an agile mindset, and be prepared to unlearn and relearn continuously. 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.

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MAGAZ INE - MODERN LEADERS 2020 I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

| 53

GET BEHIND YOUR EMPLOYEES TO STAY AHEAD OF THE CURVE Keeping up with the demands of business means working faster, better, smarter. With 200+ careerfocused programs, Southern New Hampshire University offers flexible, affordable degree pathways designed to upskill your employees â&#x20AC;&#x201C; so you can stay competitive now and ahead of the curve tomorrow.

UPSKILL YOUR WORKFORCE. TRANSFORM YOUR ORGANIZATION. LEARN MORE AT snhu.edu/workforce-partnerships

DOUG HARWARD

SECRETS OF SOURCING

HOW TO CHOOSE A TRAINING SUPPLIER FOR LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Are leaders born or made? This question has put theorists at odds over the years. The great man theory goes back to the mid-1800s and argued that people are simply born with the natural qualities that make them better at some tasks over others, such as musicians and athletes. But I believe we are in this profession because we believe something fundamentally different. We believe that learning professionals can develop and deliver training programs and experiences that can truly change and improve behavior – including leadership. Based on the number of training suppliers and consulting companies that focus on leadership development, there are numerous approaches, models and strategies for developing leadership that have proved successful. So what makes some programs more successful than others? Our research in understanding what makes a great training organization has highlighted the capabilities and practices that lead to effective training. We have found that great training organizations are process oriented and manage the learning experience over an extended period of time. Effective leadership development doesn’t occur in one course. It occurs when an individual continues the learning experience over time by practicing behaviors and learning from successes and failures on the job. Here are four considerations when choosing a supplier for leadership development:

1. Knowledge: When selecting a leadership training company, their training should be based on a body of knowledge of the behaviors effective leaders must exhibit in certain situations. This body of knowledge consists of the models and principles that leadership training programs are based on, as well as the characteristics they believe make a great leader. It is important to note that this body of knowledge should be founded in sound research, not just the experience of a successful executive during their ascent up the corporate ladder. 2. Skills: We don’t always use the term “skills” when we speak of leadership development, but it’s critically important when selecting a leadership development supplier. Suppliers must be effective at teaching and applying their body of knowledge. The fact is leadership behaviors are developed skills. In any effective training program, we must communicate what the learner needs to know about the skill, as well as the most effective way to apply the skill in a given circumstance. 3. Practice: Leaders of successful training organizations recognize the importance of applied skills. Leaders must practice how they will handle certain situations, so when the need arises, they are well prepared. Due to costs, the long-term repetitions needed for effective practice is limited in the classroom. The most effective approach is to prepare the

learners to practice informally and gain on-the-job experience. Look for a training supplier that not only teaches the knowledge and skills but also prepares learners to practice and continue the learning experience independently in the workplace. 4. Mentorship: Having someone who can help you continue to learn over an extended period of time is powerful. An effective mentorship program teaches mentors to teach. Mentors must be taught not only to provide feedback but to provide direction on learning opportunities and to hold the learner accountable when they are not practicing and continuing their development. All leaders can help other aspiring leaders, even while learning themselves.

EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT DOESN’T OCCUR IN ONE COURSE. The skills needed to be the CEO or president of an organization are quite different than the leadership skills needed to be a frontline leader on the manufacturing floor. However, the principles of human nature are the same; although, how they are applied can be quite different. Having a training partner that understands and has experience in delivering effective training is a powerful step in being a great training organization. Doug Harward is CEO of Training Industry, Inc. and a former learning leader in the high-tech industry. Email Doug.

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MAGAZ INE - MODERN LEADERS 2020 I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

| 55

TOP 20 2020

COMPANIES

TOP

COMPANY

ELEARNING AUTHORING TOOLS

VIEW THE LISTS

MICHELLE EGGLESTON SCHWARTZ

LEARNER MINDSET

NEW LEADER, NEW SKILLS

Making the transition from individual contributor to manager is difficult on many levels. It’s a shift from managing tasks and projects to managing people. This requires new skills, new behaviors and a new mindset. Training is crucial to setting new leaders up for success as they embark on their leadership journey. Unfortunately, new leaders rarely get the guidance and tools they need to successfully delegate work, provide feedback and address poor performance – among many other responsibilities. Leadership requires a multitude of soft skills, from communication to decisionmaking to critical thinking. However, Training Industry research shows that gaps in soft skills exist across all roles and nearly all functions. These “basic” skills will only grow in importance as organizations are required to innovate and remain competitive in the market. We are living in an era of technological disruption where technical skills are critical as automation and artificial intelligence impact business practices. However, soft skills are still in high demand (and arguably always will). Organizations need effective leaders to navigate this change. Leaders who embody strong people skills. Leaders who can inspire and boost morale in challenging situations. Leaders who can creatively solve problems, and leaders who can authentically connect with others. The most successful leaders never stop learning. In 2019, communication appeared as the number one topic on LinkedIn Learning across the globe, based on the 93 million people the

platform reached. This finding indicates a fundamental agreement on the importance of effective communication in business, regardless of geographic location. Additionally, the data shows that managers devoted 32% more time honing soft skills – with an emphasis on people management – compared with other colleagues. While this is not exactly surprising since managers manage people, and managing people requires interpersonal skills, it does highlight the need for training and development in this core area.

LEADERS MUST HAVE EFFECTIVE PEOPLE SKILLS TO SUCCESSFULLY LEAD THROUGH CHANGE. Soft skills are arguably more difficult to learn than technical skills. While you can teach the best practices for soft skills like communication in a one-time training program, the skill is actually developed through repeated practice and experience over an extended period of time. This requires learning and development (L&D) to create a wide array of learning opportunities for leaders to practice and reinforce the strategies learned in formalized training. Here are a few simple ways soft skills can be developed in the workplace: • Practice weak skills: Learners must deliberately practice new skills if they want them to become engrained behaviors. Depending on the skill

in need of strengthening, learners can practice independently or with a colleague or manager. For example, a sales rep can role-play with peers to enhance their sales pitch, or they can independently rehearse their pitch in front of a mirror or on a recording. • Seek out feedback: Let’s be honest; feedback is scary. Having a peer or manager review your performance and issue their opinion on your weaknesses and strengths is nerve-wracking. But feedback is important. It’s what makes us better. Find a trusted colleague who will provide constructive feedback that can improve your performance. • Self-reflection: The average workday is busy enough. Finding time for quiet self-reflection may be a challenge, but it’s worth the time and effort. Reflection is an integral part of the learning process and allows you to uncover insights and pinpoint areas for improvement. This process can provide leaders with the self-awareness that leads to better performance. SKILLS FOR THE FUTURE Developing new leaders is a blind spot for many organizations. With soft skills emerging as critical to the future of work, L&D must ensure that all leaders – including new leaders – have effective people skills to successfully navigate and lead their organizations through rapid change. Michelle Eggleston Schwartz is the editorial director at Training Industry, Inc. Email Michelle.

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MAGAZ INE - MODERN LEADERS 2020 I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

| 57

CLOSING DEALS

ERNST & YOUNG’S INVESTMENT IN THE MODERN LEADER BY TARYN OESCH

Over the last five years, according to Ernst & Young’s “2019 Global Review” report, the firm has made 140 acquisitions, resulting in $1.8 billion in combined revenue. These acquisitions have been in a range of business areas; EY’s four main service lines are assurance, advisory, tax and transactions advisory services. Within its advisory business is a unit called “people advisory services” (PAS), which helps “clients gain a competitive people advantage by addressing complex workforce issues ranging from organization transformation, effective talent deployment and mobility to reimagining human resources within global organizations,” according to the report. In other words, EY is no longer just an accounting firm, and this expanded focus is reflected in its January acquisition of PeopleFirm – a management consulting firm specializing in workforce and organization strategy, performance management, diversity and inclusion, leadership, and culture. “PeopleFirm’s advanced performance management methods, rooted in content and data, will help further the resultsfocused work of EY PAS,” says Kim Billeter, EY Americas PAS leader. Talent management and talent development are changing, and organizations are looking to companies like EY to help them adapt. KEEPING THE HUMAN AT THE CENTER Billeter stresses the need to “see people as a strategic asset for their organization’s success,” staying “human at the center.” As

| 58

a result, more organizations are investing in developing a strong employer brand and being purpose-driven and socially responsible “to attract and retain talent.” “Ultimately, we’re trying to put the human at the center of the employee experience,” says M. Tamra Chandler, founder of PeopleFirm and now a partner and principal at EY, as well as design learning and development (L&D) accordingly. In a world characterized by automation and digitization, it’s more important than ever for leaders to focus on the human beings they lead.

WHILE TECHNOLOGY IS DISRUPTING TALENT DEVELOPMENT, IT’S ALSO CREATING NEW OPPORTUNITIES. INVESTING IN EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT “The talent supply chain is under pressure like never before as the gig economy is changing the workforce,” says Billeter. Indeed, Training Industry’s 2020 trends report identified the gig economy as having a significant impact on L&D. Demographic changes and disruptions in skills and business models will require leaders to rethink how they develop talent. Successful organizations will use “a comprehensive, agile strategy, supported by well-governed processes, smarter technology and deeper insights,” Billeter says.

Fortunately, while technology is disrupting talent development, it’s also creating new opportunities, “making it easy to empower people to own their careers and their development,” Chandler says. “It simply requires organizations to invest in the content and hand over the keys to the employees.” Successful leaders make the growth of their employees a top priority. TRANSFORMING THE ORGANIZATION A transforming world requires transformation in the organization — which requires transformative leadership skills. These skills include cultural awareness as the world shrinks, Billeter points out. Chandler adds, “Thoughtful leaders need to be ready to help the teams and individuals they support thrive in today’s chaotic world. That means connecting their people to a compelling purpose” and creating a work environment grounded in psychological safety. Organizations should “nurture these behaviors” by expecting, training and rewarding them. “Talent is on the minds of all executive these days,” Chandler says, and Training Industry research concurs: Almost all surveyed executives believe L&D is important to achieving business goals. This shift in leaders’ perspectives on training puts L&D leaders in the position to play a critical role in driving organizational strategy and transformation. Fortunately, as major corporations like EY (and Korn Ferry) continue to add to their portfolio of talent solutions, learning leaders will not be at a loss for potential partners. Taryn Oesch is the managing editor of digital content at Training Industry, Inc. Email Taryn.

COMPANY NEWS

ACQUISITIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS Learning Tree International, a trusted global partner delivering mission-critical IT training, is proud to announce the launch of the world’s first and only fullyaccredited adaptive ITIL 4 Foundation course. This partnership provides ITrelated professionals the opportunity to learn 50% faster with a 100% guarantee to pass the Foundation exam. Kaltura, the leading video cloud, announced its acquisition of Newrow, a video conferencing and collaboration platform. With this acquisition, Kaltura expands its footprint in the video conferencing and meeting solutions markets. On the heels of a successful partnership, the combination of Kaltura and Newrow brings to the market a new meeting experience.

Blue Sky eLearn, award-winning provider of learning management system, webinar and live streaming services, announced that they have acquired learning development and strategy company, IMPART!. Blue Sky eLearn will now offer learning strategy, design and development services in house. IMPART! will continue to operate under the IMPART! brand.

Cornerstone OnDemand, a global leader in people development solutions, announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Saba, a global leader in talent experience solutions and a portfolio company of Vector Capital. Cornerstone will have an expanded reach and ability to help a larger, diverse group of clients realize the potential of their people with the right L&D opportunities.

Pearson, the world’s learning company, announced the acquisition of industryleading digital learning technology from Smart Sparrow, an Australia-based ed tech innovator. The acquisition will enhance Pearson’s current capabilities in adaptive learning significantly and will accelerate the roll-out of Pearson’s global learning platform.

Brainshark, Inc., the industry’s only data- driven sales readiness platform, and TopOPPS, a leading provider of artificial intelligence-based sales pipeline management solutions, have formed a strategic partnership. The partnership will empower sales organizations to deliver in-the-moment guidance that improve reps’ skills at key points in the sales cycle.

INDUSTRY NEWS VR PLATFORM TO FACILITATE CULTURE OF FEEDBACK

Radical Candor, the executive education company, has partnered with Murison, provider of immersive virtual reality training, to design and deliver immersive and scalable simulations for practicing how to give and receive guidance and feedback. This partnership provides a playful-yet-effective way for people to practice their skills. TURNKEY SOLUTION FOR DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

OurOffice, provider of turnkey solutions for creating an inclusive workplace, has launched DIaaS, Diversity and Inclusion as a Service, for building inclusive workplace cultures. DIaaS combines

powerful technology and outsourced D&I management to deliver return on investment at a fraction of the cost of an in-house capability. PLATFORM TO ADDRESS GLOBAL 21ST CENTURY WORKFORCE CRISIS

MassiveU, a digital education technology company focused on social learning, announced the launch of its new digital learning platform – Solvably. The platform marries design thinking with real-world, collaborative and creative problem solving to equip learners with the skills demanded by the 21st-century workplace. NEW-AGE ONLINE CONTENT LIBRARY

Checkster Platform —which uses artificial intelligence to provide companies with an accurate view of the quality and fit of its employees. The platform is meant to help companies make more informed talent decisions by improving quality of hire, engagement and retention rates, respectively.

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

Checkster, a leading provider of collective intelligence solutions, released The

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MAGAZ INE - MODERN LEADERS 2020 I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

| 59

20/20 VISION FOR 2020 Develop and perfect the art of leading a great training organization. Invest now in professional development specifically designed for you, the learning leader.

View the Calendar.