Results from Socializing Efforts
Read Part I and Part II of the case study.
James spent a bit of time getting acclimated to the organization, which including understanding the successes and challenges of departments as well as individual challenges in a growing organization. This was important to accomplish before ACG came in to help with the socialization of learning and development programs. ACG’s primary goal was to help James to socialize by doing some planning and helping to engage at the executive level and upper management levels.
Once we started, we spent three weeks working with James to socialize the value of training throughout the organization. By focusing at the top initially, we got what we needed in the way of resources and support to continue to drive throughout the organization the value and benefit of investing in and participating in learning and development programs. This support included funding for lunch and learns to promote the value of learning and development.
Of key importance was utilizing the intelligence from James as to where departments had been successful and where they had challenges in meeting goals and objectives. It was important to tie the learning and development efforts to addressing those challenges. As for individuals, helping them to achieve their performance goals and objectives through gaining new skills and knowledge in key areas enabled them to better perform their roles and responsibilities overall. Focusing on the value add to individuals being in their ability to further their personal and professional development was essential!
Our efforts spend socializing enabled us to work with James, with full support of senior leadership, management and others, to create a number of initial learning and development offerings and programs, including:
- A variety of critical skills training to enable the individual contributors within the organization to support a growing organization, including:
- Working on virtual teams
- Managing across cultural boundaries
- Project management
- Delegation and time management
- Problem solving and decision making
- A new supervisory training program to help build skills of 10 new supervisors promoted over the last few months (developed based on a survey of the supervisors and their direct managers to understand needs/challenges.)
- A 360 assessment tool to identify additional programs of value to the organization to meet management skills development needs.
We continue to work with James and his new organization as he continues to build a strong, supportive learning and development program with the support of senior leadership.
How about you? What are you doing to build a strong, supportive, worthwhile and valuable learning and development program in your organization?
