Building an internal management school
A leadership pathway built on values to support the transformation.
- client request
After joining a group with a global reputation, the leaders of an industrial site saw an urgent need to make the cultural transition easier.
They wanted to establish a management style in line with the values of the group, while taking account of what is specific to their own company and to their commercial strategy.
With a management team that had, for the most part, never received any formal management training, the executive committee decided to put a systematic training programme in place. The aim was to establish solid and effective leadership practices that could be adopted at every level of the organisation.
- challenges
One of the most serious issues behind the client request was the absence of structured management training within the management team. Most of the 80 managers had moved up the hierarchy because of their technical skills or their seniority, without ever being trained in the finer points of leadership.
That gap had created shortfalls in people management and in the clear communication of objectives, and it had held back the creation of a unified company culture. The pandemic then added a further layer of complexity, forcing a shift towards remote and hybrid management models at a time when the basics of the manager role were not yet in place. In short, the main challenges in creating a genuine management "school" were to:
- Build a training programme that covers leadership skills while respecting the background and the level of experience of each manager.
- Include specific modules on remote and hybrid management, so managers can adapt to the recent realities of work brought about by the pandemic and to the new expectations of their teams.
- stakes
The point was to go further than management training and to create a community of managers who are capable in leadership, in order to deliver:
- Capable and effective managers: by investing in manager training, the company helps strengthen the commitment and engagement of its teams.
- A better working climate: with 80% of employees considering management a key factor in wellbeing at work, the cost of poor wellbeing in France is estimated at 13,440 euros per employee. By training its managers, the organisation helps create a healthy and stimulating working environment for its people.
- A competitive advantage: in a globalised and competitive economy, only the companies that can adapt and innovate will survive and prosper. By investing in the training of their managers, they give themselves the means to meet those challenges and to stay a step ahead of their competitors.
There are other important issues to address, and I would encourage you to read the article about creating an internal leadership school on my second site, which is dedicated to new work cultures: glukoze.com
- solution
Values
Before designing the training pathway, I worked with the executive committee to define the core values of the company. Those values became the foundation of the programme.
Design
Design of a training pathway spread over three years, combining several formats. Each year has its own theme and a gradually increasing level of complexity.
Planning
Detailed organisation of the training pathway, followed by the selection of the right trainers, speakers and coaches based on the needs and the objectives that had been set.
Implementation
Managers took part in face to face training, online training and keynotes, with regular follow up so the pathway could be adjusted to operational requirements.
- results
Managers did not simply broaden their range of management skills. They also started to apply them in a more consistent and effective way. The cultural transition went smoothly, and employee engagement rose.
Here is a closer look at the results observed after this three year pathway.
Broader management skills. Managers widened their range of management skills and also learned to apply them more consistently and more effectively. That improved the quality of the management experience for teams and the way projects are run, which in turn helped the company meet its objectives.
Smooth implementation. The pathway let managers put their new skills into practice smoothly, which made the cultural transition within the company easier. That ease of implementation helped create a more collaborative and inclusive working environment, where each employee feels more valued and better supported.
Higher employee engagement. The cultural transition also brought a marked rise in employee engagement. People are now more invested in their roles and responsibilities, which shows up as higher productivity and greater satisfaction at work, confirmed by the most recent engagement survey.
Lower turnover: another positive indicator is the visible drop in turnover within the company. The managers who were trained are now better equipped to lead their teams effectively, and that has a direct impact on employee retention. A stable team is a real asset for any company, especially in a fast moving sector such as industry.
Long term strength and success: finally, this experience showed how much solid management skills matter in securing the long term strength and success of a company. The fundamentals of management remain an essential pillar for finding your way through today's business environment, by managing teams effectively and responding nimbly to the challenges and opportunities that come up.
This experience showed that even in a sector as volatile and as constantly changing as industry, the fundamentals of management remain an essential pillar for securing the long term strength and success of a company.
TO ORGANISE A KEYNOTE, A WORKSHOP OR A MASTERCLASSÂ