Develop Your Team From A Distance

Many of us are working long hours in front of the computer just to keep things going. The notion of somehow making time for development would have us running for the hills, if only we could leave home. However, we have learned, often from bitter experience, that we neglect development at our peril. Our globally-connected, technological world does not give time to play catch up, so it is imperative to keep learning so that we have the right skills available when needed.

What Development and Why?

If this is development as usual, then it’s perfectly possible to carry on as before but online and virtually. Much of this was increasingly taking place online and so it can continue. Certainly, now is the time to curate an online learning resource centre, if you don’t already have one. Identify your business challenges, look at the key competencies (both technical and behavioural) for achieving these, and then source online learning solutions that can either be tailored to your firm at low cost, or can be used off-the-shelf. Additionally, it is important to include solutions that help raise self-awareness of the impact people have on others: this is always the best way to start a development journey.

Supportive learning solutions such as manager or peer coaching or internal mentoring, or external coaching are highly beneficial at this time because it provides structured, purposeful quality time together. Encourage this as much as possible, perhaps with guidance on developing your coaching skills. These skills will become more valuable than ever as we adjust emotionally as well as practically to the different phases of this pandemic. 

Popular Trends in Development

The recent trend has been to personalize learning as much as possible. However, with many people feeling pressured and under stress, and with budgets under pressure too, development is most likely to fall by the wayside. Perhaps this is now a time to go back to an organizational approach. For example, identify organizational needs and set up a virtual learning day around these. This could take different forms: internal speakers from different departments, external speakers, a range of topics or perhaps a focus on just one. It might be skills, or knowledge-based, or both. It might be just for your team, or your organization, or you could form a network with other businesses to spread the cost. Such an initiative in Mexico saw the HR departments of several firms join up with a business school for a learning day on compensation and benefits. The next trend that will follow will be on talent management, as it is vital to development; spanning and subsuming activities such as workforce planning, succession planning, talent acquisition, onboarding and engagement, development, and performance management. An example for talent management can be seen with a UK housing association that has started a 360-degree feedback initiative for its managers to introduce a feedback culture. The next step will be a schedule of corporate learning events around the leadership skills on which the 360 was based.

Due to the nature of these trends, both personalization of learning and talent management will require the ability to adjust to a new world. And to efficiently do so, leaders more than ever will need to have the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to initiate and drive the development of their team and/or followers.

At Pinsight, we provide organizations with the insights and tools needed to develop their employees into the leaders they need. Based on The Leader Habit formula – a highly personalized leadership development process that focuses on building effective habits – our methods are simple and backed by science. Check out our website and see how our platform can help your organization.