What? Stop training leaders? You might be saying, “That’s it...they’ve finally lost their marbles.” But don’t tune out just yet!
You should stop “training,” but don’t stop building your leadership bench. Reframe how you think about developing people. It’s more than holding organizational hype sessions or learning a skill or two here and there. It’s more than using a digital system to click through modules. It’s about real, gradual growth.
As Jesse Cole says: “I don't like the word 'training.' I believe dogs are trained. Humans should be coached, mentored and educated.”
How do you coach, mentor and educate your credit union or bank leaders? Here are three suggestions:
1. Make People Show Their Work
Coaching up-and-coming leaders necessitates them actually doing something. It’s far too easy for staff to sit through a leadership training session and leave without applying what they learned. Don’t fall into that trap!
Hold people accountable. Ensure rising leaders develop goals at the end of each session, and make sure they know you will monitor their progress. If you have an outside facilitator, they can perform these accountability checks as well.
After your rising stars know they must apply their lessons, watch them. Is there further room for you to coach them? Can you provide some hands-on guidance before the next training session?
That leads to the next point…
2. Stop the Hands-Off Approach
Your executives have years of experience and bountiful wisdom to share. They could mentor middle managers and secure your future with strong leaders…but it doesn’t mean they’re doing it.
The hands-off approach doesn’t work when developing leaders. Your senior leaders must choose some team members and invest time in them. Select some promising padawans and make them into bona fide masters.
Of course, bank and credit union executives don’t have time in abundance. But a little goes a long way. A simple mentorship lunch or a monthly shadowing day can make a big difference to a growing leader.
3. Break Through the Malaise
Leadership training often fails because it’s dull. Like a bad college lecture, the “sage on the stage” dispenses wisdom from above without much input on your part. Or you can zone out as you go through learning management system modules.
But that’s not real education. It lacks lasting impact.
Educating your future leaders requires engaging them and penetrating the malaise infesting many leadership training techniques. Choose leadership development that interacts with attendees. There’s nowhere to hide in leadership and it should be the same way in your sessions.
Accompany your education with entertainment as well. People remember fun events more than boring tasks. Use jokes, exercises, physical movement and more to transition professional development from something people “have to do” into something they want to do.
Do you want to escape the tired training rigmarole?
On The Mark Strategies offers leadership training that goes well beyond teaching a couple skills. Book a free consultation today to get an educational, engaging and entertaining experience for your rising leaders.
