Do you need to update your leadership programs or change your approach to learning transfer?
‘Every way I turn, the problem is poor leadership’.
This wasn’t my comment, but it was from a professional I admire, working within an organisation, sharing about the multitude of challenges the organisation was facing. So today I pose the question to you, whether you’re within an organisation or supplying leadership initiatives, do you need to update your leadership programs or change your approach to learning transfer?
After the conversation, I was left reflecting – how can this be? Organisations invest heavily in leadership development, yet the problems don’t seem to be getting any smaller. (I’ve been thinking a lot recently about the world operating in the realm of ‘VUCA on steroids’ or jerking, as Dr Tony O’Driscoll, would say but more about that soon.)
I’m left wondering have I done a good enough job at explaining what effective learning transfer is and what it isn’t?
When many organisations switched to virtual learning spaces during and after COVID with modular leadership programs, seduced by the easy-to-understand science behind the Ebbinghaus forgetting curve, the focus became whether people could remember the learning. Pseudo-transfer solutions ensued.
Have you found yourself saying any of these things recently?
We do nudging…. people must be changing behaviours…
We do spaced learning…. I know people are remembering the models…
We give people activities to do in the workplace so they are transferring the learning…
Grasping the difference between an activity between modules to build skills, and the learner taking the ownership of a commitment to adopt the skill as part of the way they lead, is essential.
For leaders, it isn’t that they don’t remember or know what to do. It’s just that they don’t do what they know. With our thoughts, feelings, values, beliefs, fears, needs and identity driving our behaviours, it’s no wonder!
Effective transfer will not only exponentially boost the results from your leadership program but will subtly start to build the crucial skills of your leaders to slow down, reflect, and think creatively and deeply about the situations they face, which, let’s face it, leaders need to be doing now more than ever.
With one of our partners, a world-class leadership company, we have worked with over 4000 leaders in one single organisation across the globe. The program is being expanded to other levels in the organisation.
In answer to the question above ‘Do you need to update your leadership program or just change your approach to learning transfer?’ I honestly don’t know about your specific program ☺. If a checklist of whether your program is designed to deliver learning transfer, would be useful, reach out so we can send you a copy.
Or if you want to chat it through, book a time in my diary here. I’m happy to support you.