Leadership Development: Event or Process?


Many organizations provide leadership development events. These take on many forms: a three-day management retreat, a week long course at a prestigious university, an in-house training course based on the latest leadership book- the list goes on and on. The problem with these types of events is that they simply don't stick. They seldom lead to results. Lessons learned are soon forgotten, and then it's back to business as usual.

We're not saying that training events aren't worthwhile. In fact, they play an important role in leadership development. In addition to making use of valuable content, these events often provide an opportunity to interact, build relationships, and share best practices. However, these events are just that, events. For true development to occur, they need to be reinforced through an ongoing leadership development process. We have found that an effective leadership process must be both individualized and continuous in order to achieve real and measurable improvements.

So how do we ensure leadership development is a process, rather than an event?

We have found that 360-degree feedback plays a key role in moving from event to process. Following are six recommendations for using 360 assessments in getting the most out of your leadership development process.

    1. Assessment
    Begin by using an assessment to evaluate individual leadership ability and potential. We recommend a 360 assessment to collect feedback from the person's supervisor, peers, direct reports, and others who are in a position to provide feedback as to behaviors and actions. The feedback from this assessment not only gives the participant a starting point, it also acts as a catalyst for change that can motivate an individual to take action.

    2. Coaching
    Using the feedback from the 360 assessment, provide coaching on how to interpret results and use the data to create a personal development plan. Coaching can be done by a formal internal coach, peers, the participant's supervisor, or an outside coach. This can take the form of one-on-one coaching or workshop-based group coaching. However, without coaching it is very unlikely that a person will create a personal development plan. To put it bluntly, no coaching, no plan. No plan, no results.

    3. Personal Development Plan
    The outcome of the coaching process should be a well-developed personal action plan. We recommend using SMART goals as part of the plan. The focus should be on developing both strengths and weaknesses (we emphasize the concept of derailers for weaknesses). Goals should also tie in with the leadership training offered by your organization. The participant should share this plan with his or her supervisor (required) as well as peers and direct reports.

    4. Regular Follow-Up
    If you don't follow up, the action plan will most likely get stuffed in a file and forgotten. Continual follow-up is key to getting results, and should happen in regular intervals. This can occur between the participant and his or her supervisor as part of the performance review process. You can also establish peer coaching groups among the participants to coach each other. These groups are formed during the initial coaching session, where people pair up or triple up and agree to be coaching partners. In some cases, you will want to invest in an outside coach to work with high potential leaders or those in critical positions in the company.

    5. Leadership Training
    With the above steps in place, leadership training is more likely to succeed. The leadership training is used to complement your process, as participants will be much more likely to use the skills learned to accomplish the goals outlined in their action plans.

    6. Re-Assess
    Track improvement by administering a 360 survey each year. We have found that one year is an ideal amount of time to re-assess. This gives the participant enough time to make changes and show real improvement. We don't recommend repeating the process in less than six months or longer than 18 months.

Conclusion
Leadership development is most effective when it is a personalized ongoing process. The 360 assessment and individual coaching provide personalized feedback, and repeated follow-up and training encourage continual growth. Instead of thinking of leadership development as a one-time event, invest in a process that leads to lasting improvement.