 Re-energising Tired Leadership Development in a European BankChallenge
A failing talent programme in a major European bank had lost credibility due to the quality of the interventions presented to delegates. The new programme provider needed to re-energise the whole programme, set a new standard for talent development and deliver tangible improvements in key middle-management leadership skills:
1. The ability to challenge successfully
2. Present a crisp idea to senior management
3. To get stuff done despite the bureaucracy
4. Develop leadership skills to motivate others MethodWe collaborated with another consulting firm to produce an intensive leadesghip development programme for over 100 Director and Associate Director Level managers. The basic format consisted of two formal 5 day leadership 'immersion' programmes held offsite. Follow-up with individual students was managed in-house by the customer.
In Week 1, delegates operated in syndicates on a highly experiential programme providing many opportunities for delegates to practise leading teams. The practical exercises we used to expose people to the real challenges of leading successfully culminated in a major 24 hour outdoor leadership exercise.
Specific modules included:
» Presentation Skills: practical exposure to making presentations and delivering a messages to senior audiences.
» Leadership and the Team: leading others and practical team exercises.
» Leadership and the Individual: Self awareness, self reliance and self confidence to lead effectively.
» Leadership and Winning: executing plans in a competitive environment and under pressure.
In Week 2 the emphasis shifted to development of individual skills and provided opportunities to demonstrate programme learning using a variety of experiential techniques, activities and integrating actors.
Specific modules included:
» Developing a personal value proposition: a practical development session designed to develop negotiation skills, tools for building relationships and effective management of inter-personal interaction.
» Advanced Presentation Skills: a one day module focused on developing effective presentation techniques under a variety of different conditions including difficult audiences and dealing with questions.
» Execution without Excuses: key techniques for great execution. This included objective setting, team alignment and reinforcing accountability.
» Risk College: syndicate teams address business problems they have been given one week prior to the development session. The team's must prepare and deliver a presentation to a group of very senior managers at the end of the programme.
The programme was differentiated by combining academic input about leadership with intensive and practical experiences, discussion and structured feedback.
Delegates paired off with a programme 'buddy' to help with peer review at the end of every day and had an allocated observer reporting back to them on their performance against the bank's leadership competencies. Using this system delegates had regular opportunities to coach and be coached throughout the development programme. Result » The leadership development programme was very successfully re-launched and generated much excitement and enthusiastic feedback from participants and from the bank.
» There is strong anecdotal evidence of performance improvement among the delegate cohort, a number of whom have subsequently been promoted.
» The programme is in its third year and as popular as ever.
» Senior managers value highly the feedback from the development programme and actively use it to identify and support development of their leadership talent.
» The programme It is currently being reviewed for extension to other business units in the bank.
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