Adding skills, shifting expectations
We discovered that one company's focus on creativity had led them to hire people--even in senior positions--who didn't know how to manage well. Even more important, people management wasn't highly regarded as a skill set. As the company grew, talented people left, saying they weren't getting the direction, support, and feedback they needed to succeed.We first worked with senior management to help them reflect on and shift the messages being sent about people management; we then helped them to develop their own management and leadership skills. We also began partnering with Human Resources, building greater accountability for managing and developing employees into the performance review and bonus systems.
Next, the client began to offer a two-day management skills course, made up of modules from our Encouraging Excellence series: Listening, Performance Agreements, Feedback and Coaching. Because we understood this company's culture, we were especially careful to build a collaborative, fun, irreverent learning environment, and to let the participants talk through how and whether these skills would be useful to them before they learned and practiced them.
The first course was a big hit. Five years later the program is offered to everyone who has people management responsibilities. It remains popular--about 90% of those eligible choose to attend. The culture has evolved, too: creativity is still king, but people recognize that excellent people management is key to focusing and developing everyone's creativity.
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