Training Industry Magazine - July/August 2021 - 22

EXAMPLE
Applying this process to Ben and his
struggles, it became clear that Ben is
operating in a transformational culture
that requires him to lead differently.
The competency-based leadership
development program that Ben has
already taken looked like Figure 2 on
page 21.
To integrate vertical development, the
program was redesigned to leverage
more heat experiences, colliding
perspectives and opportunities for
reflection. The experience begins with
an orientation simulation that replicates
the complex work environment where
leaders are struggling to prioritize and
meet ever-changing demands. During
the debrief, Ben discovers that fellow
participants feel overwhelmed, too.
They share ideas for how to cope. Ben
hears from his peers at his stage of
development and learns from those at
later stages.
so she helps Ben expand his perspectives
while learning new strategies.
At the end of the learning experience,
Ben completes a capstone activity that
integrates all the competencies and
perspectives he's learned. Ben and
his team react to a scenario in another
simulated environment, get feedback
from each other and the instructor, reflect
on their insights, and plan how to apply
those insights and continue to develop.
Ben shares his reflections and action
plan with his manager, and they
plan ongoing activities for Ben's
continuous development.
RESULTS
As today's organizations
face greater complexity and
change, leaders need more
than training on policies,
procedures and leadership
strategies to be effective.
The rest of the learning experience
follows a pattern of application,
feedback and replanning, with formal
teaching limited to solely information
relevant to application:
* Quick introduction to key concepts.
* Immersion into simulations that
present increasingly difficult
situations.
* Quick follow-up on additional key
concepts.
* Team discussion and debrief.
After several days of simulations, Ben
goes into the organization to watch an
experienced leader at work. This leader is
at a higher stage of development than Ben,
| 22
When applied to a leadership
development program for manufacturing
leaders at a large aerospace company,
participants indicated that this approach
to learning was more engaging, giving
them both transformational insights
and increased confidence. Though this
program was just the beginning of their
development, it better prepared them
to manage the complexities of their job
and develop the mindsets necessary to
excel in their roles.
CONCLUSION
As today's organizations face greater
complexity and change, leaders
need more than training on policies,
procedures and leadership strategies
to be effective. They need confidence
and the capacity to lead in their
unique environments. By integrating
vertical development into leadership
development programs, leaders can
develop both the capabilities and the
capacity to lead through disruption in
complex work environments.
Claudia Escribano is the director
of creative learning solutions at C2
Technologies, Inc., a leader in human
performance improvement. The concepts
in this article were developed on a
project with PMG Learning, Inc. James
Hadley, PhD, is owner of Simthing New,
a leadership development company that
leverages simulation-based learning. He
has designed leadership and technical
training programs for a wide variety of
industries. Email the authors.
Achiever
Activities:
* Measure productivity, efficiency
and ROI.
* Map how individual contributions
benefit the organizational objectives.
Expert
Activities:
* Make decisions based on facts
and data.
* Peer and expert evaluation of work.
* Look at industry trends,
benchmarking and best practices.
Diplomat
Activities:
* Emphasis on teamwork, respect
and collaboration.
* Define a group identity (names,
logos, mantras, clothing).
Opportunist
STRATEGIES AND
ACTIVITIES TO HELP
LEADERS LEVEL-UP
Alchemical
Activities:
* Challenge long-standing beliefs
and customs.
* Solve problems using metaphors
from unrelated industries or systems.
Transforming
Activities:
* Solve problems with polarity and
systems thinking.
* Develop a broad, open network
of experts.
* Strategic planning with an eye on
bettering communities or industries.
Redefining
Activities:
* Reassess how goals contribute
to work-life balance.
* Align personal talents and
aspirations to work assignments.
* Mentor and develop others.
Training Industry Magazine - July/August 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Training Industry Magazine - July/August 2021
