19 Oct 2009
Sure, things are a little tough for many organisations at present, and short-term focus is the order of the day for many. There is much we are not doing, but failing to plan for the upturn may be false economy.
Sustained growth and performance for any organisation lies not just in the hands of its current executive team, but in those of its next generation of managers and leaders. And that means investing in our talent.
But what sort of investment is likely to show the greatest return? In what ways does our raw talent need to grow and develop in order to be most effective? I believe that it is a combination of effective management and inspirational leadership that holds the key to getting the best ROI. But what, exactly, does that mean? By ‘effective management’, I mean the ability to win more time to spend on those things that will actually make a difference to the future of the organisation rather than on the everyday tasks that tend to crowd ‘ordinary’ managers’ lives. Time and again, the commonest ‘cri de eur’ I hear when asking managers what their biggest challenge is is ‘time’. By ‘inspirational leadership’ I mean developing those qualities that enable you to answer the fundamental question ‘Why should anyone be led by you?’ – a question virtually guaranteed to silence a room full of executives – and thence the ability to inspire commitment and loyalty from your team along with the skills to develop, share and implement a powerful vision for the organisation.
The Leadership and Management Programme from the Wilsher Group focuses on precisely these two issues – but in an intensely practical way. Unlike many programmes of this broad type, LAMP is not just a collection of tips and tools, but, in effect, an extended workshop in which ideas are discussed, put into practice and then reported back on.
A further example; one of the greatest differences that delegates comment on is that the course manual is not a densely-written assembly of lectures and notes. It is, by contrast, full of white space and questions that encourage delegates to formulate their own answers out of the topic discussions, expressed as they best apply to their own individual situations. This results in an unusual propensity for the manuals to become working tools that find a place in delegates’ everyday working lives, rather than becoming weighty bookends on a shelf.
With its additional focus on innovative problem-solving and an introduction to coaching as a powerful developmental tool, LAMP is uniquely positioned to provide measurable ROI – usually within the compass of its twelve-week, eight-session duration. If you’d like to hear first hand evidence of this, we can put you in touch with a range of organisations who would be happy to talk you through their experience. And because LAMP delivers tangible ROI, it is a programme that organisations can invest in with confidence even in turbulent times such as these. And it is those organisations that invest in their talent today that will be best placed to take advantage of the recovery when it comes.
© 2009 Chris Sanders
01 Dec 2009
Sustained growth and performance for any organisation lies not just in the hands of its current executive team, but in those of its next generation of managers and leaders. And that means investing in our talent.
But what sort of investment is likely to show the greatest return? In what ways does our raw talent need to grow and develop in order to be most effective? I believe that it is a combination of effective management and inspirational leadership that holds the key to getting the best ROI.
© 2009 Chris Sanders