Leadership Development Program Changing demographics, technological advancements, and worker expectations are causing change in the American workplace. Despite this, many sccoachinggroup organizations continue to struggle with leadership development programs. As a result, succession planning is underdeveloped and leadership roles are underrepresented in terms of diversity. As a result, firms are having difficulty attracting and retaining the best employees.

Outperforming their rivals involves investing in internal or turnkey leadership solutions. Often, organizations choose turn-key programs based solely on price. Prepackaged leadership development curricula offer additional benefits as well. It is easy to implement, requires little customization, and does not require extensive in-house resources. Some organizations may not be able to benefit from external leadership training.

1. Internal vs. External (Turn-key) Development

There are times when an internal leadership development program makes sense, but it is rarely that straightforward. Make a comparison between building your own leadership development system and buying a turn-key solution from an external company. Providing extensive perspectives and encouraging effective practices are the main goals of both internal and external curricula. However, there are some important differences between them. 

There are many advantages to internal leadership development programs 

Employees and organizations can benefit from internal leadership programs in many ways. Your leadership culture and company values can be aligned more easily with the program. Once an in-house initiative is fully implemented, it can be more cost-effective as well. Your emerging leaders will also be able to work towards a common goal through these programs.

The disadvantages of internal leadership development programs

Preparing and implementing internal programs can take a lot of time and resources. [1] They can also be susceptible to organizational bias due to their lack of diverse perspectives. You may not achieve the desired outcome if these things prevent the development of broader leadership skills.

Pros of Turn-Key Leadership Development Programs

You can provide emerging and senior leaders with access to external leadership development programs without being constrained by the internal company culture and politics. It broadens perspectives and knowledge by offering objective insights and best practices from competing companies and industries. 

Additionally, external programs and trainers facilitate networking opportunities. Building relationships is essential for forming connections, sharing knowledge, collaborating, and accessing mentors and advisors beyond your own team.

The disadvantages of turnkey leadership training initiatives

The cost of external programs may rise over time, and they may lack the level of customization and focus that come with an in-house program. Moreover, turnkey programming is less flexible in timing, causing work schedules to be disrupted.

Develop Emerging Leaders’ Individual Strengths

A popular turn-key leadership development program offered by scoching is Emerging Leaders. Embrace new challenges and leadership roles with the help of our experts. Invest in early- to mid-career talent who possess the business acumen necessary to grow your organization and yourself.

Make a resource assessment 

Developing an effective leadership program in-house can take a lot of time and effort. In addition to time, qualified personnel, content, technology, and evaluation resources, it is vital that you consider your budget and your access to time.

A one-time program or a recurring one?

Your specific goals will determine whether you should opt for a one-time or recurring leadership development program. In order to implement new strategic initiatives, one-off programs are ideal. Strong leadership pipelines, job attraction, and retention rates are better built through routine programs. In order to drive company growth and personal development, recurring courses ensure continuity.

2. Avoid Leadership Development Training Pitfalls

Leadership development programs can fail for numerous reasons. The most common causes are poor program design, implementation, and lack of alignment with organization goals. Other causes are inadequate resources and not enough follow-up or accountability. So, most curriculums will fail without an effective system to track and measure the intended results.

There are several consequences of a turn-key program failure. There can be subpar performance, a lack of employee engagement, high turnover, and missed opportunities as a result.

Red Flags to Look Out For in Leadership Training Programs

Indicators that indicate a training initiative isn’t right for your organization are red flags. A thorough review of the presented content should be conducted by those responsible for selecting potential turn-key solutions. In order to ensure alignment between an organization’s goals, values, and culture, evaluation must be conducted properly.

Prior to seeking stakeholder buy-in, consider the following red flags:

• There is a lack of clarity regarding the intentions of the program
• Plan does not include follow-up support, development, or evaluation
• Provides a generic solution rather than a specific one
• ROI is not clearly outlined or measurable
• Qualifications and expertise of trainers are lacking

Many of these red flags can be avoided by engaging an experienced and reputable training partner specializing in turn-key leadership development programs.  

Must-haves for Turn-key Leadership Development

Leaders development consultants are plentiful, but they don’t all provide the same services or philosophy. You can make a well-informed decision based on a simple list of must-haves for your programming. Consider the examples below when selecting leadership development programs, and add anything else you consider necessary.

• Curriculums must be tailored to the needs of companies and leaders
• Coaches must have experience in leadership development
• Research-based, evidence-based methods should be used
• Flexible with scheduling and times
• Deliverable results must be measurable
• Privacy and confidentiality must be promised as requested

Structure that makes sense

Having a clear structure will ensure that any leadership development effort is successful; without it, there is a risk of confusion and a lack of direction. You should define the goals, timeline, and content of your training in advance. Course outline explains what participants can expect and how leadership skills will be developed during the course.

Details of the content and format

Your company’s objectives and needs must be clearly defined and reflected in the program’s content and format. If not, participants may become confused, which reduces engagement and learning. To accommodate diverse learning styles, many development programs use flexible formats. Online modules, classroom instruction, and experiential learning are all examples of instructional methods.

Reputation of service providers

Our emerging leaders programs and skills-building workshops are tailored to meet the needs of emerging leaders. Designed for mid-career and early-career employees, our courses prepare them for promotion and success. Additionally, corporate programming facilitates the development of skills needed to build and maintain your diverse leadership pipelines.

4. Additional considerations for leadership development

The implementation of a turn-key leadership development program requires careful consideration. Participants’ needs and the company’s objectives must be aligned in the training. The teaching will be most effective when these elements work harmoniously. As a result, the participating leaders also experience meaningful outcomes.

Decide which audience the program is targeting

It is important to consider the unique characteristics, needs, and aspirations of the course participants. Are they capable of leading, do they have experience, and what are their career goals? Do they prefer online learning, group classes, or one-on-one tutoring? Content and delivery methods can be tailored based on this type of data. Participant engagement strategies are also improved as a result.

Define the goals of the program and the participants

It is imperative that your training initiative aligns with the company’s overall strategy and vision. Participants are more concerned with developing effective leadership skills or filling skill gaps. Stakeholders should be informed of your goals during the development phase. It is much easier to measure outcomes when participants and the program are clearly defined and mutually agreed upon.

Incorporating training into everyday life

Bridging the gap between leadership training and workplace implementation is the key to successful leadership training. By not following through, you run the risk of losing employees. If there is no significant change as a result of the training, those who stay are likely to become disengaged. In the absence of implementation, your leadership development program will have a poor return on investment. Coaching and mentoring can prevent this from happening and reinforce learning.

What is the best way to determine the success or failure of a program?

As long as you have identified KPIs, you can determine whether your leadership development program was successful or failed. KPIs related to your training are the best way to measure results.

Leadership Development Programming: Final Thoughts

The transition from training to execution should be swift for both internal and turn-key leadership development programs. Look out for red flags like inflexible curriculums and inadequate post-program support. Check the reputation of your turn-key service provider, their leadership development expertise, and their ability to customize plans. 

You should align your leadership development efforts with the goals and values of your organization, no matter what approach you choose. The final step is to measure success using predefined goals, participant feedback, and the overall impact of the organization. Your leadership development efforts will be improved if you adjust them accordingly.