7 Tips to Make Your Leadership Development Program Sustainable
Leadership is the lifeblood of any organization, guiding its course, inspiring its teams, and driving its success. To ensure that leadership thrives & evolves, leadership programs must be more than mere episodic events; they must be sustainable.
When we work with clients on designing & custom curating their leadership development programs, one of our core promises is that We Make it Last. What that means is that we are in it to win it & focus on long-term, sustainable impact for you & your team. No quick-fixes or surface-level shots of inspiration here! You will learn new, easily implementable strategies, tools, & mindset shifts that lead to lifetime results!
Sustainability & operationalization serve as pivotal components within our programs. Without sustainability, the influence of a program diminishes over time, jeopardizing the investments of time, energy, & resources made.
Within this exploration, we will delve into The Perk’s methodologies & unveil why it is imperative that leadership programs embrace sustainability. We will uncover the profound impact that The Perk approach has on organizational growth, culture, & longevity.
Here are 7 ways we ensure our Leadership Development Programs are sustainable (& you can, too!)
1. Program duration: 6-12+ months.
Our programs span 6-12 months+ in duration, & it is designed to ensure sustainability. It's far from being a one & done workshop. Instead, it focuses on continuous learning & development in order to provide time for participants to learn skills, practice those skills, & coach. This helps learners develop a “muscle memory” for these skills by transforming the knowledge into lasting habits.
2.Learning + COACHING + Action=Development
Our philosophy is that learning does not equal development. Learning + COACHING + action is what equals true development. The coaching aspect is the true game changer in making this a leadership development program that works & gets results in a sustainable way. “But why is coaching so important,” you ask? Because coaching provides personalized, relationship-based context for the participant & helps them link theoretical concepts to the real-world situations where they are most needed.
Learners are more likely to adapt the learning because they understand the nuance of the skill & how to use it in the context of their own leadership brand & values.
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SIGN UP3. Relatable is Retainable.
The content we provide for your leaders is thoughtfully curated for ease of comprehension & relevance to their daily experiences. They will acquire practical skills that can be immediately applied, leading to noticeable positive outcomes. This creates a positive feedback loop (it's easy to keep doing new skills you learn that make your life better & easier!)
4. Accountabilibuddies!
From the beginning of the program we establish “accountabilibuddies,” or partnerships, between the leaders so that they have someone who is checking in on them, & that they are checking on, between sessions. Ultimately, to make leadership development sustainable, the learnings need to become part of your culture. This is one way to make sure leaders talk about, reflection on, & practice skills between sessions.
5. Personalized Learning Plan.
Each leader creates their own personalized learning & goal plan as part of The Perk’s programs. They make commitments for action at the end of each session, & are held accountable to their commitments at the next coaching session AND by their accountabilibuddy between sessions.
6. Bi-weekly check-ins.
During the program, your team’s coaches check in at least bi-weekly, via email, to check in on progress, help with any areas they are stuck, celebrate them, and more! Coaches are available to provide support, resources & ideas through tailored homework, podcast or article recommendations, or reflection questions.
7. Curated for each Client.
These are the core elements we provide to ALL of our clients in order to ensure sustainability across the board. Following that methodology, we embark on a personalized journey with you, customizing the integration of leadership skills to harmonize seamlessly with your distinctive organizational culture. This approach underscores our commitment that we will not try to fit you & your organization into a box. Instead, we craft a unique solution that complements & enhances your organization’s culture.
The Perk’s programs aren’t your typical, run-of-the-mill training where participants feel bored & overwhelmed by an overboard of information. Our leadership development approach is characterized by freshness, innovation, high-energy, & high impact. We consistently practice what we preach & strive to elevate our offerings to level it up!
If you would like to know more about the ROI of relationship-based leadership development, check out our article,“Make it stick! Relationship-Based Leadership Development & Training Takes Learning to the Next Level.”
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