Leadership Development

How we can help

Strategic HR are able to assist in developing an integrated and systematic approach to leadership development enabling you to deliver your organisation's strategy.

Our Focus

Leadership

1

Building an awareness of the need to change amongst your managers through;

  • Defining what effective leadership is, in your organisational context, in a way that is real and practical for your managers.
  • Providing feedback to your managers against your leadership needs using tools that will create buy-in to the development need - 360 Feedback, Development Centres and aligning Performance Management Systems.

2

Providing resources so Managers feel able to make the changes necessary;

  • We can source excellent speakers/trainers who specialise in a number of key leadership skills to deliver your programme.
  • Supporting through on-line toolkits and coaching.

3

Ensuring Managers are motivated to change;

  • Providing an initial impetus for change through inspirational speakers and highlighting current bright spots within the company.
  • Aligning current company systems to reward leadership achievement - shifting a portion of bonuses, ad hoc rewards, celebrating success and the active management of on-compliance.
  • Succession planning, top talent pools and aspiring leaders programmes aligned with the new leadership requirements provide powerful incentives to managers.

4

Ensuring the culture of the organisation supports the behavioural change;

  • Creating momentum through all, or a large number of, managers attending development activities at the same time.
  • Providing additional support to Executives to ensure they are effective in role modelling the desired behaviours.
  • Implementing reporting mechanisms to provide visibility to the Executive on performance of middle managers on leadership accountabilities.

Case Studies

A development programme for an SOE looking to grow the business and be more effective through engaging staff, took a new leader from novice through the first five years of their leadership journey. The programme included the development of leadership success factors and selection of new leaders against the model. Once selected, new leaders had a two week induction, meeting Executives, support staff and internal customers and suppliers from across the business; introductory management training from LMA; a series of short courses over two years to cover key competencies and management skills - supported with coaching modules for the manager of the participant; and ended with participants attending the Certificate in Leadership from the University of Canterbury. Ongoing 360 feedback through the programme assisted in the development of self awareness and allowed fine tuning of the learning. The programme improved on-the-job performance of leadership skills and impacted on overall engagement of the teams being lead.

Programmes in place were reviewed and recommendations made regarding additional initiatives needed to improve engagement through front line leadership for an organisation going through a fundamental shift in its business. The key success factors and accountabilities for leadership were defined and documented in the position description. This was rolled out through a series of workshops lead by an Executive and followed up with coaching modules, 360 degree reviews, and individual development plans for existing leaders. Recognition of top performers and management of poor leadership performance was also put in place. A recruitment process was put in place for new leaders, along with an induction process that gave them exposure to a broad base of the business as well as facilitating behavioural coaching by the manager.

Literature review and staff focus groups, for an organisation that wanted to support its staff through the third year after a natural disaster, both pointed to front line leadership development as being a key component in helping staff manage through the ongoing effects. An action plan was developed to recognise staff's ongoing efforts to meet business-as-usual goals and to improve support through implementing a coaching culture.

Client