9waysto encourage managers

to take responsibilityfor LEARNING

People still get sent on learning activities withno briefing, no follow up afterwards and thenthere are complaints that training doesn’t do itsjob.

So how do you enable managers to take moreresponsibility for learning on the job?

If this sounds like yourorganisation then read on

for 7 ways to help managersswiftly take more ownershipfor the development of their

team

1 Share the stats

90% design & delivery

5%preparation

5%Follow up

Where resources are used

Control group A:Typical intervention

25% design&delivery

25%preparation

50%Follow up

Control group B:Trial group

AND 85% achievedsustained new

behaviours

5%Didn’t try

10%Tried and failed

Control group B:Trial group impact

Value of learning where followup is done

From research by Jim Kirkpatrick on evaluating learning

2 Make it simpleGive managers a process to follow to save them time.

Give them a checklist of questions you want them to ask.

Help them understand that follow up is not a one off quickconversation but follow up means speaking to the individualto find out:

●How they felt

●What they learnt

●What their action plan is

●What support they need to make changes happen

●How frequently the individual wants to check in with you

This type of follow up saves them time later in taking remedialaction and builds confidence in the individual to try out newideas.

Make sure that managersknow that the process is notthe only thing that matters.

Having awhich helps individual exploreis just as important because itbuilds confidence and drive to

make things happen.

3 Encourageindividual learners

to ask forfollow upThe demand for follow up has to work both ways and part of learning isequipping learners with the skills and confidence to ask for support. So, as youend any learning intervention, promote reflection time to help individualsprocess the answers to the questions you know a manager will ask anddiscuss the best ways to make a conversation happen.

4 Don’t live in an

ivory towerYour work isn’t done once the intervention is finished.

Go and talk the managers.

Tell them the wonderful things you discussed on the workshop and ask them tofollow up. Sometimes this simple personal touch works wonders.

5 Invite managersOnce you get to the summary and reflection stage of any intervention why not invitemanagers in to the last 30 minutes of each session.

Provide them with a summary of the great learning their team members have completed andpair them up with their team member(s) to start the follow-up process.

This allows the manager to be part of the learning not apart from it and enables your learnersto feel safe in building their action plan with knowledge that they will get the support theyneed.

6 Have a learning

brainstormProvide a team briefing for managers to complete with their team to enable the team tohave input into learning needs.

By having the whole team brainstorm about what we need to know or how we need tobehave to get the task done, to work effectively as a team and to function effectively asan individual, you encourage people to think more widely about what is required (ratherthan than just on ‘ ’. It puts learning needs in the context of what you need toachieve as a function.

7 Send out the

message‘Learning is

working’Take responsibility for sharing good news stories about learning. Findout what great managers are doing; thank them and share what hasworked for them to help other managers to learn. There’s nothing like abit of ‘ ’s’ to make things happen.

8 Right timeRemember the best learning happens at time of need aspeople can put ideas into action immediately. Help signpostmanagers to early interventions - workshops…YouTube…anything that will start learning going and help themanager to guide their team member. The more you can putthem in control, the better the impact.

9 Make learning

continuousA managers job is about effectiveness - getting things done in the best way possibleand using resources wisely. Therefore providing learning to help people do theirjobs better, develop core skills and enhance their flexibility is a key component oftheir day job.

Help them achieve this by curating relevant content widely available through theinternet and signpost managers to this through regular briefings.

By doing this you make learning a continuous process, helping the managers take

control and the whole process of briefing and follow up becomes

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