Harmonising High Performance: The Power of Group Leadership Training
The practice of sending employees away for individual training and expecting them to integrate into cohesive teams upon their return is as common as it is ineffective.
Although individual training can enhance specific skills and expertise, it is best suited for individual contributors—subject-matter specialists who concentrate on honing their technical abilities and completing specific tasks.
At the leadership level, the ability to work effectively as a unit makes all the difference. Leadership is, after all, a team sport. Especially when it comes to changing the way the organisation acts or thinks.
If you want your leadership training to translate into organisational change, it's got to be team training: short courses, webinars, and workshops provided to groups of employees at the same time.
Why is group training so much more effective than individual training?
Shared Understanding: Learning together isn't just about learning new things; it ensures everyone is on the same page. Collective learning, even if it's refreshing existing knowledge, creates a shared language and understanding.
Team Building: Every good learning opportunity or training day includes an element of play. Structured learning minimises the cringe and is a more inclusive approach to team building than alcohol and axe-throwing.
Reinforcing Strategy: Group training provides the opportunity to discuss how the lessons contribute to the company's goals. Both answering the question "What's the point in this?" and refreshing the team's sense of direction and purpose.
Implementing Change: One person can't change a culture, it takes a team. The same is true for training. One person can't implement what they've learned without working as part of a group which all learned the same thing.
Peer Learning and Support: Like a sports team, it's one thing to train for the big match; it's another to play the game. Playing alonside people who can remind you of what you practiced makes all the difference.
Scaling Impact: Let's face it, ten training courses for ten people is significantly more expensive than one training course for ten people.
Customisation to Organizational Needs: Every business is unique, and group training can be tailored to meet the specific needs of each organisation. What do you need to learn today that you can start using tomorrow?
Training as a Perk, Not a Punishment: When you single out individuals for training it can feel (or look) like that individual is behind where they need to be. Training becomes about resolving underperformance, rather than pursuing peak performance.
