Page 129 - Just Promoted A 12 Month Road Map for Success in Your New Leadership Role

114 Just Promoted!

TRAINING AND DEVELOPING YOUR WORK TEAM
Rationale

In this chapter, we have looked at issues relating to the selection of your work
team and team building. A third pillar needs to be added consisting of train-
ing, development, and coaching your people.
Individual and departmental training and development needs should have
surfaced as a result of the diagnostic work that you began as you took over
your new position. These needs may be functional-technical or managerial or
leadership in nature. Functional-technical needs relate to the content or
expertise of the work itself (for example, sales training, upgrading financial or
computer skills, and increasing scientific knowledge to a state-of-the-art level).
Managerial or leadership training may include topics such as managing per-
formance, employment and selection, planning, delegation, motivation and
engagement, organizing work flow, and time management. All training is
designed to improve one or more of the following:
1. Knowledge of information, procedures, principles: What people need
to know
2. Skills: What people actually do to apply knowledge
3. Attitudes and feelings about things and people: The way people
approach their work and their colleagues

Move quickly to establish people development as a primary organizational
value. During the first months on the job, you should have signaled the impor-
tance of good talent selection, orientation, training, and development.

Context for Your Learning and Development Initiatives
1. You are setting new, often higher expectations for people and
their work.
2. New employees may be entering the organization. They will need to
understand the mission, the functions, services or products, and day-to-
day operating procedures.
3. Rapid change in work means today’s skills will be quickly outdated.
Learning must be timely and continuous. New operating procedures and
skills are the norm.
4. Competition is ever increasing. Developing skilled contributors and
managers is a key competitive strategy.