Not long ago it would have been difficult to imagine a world where teams, departments, and even senior leaders rarely met with employees or each other in-person. If you are seldom in the same room, how can you build the leadership skills, common values, and team strengths you need for your organization to thrive going forward?
Of course, many companies have worked remotely in some capacity for quite some time. Technical development teams and international sales offices may be located in very different time zones. Logistics managers may be scattered across a continent. Today, however, people who used to work on the second floor rarely see the people who used to work on the third floor — or in the next office for that matter.
In this new hybrid world where people may sometimes work with each other in-person, or may not — which, by the way, we think we’re in for the long haul — consider leadership development and executive coaching that is hybrid as well.
Engage in a process across your organization, from regional managers, project teams, and cohorts of emerging executives, to senior management, that helps all your leaders build the communication skills, high levels of emotional intelligence, and critical leadership characteristics necessary to succeed.
Bringing Group and Individual Leadership Development Together Virtually
Organizations flourish when everyone is playing from the same playbook. If groups of senior executives, department heads, or branch directors — even cohorts of recent management hires — took part in an executive coaching effort to improve both their individual leadership skills and, as a group, learn to work from the same playbook, your organization would be well-positioned to succeed in the coming years.
Incredible progress can be made combining one-on-one executive coaching with group work. In this model, the emphasis is on individual leadership development but you accomplish your goals using both group and one-on-one sessions.
The good news is that this model is proving itself to be effective when delivered virtually as well. Whether you are building a team scattered across the globe, or developing the leadership skills of people who used to work together in the same building, remote coaching serves remote leaders and employees well.
Keys to an Effective Hybrid Leadership Development Program
- Provide full, robust DiSC assessments for all participants.
- Carefully combine group training with one-on-one coaching. This two-tier approach exposes employees to new concepts and tools, helps them address their personal gaps in leadership, and gives them what they need to implement what they’ve learned in their day-to-day work.
- Customize the focus of needed development. For example, if your company is especially concerned about building communication skills, learning how to manage virtually, delegation, or strengthening team performance in a remote work environment, specific modules can be included.
- Experienced, certified executive coaches provide expert feedback and develop personal action plans for each individual.
- Combining group work with select one-on-one coaching is more affordable than one-on-one coaching exclusively.
While we can’t speak to all the programs that may exist, Arden Coaching offers a proven hybrid training program called the Arden Leadership Academy. Working individually and in groups, we focus on skill development alongside application. Emerging leaders and managers can see the results of their new actions take shape in real time. Critically, Arden Coaching works to align individual goals with that of the company, moving the needle for the organization as well as the individual. For more, read, “Executive Coaching in a Group Setting Achieves Big Results.”
The most significant advantage of virtual individual leadership development in a group setting is that everyone improves their leadership skills (together) and learns to play from the same playbook — ready to move your company forward.
To learn more about executive coaching, leadership development in a group setting and the Arden Leadership Academy, contact Arden Coaching at [email protected] or 646.684.3777.