Development Systematic approaches
It is
Applying Method to the Madness
T
here are a number of critical issues and interdependencies at play here, including cultural norms, the organisation itself
and the individuals completing the programme. These factors combine to result in development meaning very different things to different people.
Cultural awareness It is crucial to understand how other cultures differ from our own and how to develop effective cross-cultural working relationships. Different cultures reward different employee behaviours and it therefore follows that their approach to employee development will be different too. CIPD research (2011) compared learning and talent development practices across the UK, US and India. It found significant differences in development methods, with US L&D practitioners investing heavily in e-learning programmes and their UK counterparts more likely to favour coaching by line managers. When asked to identify their most common gaps in leadership, US organisations cited the mentoring and development of staff, whereas Indian organisations struggled with gaps in business and commercial acumen. The latter likely reflects both the emergence of the Indian economy, and globalisation.
Despite the growth of multicultural teams, development programmes are too often designed to focus on the needs of the prevailing host culture and their expectations. An understanding of different cultural
norms and behaviours should be a key precursor for any cross-cultural development programme, as well as an appreciation for the diversity this can bring.
Embedding the programme The success of any development programme is often linked to how effectively it is entwined with the values and culture of the organisation. Communicating to participants the link between the development programme and the wider strategic aims of the organisation is crucial. Often development interventions are seen by employees as isolated activities with little relevance to wider organisation goals. This is a common cause of development programme failure. Instead they need to be carefully embedded into the wider talent management agenda.
Effective development will look very different depending largely on the culture and values of each organisation. For example, a traditional organisation, valuing an established hierarchy, and viewing length of service as an indicator of progression, is more likely to value a structured development programme, with very clear milestones required for progression. Conversely, a younger and less established organisation may actively recruit ambitious and risk taking individuals. Development may be less formerly measured and progression is a result of merit with the ability to succeed quickly within ambiguous and less structured parameters. In this type of company, development may be more
crucial to
understand how other cultures differ from our own and how to develop effective cross- cultural working relationships.
The increase in globalisation and the rise of multicultural teams has made implementing talent development initiatives worldwide more challenging than ever before. Heather Coop, Senior Development Consultant at GradWeb believes many such schemes fail because they are implemented swiftly without due consideration for the wider contextual factors underpinning them. Here she argues the importance of a systematic approach to understanding these factors, prior to any development programme being implemented.
focused on on-the-job training and informal mentoring. Each of these organisations is likely to reward very different behaviours and have different perspectives on what constitutes success. Implementing a development intervention which is at odds with the existing culture therefore needs to be accompanied by clear communication and be linked to wider culture change.
An individual approach Historically, development interventions have focused on delivering generic training programmes to all participants in the cohort. This blanket approach can be ineffective as it assumes that all participants have the same development needs. While some may benefit, others may be left feeling disengaged.
Taking a more individualised approach to development will ensure that each participant’s unique strengths and development areas are identified and targeted effectively. Personality profiling and 3600 assessment can help provide an objective and evidence based approach to uncovering development needs, allowing the individual to take ownership for their own development early on.
Recognition and appreciation of these inter-relationships between culture, the organisation and its individuals is therefore essential for the evolution of effective needs analysis that will ultimately drive the success of global development programmes. n
www.agr.org.uk | Graduate Recruiter 25
GradWeb has just released a Graduate Development Best Practices white paper, to receive your free copy email
info@gradweb.co.uk.
www.gradweb.co.uk
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