Vern Konwin

A Motivational Approach To Training

Today’s economy is … challenging. On top of that, some organizations are still adapting to the changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, like distributed teams, remote meetings, and hybrid offices. The need for strong leaders is more significant than ever in light of those obstacles.Strong leadership skills are essential for managers to build and lead engaged, innovative teams prepared to handle today’s challenges. And the key to being a strong leader might be different from what you think. In an ELB Learning webinar, Kristie DeLoreto, SVP, Client Solutions, and Laura Doerr, VP, Operations at ELB Learning, demonstrated why empathy matters in leadership.Empathy in leadership is the ability to relate to and connect with people to inspire and empower their lives. However, it’s important for leaders to understand the difference between empathy and sympathy. “It’s a very gray line,” said DeLoreto. “I think you either kind of understand it, or you need to practice to get better at being more empathetic or knowing the difference between those two.”Lack of Empathy vs. EmpathyYou may have worked in environments where the first second somebody has performance problems at work, the automatic response is to say, “You’re out.”That is an example of a lack of empathy. Unfortunately, this can be fairly standard in our business world. Someone walks into your office and says, “Your numbers have been down for the third quarter in a row. You have to pick up your numbers. Otherwise, I can’t guarantee what the future will look like.”How inspired is that person going to be at work the next day? On the flip side, here’s the empathetic approach.Someone walks into your office and says, “Your numbers are down for the third quarter in a row. Are you okay? I’m worried about you. What’s going on?”We all have performance issues. Maybe someone’s kid is sick. Maybe they’re having problems in their marriage. We don’t know what’s going on in their lives, which will affect their performance at work. Empathy means being concerned about the human being, not just their output. Most people don’t want to be bad performers; they want to do a good job. Leaders must remember this.Exercising empathy can help leaders build teams, hire employees, and work with clients.Building teams. According to a 2022 Gallup report, employee engagement has dropped over the last several years to 32 percent, and 17 percent of employees are actively disengaged. Recognizing and respecting your employees’ emotions—even the negative ones—is a powerful way to connect with them. Empathy lays the groundwork for mature leadership and connecting with your workers as people.Hiring employees. Empathy is also important in the hiring process. It gives insight into another person’s motivations and helps you judge whether a candidate is right for a position. “If you look at your candidate with empathy, you can see the person and the human they are. And if they’re going to bring that to the table and bring those right skills and the right fit culturally, and all those other pieces just by thinking about that,” said DeLoreto. Working with clients. By employing empathy in your conversations with clients or subject matter experts, you can better understand their pain points and get on the same page. Having an open, thoughtful, empathetic conversation—especially with difficult clients—where you align and get on the same page will improve your relationship. In addition, empathy allows you to understand how another person is likely to behave, which can be powerful in negotiations.Why Leadership Training Can HelpDuring the webinar, DeLoreto polled the audience, asking who had worked for a leader who lacked empathy at any point in their career. The response was a resounding 95 percent “YES.”Effective leadership training needs to include soft skills training such as empathy. While there will always be a demand for training on hard skills, at ELB Learning, we’re seeing more and more clients come to us for manager and leadership development.

Most Important Skill for Leaders Is Empathy—Here’s Why

A company DDI worked with had a CTO who thought he needed to leave to continue growing his career. The company’s CEO thought there may be value in providing the CTO with a leadership skills assessment to see if he could be a potential COO successor.The CTO performed well on the assessment and quickly developed in the areas where the assessment showed there were gaps. Soon, he became COO and thrived in the role.This CTO was a hidden talent who, without assessment, would not have been a contender for COO. And what happened next shows the combined power of assessment and development.This is just one example of the benefits of combining assessment with development. The combination is also key to boosting an organization’s bench strength. For example, DDI’s Leadership Transitions Report 2021 shows that nearly 40 percent of organizations with high-quality development and assessment had a strong bench of leaders ready for critical roles.Why Use Leadership Skills Assessments?So why should companies use leadership skills assessments? Imagine going to visit a doctor who says as soon as you walk into the office, “I know what’s wrong with you. Here’s what we are going to do.” I am certain you wouldn’t trust the accuracy of their diagnosis or the suggested treatment. For you to have confidence in a doctor, they need data to make informed decisions.Similarly, individuals deserve to have data about their strengths and development areas at work. This knowledge greatly helps them make informed decisions about their career goals. It also helps temper their ambitions. Additionally, this is a major contributor to employee engagement and retention.Why else do companies use leadership skills assessments? Companies manage their inventories of raw materials, components, and finished products. Assessment enables them to inventory their talent.They need to know their leaders’ strengths, growth areas, potential, and personal attributes. This information enables them to decide who to invest in. And then for the people they choose to invest in, companies want to know what they need and when, and then how to provide the best development.Further, according to the Leadership Transitions Report 2021, companies with a strong formal assessment program say they can fill 56 percent of critical leadership roles, compared to only 43 percent for companies without a strong formal assessment program. However, 86 percent of organizations report using formal leadership development programs, but only 57 percent say they use assessment.Using my visit to the doctor analogy, this means 29 percent of patients are taking the prescribed treatment at face value without knowing what is wrong. They also likely don’t understand why they have the prescription or even if the treatment is going to make them better.Types of Leadership AssessmentThere are many different types of leadership assessment, so it’s important to know which one is the most appropriate based on what is needed. But first, what does it mean to use high-quality assessment?According to our Leadership Transitions Report 2021, high-quality assessment should:Be competency-based.Offer an objective view of strengths and development areas.Pinpoint the exact behavior within the competency that a leader needs to focus on.Give insights about readiness for future roles.Provide resources to support development post-assessment.For example, simulations are a type of assessment typically used during the hiring or development process. Unlike many general tests, simulations focus on tasks that would be required in the job or role.In addition, leadership tests are often used to gauge the abilities, skills, and motivations of employees and job applicants. And another example is a 360. This assessment tool that solicits feedback about an employee from all directions: their managers, co-workers, and direct reports.Each tool can be very helpful when used appropriately. For a complete guide on all the different leadership assessments, check out our Ultimate Guide to Leadership Assessment.So, when should you use a leadership skills assessment? And how can these assessments transform development? Find out in DDI’s blog.