Training 80 People Managers on Inspiration, Collaboration & Trust in the Workplace

Training 80 People Managers on Inspiration, Collaboration & Trust in the Workplace

Integrative Leadership Strategies LLC Creates Leadership Development Program for People Managers

A Boston-based pharmaceutical company acquired a new drug product line in early 2021. In doing so, it significantly increased the total number of people managers on staff. HR leadership recognized an opportunity to level-set on important leadership development concepts with this key population. They set out to create the company’s first-ever shared leadership development experience.

Despite overall company growth, the HR team was lean. They engaged Liz Myers of Integrative Leadership Strategies LLC for her specific expertise in building and executing leadership development programs at this scale.

Structured Planning Approach Results in Program Framework with Cohesive Narrative

Liz led the HR team through the planning process via biweekly meetings starting about three months before the first program was scheduled to be delivered. She used her collaborative meeting methodology throughout this planning process, inherently training the HR team in the method along the way – an added benefit that they could put to use in the future. This collaborative approach also meant the client maintained close oversight and influence on the workshop design. It was a truly customized and collaborative consultant experience for them.

Under Liz’s guidance, they identified three essential leadership concepts for the program that captured what was helpful for this organization's evolution: inspiration, collaboration, and trust. Throughout the design and planning process, it was clear that “stickiness” and long-lasting impact were valued highly. The program wasn’t just going to be a cute dog-and-pony-show and then end. They made sure to consider resources that would support long-term practical value after the training cycle concluded. 

Then Liz developed a framework based on the information from these working sessions that offered a cohesive narrative. The program would ultimately consist of three modules delivered over the course of 18 months. Each module would be a multiweek workshop series focused on one of the core leadership concepts. 

Together, the planning team moved into a collaborative process to build out the specific training outcomes. They also worked with an in-house branding specialist to develop both a unique program name and new templates that would be launched company wide as part of the overall program.  

Liz collaborated with HR leadership in every aspect of creating this custom leadership development program. This ensured that the client got exactly the result they wanted and the experience was aligned with the organization’s brand and values. 

Cultivating Inspiration In People Managers, Their Direct Reports and Teams

The first leadership development module was focused on inspiration. The COVID-19 pandemic was still recognized as a global health emergency and all the company’s people managers were working remotely. As a result, the unit ran 100% virtually through four interactive workshop sessions. 

During the first session, people managers focused on how to cultivate their own sense of inspiration. They explored concepts like work-life balance and ideas for developing inspiration, such as changing your scenery.

Session two introduced how people managers can use a “coach approach” to cultivate inspiration in others on an individual basis.

The last session delivered to people managers was about nurturing inspiration within their teams.

Session four was intentionally open to all company employees – a tactic repeated in all three modules. The all-employee sessions served as a sort of “level-set,” providing a common introduction to each module’s key concepts and language, making it easier for the people managers to immediately start using what they learned with their teams.

Workshop sessions were highly curated and designed for interaction. Liz and the HR team opted to use a combination of live interviews with leaders, individual worksheets, audience polling, and breakout discussions. Liz leveraged the capabilities of the Mentimeter software platform, which allowed participants to simply scan a QR code and participate in live polling with word cloud creation and surveys.

Essentials of Collaboration & Leadership

Six months later, Liz delivered the Collaboration module through two virtual sessions designed for people managers. 

Building on elements from the Inspiration module, this module had three key objectives:

1. Provide all the company’s people managers with a shared grounding in the essentials of collaboration and the concept of principle-based leadership. 

2. Introduce (or reintroduce) the company’s official leadership model and the role that managers play in collaborative decision-making.

3. Launch a customized meeting agenda template designed to enhance engagement in meetings company-wide.

This was followed shortly after by a third session that was open to the whole company. While it included some aspects of education around collaboration, the highlight was a live interview with a leader who had successfully used the template with his team. By publicly reflecting on his experience, he increased the credibility and value of using the template.

Maintaining & Repairing Trust in the Workplace

The Trust module was scheduled for delivery roughly six months after the Collaboration module, rounding out the three core leadership development concepts this organization wanted its people managers to embody. Liz and the HR team planned for a hybrid delivery approach as many employees had returned to the office part-time. 

People managers learned the definition of trust in the workplace and a framework for understanding trust dynamics. They participated in discussions around how feedback ties into building, maintaining, and repairing trust. 

The module concluded with Liz presenting a version of this session as a company-wide development offering, again to build a shared vocabulary among the entire organization.

Key Results from Leadership Development Program Creation & Implementation

The company’s people managers – a critical employee group – now share a knowledge base about cultivating inspiration, fostering collaboration, and maintaining and repairing trust in the workplace. These foundational leadership skills will support them as they manage their teams and accomplish their business objectives in the most effective way. 

The HR leaders also have a complete suite of branded materials for delivering this leadership development program to additional people managers in the future, including access to the session recordings, presentation decks, worksheets, and templates. Through the planning process, the HR team also experienced the very concepts the program was designed to teach.

If you are looking to enhance the skill level of your people managers through a leadership development program of your own, contact Liz Myers at Integrative Leadership Strategies today.