Chapter 12
Strengthening the Learning of International Managers

This stage deals with the follow-up of the training and development activity. To maximize the return on the training investment, the training event must be followed up and reinforced. This stage is concerned with ensuring the appropriate systems and materials are in place to ensure that this occurs. This is particularly relevant to level three - TNA-driven and level four - strategy-driven organizations, as detailed in the model of organizational commitment to training in Chapter 6. For most international/multi-national organizations this represents one of the most significant challenges they face.

International managers need to be more motivated and self-disciplined than managers working in the same team at a single geographic location. In the example above, the main reason the training failed was that due to their being located in different geographical locations, the international managers lacked a critical mass of like-minded colleagues and bosses around them when they returned to the workplace. Given time, a critical mass will be created but in today's fast-moving environment waiting for this to happen may be an unaffordable luxury. This was further compounded by the fact that there are local differences in organization, systems, information and processes that impact on how the learning will be implemented.

In anticipation of this, the trainer needs to build in stronger mechanisms during the earlier stages of the process. This means ensuring that the key performance indicators (KPIs), which are the criteria by which local implementation will be judged, are thoroughly understood at the creation stage and incorporated in the training design. For example, if one KPI is the development of a strategic customer plan, as was the case in the situation described above, then the training design and the training 'takeaways' need to be focused to give participants as much process, systems and information to enable them to accomplish this. The next step is to ensure that the appropriate coaching, mentoring and information support is available locally to help the participants develop the plan. This is more likely to be available in level three and four organizations than in those at levels one and two in terms of their training commitment described in Chapter 6.

From time to time, we will receive telephone calls or e-mails from participants on courses we have conducted detailing what they have implemented and how they have adapted the learning to suit their own situation. However, this is the exception rather than the rule, indicating perhaps the proportion of companies at levels three and four in terms of their training commitment compared with those at levels one and two. More usual is the situation where a follow-up workshop is held at which the participants are expected to present what they have put into practice from the previous course and how they have refined it to meet their needs. Only a minority will normally have seriously applied themselves to this, usually those working at the same workplace.

How can this strengthen process be adapted and enhanced to meet the needs of international managers? Figure 12.1 shows the major steps that need to be put in place. The learnings from the training event are implemented by the delegates. Inputs to this activity include the participants' action plans, the participant records kept by the trainer from the course (see Chapter 10) and the learning and training evaluation reviews (discussed in the previous chapter). The participants are given support and coaching by management. The extent of this support will be dependent, at least in part, on the level of commitment of management to the training and managing the changes being sought. (This was discussed in Chapters 8 and 9.) In addition the systems, process and information enablers need to be in place. The new behaviours are reviewed and the extent of learning assessed. The implementation dashboard gives a read-out on how well the 'strengthen' part of the SUCCESS process is working.

Figure 12.1 Strengthening the learning process

The main issues that need to be covered in the strengthen stage are:

• reinforcement of the learning process;
• ensuring management has the skills to continue training/coaching/mentoring on the job with their staff;
• helping trainees surmount the practical problems faced when implementing their action plans, including ensuring the appropriate information, processes and systems are in place.

The tools

Gaining Management Commitment to Follow up the Training

International managers cannot rely on their locally based colleagues for support since few, if any, will have attended the training event. Critical to the implementation of the learning, therefore, is the attitude, knowledge and skills of the participant's boss. As well as getting buy-in to the objectives and content of the programme, the participant's manager needs to both understand and be committed to implementing the follow-up activity that is required from them. If possible, a session should be held just for the bosses to acquaint themselves with the contents of the course and how it should be followed up. Whether this actually occurs is again a reflection on the level of training commitment of the organization.

In any event, the bosses should be contacted:

• reminding them of the reasons their subordinate attended the course;
• with a summary of the outputs from the course;
• with suggestions for their follow-up with their subordinates.

This follow-up, based on the participant record completed by the trainer during the course, should not be a critical report on the attendee. Rather, it will focus on the positive contributions that they made to the event and the need to build on these to maximize the return on the training investment. A prerequisite is to have a record not just of the participant's contact details, but also of their manager's, for follow-up purposes.

Coaching Skills for Bosses

Throughout this strengthen and subsequent sustain stages of the process, the manager needs coaching and mentoring skills to support and help the trainees. These skills, like any other, can be enhanced through training. A typical outline coaching skills programme is shown below:

• skills and aptitudes of an effective coach
• appropriate coaching models and how to use them
• importance of individual learning styles
• importance of setting objectives and KPIs for learning
• importance of rapport and how to establish it
• communication skills for coaching
• listening skills
• how to give and receive constructive feedback.

However, it must be acknowledged that in some cultures, particularly in those exhibiting a high power distance ranking, implementing coaching and mentoring may prove to be particularly problematic. In this situation trainees may have little alternative but to rely on their own resources and any other sources of support that they can link into.

Virtual Learning Community

Any group of participants coming together from a variety of countries inevitably begin to network and form a community for the duration of the training programme. Following the event this group can be encouraged to keep their identity via the set-up of an intranet-based platform. The virtual community can provide a useful source of support, with members posting their implementation experiences, sharing problems and getting advice. Threaded discussions concerning particular issues enable everyone who so wishes to contribute. The extent to which this resource is used is dependent on:

• how useful members find it;
• the effectiveness with which it is introduced during the course;
• the inputs of the moderator.

The moderator is usually the trainer or training manager. His or her role, unless someone else takes it on, is to kick-start the discussion by requesting feedback on learning implementation. They will also provide help, support and motivation, contributing usefully to the discussions.

Time should be spent during the course highlighting this facility and, as the course proceeds, suggestions made on certain topics could be posted on the platform.

Some companies take this even further. For example, one client in the chemical industry continues the interactions by means of a business simulation for some six weeks after completion of the course. The simulation is introduced during the last part of the course and, working in teams, participants play the first couple of rounds to familiarize themselves with the procedure. On returning to their workplace the now virtual teams continue to compete on a weekly basis, applying what they have learned through the simulation.

Reminder to Participants

In most instances, the participant's boss will ask for feedback about the training from the participant when they return to their work. This can range in some cases from a highly structured written report to an informal conversation. To better equip the subordinate for this interaction they should be given a card or sheet summarizing the main takeaways at the end of the course. An example from part of a negotiation course is shown in Figure 12.2. Ideally this should be translated into the native language.

Immediately following the programme each delegate should be contacted by the trainer, in writing. Typically this will include:

• an introduction referring back to the course and the positive outputs thereof;
• individual feedback from course;
• challenge of the personal action plan;
• guidelines to support implementation of the action plan;
• summary.

Figure 12.2 Card summarizing some of the key learning points

To help the trainer recall each participant, the participant record should be used (see Chapter 10).

Keeping the Learning Implementation Going

A few months following the training, the trainees should be reminded of the key learning points. Three mechanisms are available:

1. reminder cards/notes from the trainer;
2. discussion with the line manager;
3. follow-up meeting with the trainer.

The first mechanism is the least costly. This should be supplemented with a reminder to the line manager. The third option is likely to have the highest cost, particularly as it normally involves international travel, but it is undoubtedly the most effective. This can take the form of a one-to-one coaching meeting, but more usually it will be a follow-on course; the first part of the course being devoted to the outputs from the previous training event. For example, the participants may be required to conduct a process review as a project following a training course. Each can present the outputs of the review at the next course for discussion and refinement by the group.

Output from the strengthen stage

For each country/region the extent of the implementation of the training and the results achieved should be monitored using the implementation dashboard, shown in Figure 12.3 below.

Each element of the action plan for each participant is detailed and the extent to which it has been achieved is recorded by placing a cross on the scale from 'none' to 'complete'. In a similar fashion, the participant can record the achievement of their KPIs from the training. Next, the support they have received from their manager and the support made available to their manager is assessed.

Figure 12.3 Implementation dashboard

The next part of the dashboard is likely to be appropriate to all participants in the particular region/country and looks at the extent that the system, information, organizational and process enablers been put into place

Summary

The strengthen stage is concerned with supporting the implementation of the learning by the participants when they return from the training. To ensure that it is well implemented with international managers, a stronger process structure is required to overcome the problems of distance, the absence of a work group in a single geographic location, and variable systems, information, organization and processes.

The tools available to support the strengthen stage include:

• gaining management commitment to follow up the training;
• coaching skills for bosses;
• virtual learning community;
• reminder to participants.

The output from this stage is the implementation dashboard which monitors progress.

Action plan

Think about the next training intervention you will be involved with and consider the issues in the Action plan below.