Why you need to learn with a process – not an event
“Historically, a great deal of leadership development has focused on the importance of an event. This event could be a training program, motivational speech, or an offsite executive meeting. The experience of the eight companies we studied indicates that real leadership development involves a process that occurs over time, not an inspiration or transformation that occurs in a meeting”.(Leadership is a contact sport: The “Follow-up factor” in management development, by Marshall Goldsmith and Howard Morgan, Strategy + Business, 25 August 2004, Issue 36). Here’s the article link: http://www.strategy-business.com/article/04307?gko=a260c
My sales presentation and speech communication work supports the value of a process versus an event for long term behaviour change. (That’s not to say an event can’t lead to behaviour change. But it’s rare. Events can be great for fresh ideas and for meeting new people). For example, my Effective Spoken Messages process is conducted over six to eight weeks. It involves four, two hour modules and a one on one consultation for each of the eight participants.
Participants report that the iterative nature of the modules helps them achieve long term behaviour change. One of the cornerstones embedded in the process is IDP (Intentional Daily Practice) of one or two specific techniques. (For more information on IDP please see my blog post, IDP – a key element of building any skill. Here’s the link: http://www.kellyspeech.com.au/2010/09/idp-a-key-element-of-building-any-skill/.
The ‘how to apply’ for this post: When next you want to develop a new behaviour, enrol in a course or intervention that is a process. If the programme you’re considering doesn’t have a process, think of choosing a different course or build in your own iterative process.
