How do you align your vision and mission with your leadership training?

You should also consider the hidden stakeholder of the institution. Sometimes they are not show up but they have a strong opinion for the institution mission.

Keeping the Vision and Mission simple is a key starting point for me. I train globally and one thing that is consistent when I ask delegates about their organisation's Vision and Mission is a lack of knowledge from the majority about two key elements. I try to establish their organisation's Values and very few of my delegates can say what these are. These are fundamental building blocks for leadership training in any organisation and establishing a 'line of sight' from the bottom to the top is crucial. All employees at every level should have SMART objectives which are in alignment with their organisation's Vision, Mission and Values. The learning outcomes from all leadership training deliveries should also be in alignment in the same way.

In my experience, getting people to follow you is easier if their goals align with yours. Get to know your target audience and determine how your mission and vision aligns with their goals. Tailor your leadership training to highlight aspects of your mission and vision that align with those of your target audience. Even though your goals may not be a hundred percent the same. Focus on key aspects that do align, and then make other aspects to be supporting topics.

I use a 4-Block tool to assess the current situation. Block 1- define the current state: key metrics, SWOT analysis, interviews w/stakeholders and team members. Block 2- define future state: business objectives, Target Image - key metrics. Block 3- Action Plan- SMART tasks, Block 4- Timeline and Commitment statement. This is a one page living document that will share your true story: your present, your future, and your path/bridge to get your there. This valuable information will give you what you need to build your leadership training.

Don't skip assessment. And, whatever 'alphabet' program you know and decide to engage with, make certain you 'live' by it. Preach your gospel at all times. When necessary, use words. If you don't believe it and live it, neither will those you're trying to lead.

A really good strategy to help us define goals, as well as collect data and gain buy-in, is through staff surveys. It can be an independent survey, or as part of a needs assessment. Providing a system to share feedback, even to vent, makes our community feel heard and valued. It gives us important information, and helps build buy-in for change. It also makes the change/training process transparent to all. A simple Google form survey can go a very long way!

Defining SMART learning objectives for leadership training is essential for focused development. Aligning these objectives with your vision, mission, organizational needs, and stakeholder expectations ensures relevance and impact. For instance, if fostering innovation and collaboration is your vision, specific objectives could focus on enhancing problem-solving, team-building, and communication skills. This targeted approach maximizes the effectiveness of your leadership training efforts.

I determine the training requirements of my team by requesting input regarding their training needs directly from them. Thereafter, I formulate a comprehensive training program that includes the involvement of a skilled and influential trainer. This approach guarantees the effectiveness and accomplishment of the training sessions.

Learning objectives need to be clearly defined to ensure that everyone is able to implement them correctly. It is advisable to 'brainstorm' these objectives with key staff members to ensure that they have an opportunity to contribute towards the outcome. Change can be very overwhelming so it is necessary to navigate the space carefully and to present the changes as opportunities to achieve even better results. This can be achieved by accessing the human resources already on staff and allowing individuals to grow and develop. In order to lead one needs people to follow, however, when we follow we inadvertently learn to lead. So, in essence, it becomes a two-way street.

SMART learning objectives tailored to your vision, mission, and organizational needs is essential for effective leadership training. These objectives should address specific skills and competencies required to fulfill your vision and mission, such as fostering innovation and collaboration. By aligning learning objectives with overarching goals, you ensure that your leadership training program is focused and impactful in driving organizational success.

One of the challenges of professional development in the education industry is limited training budgets. If that's the case, opt for live, interactive learning sessions over recorded/asynchronous sessions. While the latter may be more convenient, being able to put into practice what you've just learned, ideally with feedback, or at least the ability to ask questions after you've role-played a lesson, will deepen the learning.

Studies have shown that people (especially adults) learn by doing. While developing your training, try to provide meaningful interactive activities that enable the learner to visualize and remember what they are learning. Furthermore, be mindful of quality versus quantity. One or two quality activities would be more effective that five activities that bore the learner and have nothing to do with the topic being taught.

It's important to choose slow and steady over fast and fierce, although the temptation might be great! We gain more buy-in when our teams see and feel the impact of change and they come on board, making continuous change integral to the culture.

Once you've outlined your learning objectives, it's time to cherry-pick the right methods. Think workshops, coaching, mentoring, online courses, peer learning, and action learning. Each has pros and cons. Tailor your choice to your style, budget, and time. Get insights from mentors or peers. For instance, workshops build interaction, while online courses offer flexibility. Remember, your growth is in your hands! ??

Living in the digital age makes learning accessible and fun. For busy staff environments, short, online check-ins can be useful. Many teachers can be highly critical of lecture-style workshops, so it is recommended to use a participation-based approach to allow individuals to become part of the presentation - not unlike how we involve students in the classroom. Group projects also work well and are great for building staff culture - just make sure to switch them up from time to time.

Having a plan and being intentional about executing on the plan is key. It's so easy to attend great training sessions, take notes, and not go back to it and apply it in your day job. Create reminders by listing 2-3 learnings to try to put into practice on a 3x5 notecard and have it visible until you can check them off, and then put the next set of learnings onto a notecard.

Let's roll into action now! Time to put that learning plan into motion and kick off the leadership training journey. Stick to the schedule and guidelines I've set, keeping a close eye on my progress. I'm all about seeking feedback and support from those who can guide me through hurdles. Flexibility is key, and I am ready to pivot the plan if necessary. And you bet, I'll make sure to acknowledge every achievement and growth milestone along the way. Let's do this! ????

Stay true to your leadership style! We are not attractive and convincing when we lead genuinely and passionately! People gravitate to leaders who are honest, genuine, and not afraid to be vulnerable.

This is a volunteer review by Damian Keyes. "Tyler’s Promised Gift" by M.C. Abushar is a book that both parents and children can learn from. Parents learn that children who behave properly can be given an incentive to keep complying with rules and orders. Children learn not to be selfish. At the end of the book, Tyler performs a good deed that showcases how selfless he was at his birthday party; that part was endearing. M. C. Abushar is not only the author of this book but is also the illustrator of these well-drawn images. I cannot wait to read Tyler’s other adventures. The ending was beautiful, and it will let other kids know that it's okay to be a good human being. I’m happy to give this explicitly well-written book 5 out of 5 stars.

The success of any strategy is determined by how it is implemented. It is important that everyone knows what is expected and why change is being implemented. Always remember to encourage and motivate to ensure that people feel supported when they encounter obstacles. It is helpful to remember that obstacles are part of the process and that they are also evidence of progress - and yet another opportunity to consider how to overcome them. Teamwork and passion are necessary to push through. Celebrate the small wins too.

It is important to build in a series of evaluation, reflection and feedback mechanisms in the entire process. This enables you to make changes to the training methods or mode to improve it. Remember any end of programme evaluation should confirm success with minor modifications for the future. Feedback and evaluations along the way will help make this a reality.

Evaluating learning outcomes and measuring the impact of leadership training is crucial for continuous improvement. Utilize various assessment methods to compare results with objectives. Evaluate how training has influenced vision, mission, organization, and stakeholders. Identify benefits, challenges, and areas for improvement to enhance future learning initiatives. This reflective process ensures ongoing development and effectiveness in leadership skills.

Another very important element to evaluation processes is the use of reflective conversations. Reflection, either 1-1 for this type of project, or in groups can really aid in identifying richer themes in the review of processes that were undertaken.

Time for the grand finale – evaluating those learning outcomes and gauging the real impact of my leadership training. I'll employ tools like self-assessment, feedback, tests, portfolios, and observations to measure progress. Comparing these results with my initial learning objectives will reveal if I've not only met but possibly exceeded my goals. I'm keen on assessing how this training has shaped my vision and mission and its ripple effects on my organization and stakeholders. While identifying the rewards and hurdles, I'll pinpoint areas to fine-tune for future growth. It's all about evolution and making every step count! ????

Leadership encompasses reflection. Reflection can sometimes be difficult, especially when the outcomes aren't always achieved. This is when one needs to relook at what worked and what did not. It provides another opportunity to try again, but this time with more experience of what to expect. Any form of learning is useful - it is what we do with what we have learned that determines success or failure.

The most important actors in the process of implementation are the trainees. Therefore their participation in planning process is essential for acceptability. Thereafter, regular feedback loops should be introduced and mid course corrections should be applied where necessary

There are some key barriers to success with any leadership training of this sort and being aware of them beforehand is critical. If there isn't alignment of the training goals with the support (and leadership styles) of top managers, the outcomes can erode employee trust & morale and do more harm than good. I've experienced that first hand in a number of different organizations.

Aligning a culture of continuous improvement and innovation with the organisation's vision and mission requires a deliberate and strategic approach. One needs to understand the Vision and Mission and develop the ability to communicate by linking continuous improvement to the task. A learning culture develops when people are engaged with adequate resources, empowered, and rewarded for innovation. The cultural insight stems from the Leadership model through experiential learning as the team iterates, adapts, and celebrates success and failure, creating a culture where continuous improvement and innovation become ingrained in the organisation's DNA,

One of the training techniques I've found useful in a tight budget is a train the trainer program where you identify your potential trainers and send them to as many training programs as your budget will allow and then bring them back into your agency prepared to train your staff on a variety of subjects.