In Sync

Most of the time, this element of leadership development is invisible.

This is understandable because cohort relationships are not essential for many other types of training. Participants’ expectations, based on their previous experiences of traditional training, probably do not include shared responsibilities for the experiences and achievements of peers.

One of the biggest mindset shifts for participants in experiential and collaborative leadership development is from individual participation to cohort-based or community learning.?

Related research says:

• >50% of learning comes through relationships with peer learners. (1996 research by the Centre for Creative Leadership)?
• 31% of transfer relies on emotional support from managers or other social networks. (Carnall and Roebuck “Strategic Leadership Development”)

For example, if you are attending a conference or content-based training course, how you behave and what you learn makes little or no difference to others.?

In cohort-based programs, how much everybody learns and shares changes the experience and outcomes for everyone. Further, learning how to collaborate and build community is directly transferable to the challenges leaders face as they lead teams within larger organisations.

Converting the teacher’s lesson to adult leadership development makes the differences between subgroups even more volatile.?

Having people out of step with the whole cohort risks:

• Disrupting the sequencing, coherence and effectiveness of the learning process.
• Confusion from new ideas being processed differently and, as a result, the cohort becoming more out of sync.?
• Misunderstandings and communication breakdowns obstructing collaboration and the flow of generosity between participants.
• People feeling they have been left behind and becoming frustrated and disengaged.?
• Unfair consumption of resources and support through catch-up efforts.?

Much of the above can be invisible and, therefore, not missed.

Leadership Development Managers are invited to:

1. Make risks and costs visible.
2. Equip participants to share responsibilities for keeping their cohort in sync.

This includes:

• As early as possible, make shared responsibilities explicit. Change the participant role from solo learner to peer-partner and community member.
• Making catch-up resources available ASAP and equipping participants to consume the same content, complete the same tasks, have the same experiences and post the same reports.
• Setting firm boundaries for catch-up efforts so everyone knows what to expect. For example, to be in-step with the cohort, catch-up tasks and reporting are completed inside 1 month or before the next whole cohort session.
• If you want to be extra clear about shared responsibilities, have peer-partners post catch-up efforts. This ensures visibility and accountability for peer support and collaboration.

The above systems-approach to helping cohorts stay in sync means Leadership Development Managers:

• Are not sitting in judgement of reasons why participants need to catch up.
• Are responsible for equipping and enabling partnerships to help each other stay in sync with the whole cohort.

Conversation Invitation

This series of short articles is offered to:

• Share ideas to serve people responsible for leadership development in organisations.
• Attract ideas and input from others who wish to improve leadership development.
• Start useful conversations towards applying ideas in your own context.

If you are responsible for leadership development in your organisation and wish to explore how to apply ideas in your context, please chat with me with no obligation or cost. I will learn from your context-specific applications and, hopefully, we will both enjoy exploring and inventing.??Click here?to book a 30-minute chat.??

Thank you in advance for adding to this conversation.?

Scott Arbuthnot is a leadership consultant, program designer, facilitator and coach with 28 years experience designing experiential learning processes. Scott is an independent scholar with 100+ published articles.?

Scott believes leaders learn best together, in networks of lasting relationships sharing support, feedback and challenge.?So … in 2003 we started e-facilitating cohorts of leaders (>4000 so far), in 2018 we upgraded the platform at www.LeadershipOnline.com.au to host programs, cohorts, events, conversations plus hundreds of articles, videos and resources.?993 leaders have joined so far.