Insights from XLC’s recent training survey

by Len Brzozowski

We recently surveyed business professionals in the Greater Cincinnati area to get a better understanding at Xavier Leadership Center of professional development, training and education needs.  Results indicate that local businesses are investing in training, with 78% of the respondents indicating that they had participated in professional development and training activities in the past 12 months.

However, survey results also suggest that what is currently in place is probably not enough.   Respondents to our survey expressed a strong need to build leadership and personal effectiveness capabilities in order to be successful.  

This is consistent with a recent Aon Hewitt survey conducted nationally, which indicated that although unemployment remains high and hiring remains stagnant, a growing number of businesses are experiencing a shortage of effective leaders in their organizations.

Need for Leadership Development a Key Local Issue

Local businesses are investing in training.

Seventy-eight percent of the respondents indicated that they had participated in professional development and training activities in the past 12 months. Further, many local professionals have participated in multiple professional development, training and education opportunities.

Developing leadership skills and enhancing personal effectiveness is a common need, across all levels in the organization, regardless of function. 

This was a consistent theme in individual open ended responses, when asked about what professional development, training and education was needed to be successful over the next 12 months. 

Below are examples of individual responses about what they need to help them make a difference in their organization:

“Strengthened skills for middle management such as strategic thinking and exerting influence.” -Manager, Engineering/Technical Function

“Getting the most out of your employees and understanding strategy and vision vs. tactical tasks” – Director, Marketing Function

“Building a highly effective senior management team “– C-Level Manager

“Effective Communication in Stressful Situations – a course to help those communicate with peers, superiors, or subordinates in times of conflict between the two parties.” –Staff, Quality Function

Local business leaders are most interested in programs that will develop rounded leaders who can truly make an impact in the organization.

The top program areas of interest represent a blend of building leadership capabilities, with the skills needed to apply those leadership skills. Specifically, enhancing leadership abilities to achieve results, such as innovation and change, along with influence, communication and coaching/mentoring. This was patterns was true for professional across all functional areas, from HR to R&D, and consistent for all levels, from individual contributor to the C-Suite.

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Need for Leadership Development a Key Local Issue…and National Issue, as well

When comparing how regional organizations respond regarding professional development, we find that there are marked similarities to businesses nationwide:

When comparing how regional organizations respond regarding professional development, we find that there are marked similarities to businesses nationwide:

We know we need training–particularly for our leaders to manage today's challenging business world.

According to a survey by Aon Hewitt, effective leadership is lacking in many organizations, with "fewer than 20% of respondents rating their senior leaders as extremely effective in the skills that they view are extremely important: meeting business goals, meeting profitability targets, delivering service and retaining talent."

The Center for Creative Leadership found similar results in a survey of more than 2,000 leaders from 15 companies in the U.S., India and Singapore. "Based on our survey, there are four skills that executives all over the world believe will be most important just five years from now: leading people, strategic planning, inspiring commitment, and managing change. And guess what? Our research also found these four skills are all weak points among today's leaders."

We know speed is of critical importance.

As Aon Hewitt further concludes, "When continuous change is the norm, the entire leadership team must be equipped to become catalysts for change. For many, this requires a new set of capabilities—one of the most important being creativity. Leaders must now demonstrate speed and agility, navigate ambiguity and complexity, develop middle managers, lift engagement, and deliver relevant messages."

We know that innovation is essential — there's no such thing as 'business as usual.'

According to Inside Higher Education, conventional wisdom is no longer a wise course. "It now appears that the difficult economic conditions of late may well have changed the fundamental business model underlying higher education and therefore discounted somewhat the relevance of prior experience in applying conventional ways of coping with financial stress."