Companies rightly spend a lot of time, money, and energy on training and development. But some observers think they are going about it all—or at least mostly—wrong. While that has been the case for some time, recent trends have some suggesting we are entering a new paradigm in which we need to think fundamentally differently about how we train new leaders.
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A Shift in Corporate Training and Development
“We are experiencing the biggest shift in corporate training and development of the last 30 years, and it is disrupting our entire approach to new manager training and leadership development,” says Forbes Contributor Kevin Kruse. He adds, “What we are experiencing is actually a double shift of generational change and technology breakthroughs.”
Let’s consider his argument in two parts. First, in this post, we’ll look at the two shifts Kruse mentions and how they impact the world of leadership development.
Then, in a follow-up post, we’ll look at what experts and observers see as how Millennials perceive current training practices and what they would prefer to see more of going forward.
Millennial Management
“As baby boomers retire at a record pace, and millennials (age 25 to 35) come rushing in, they’ll form 50% of the workforce in just two years and 75% of the workforce by 2025,” Kruse says.
Instead of talking about how to best manage Millennials in the workforce, he argues the time has come to realize that this cohort is quickly becoming the group actually doing the managing.
Entrance of AI
Kruse notes that artificial intelligence (AI) has become increasingly pervasive in everything from self-driving cars to smart speakers. And, while AI is already deployed in fields like HR and training, he notes that its potential for leader analytics has barely been tapped.
Training the leaders of the future is as important today as it’s ever been. What has arguably changed are the characteristics of those we are trying to train, as well as the tools available to help us train more effectively.
In a follow-up post, we’ll look at how Millennials see the current state of leadership training and what they want to see going forward.
Interested in developing your current staff into becoming future leaders? Join Joan Peterson and Gregg Thompson, of Bluepoint Leadership, as they present the breakout session, HIPO Development Programs: How to Shape High-Potential Talent Through Customized Experiences, at TalentCon 2019. Click here to learn more, or to register, today!
