No holds Bard

According to research from talent management company DDI, a third of the 1,250 people surveyed are on the receiving end of major failings in leadership and well over a third don't feel motivated to give their best. Complaints about their bosses include never listening to their workplace concerns, taking favourites, not asking for their help in solving problems and giving lousy feedback. What gives real weight to the survey is the opinion of those who have experienced the real thing in the past. They said they would be 20-60% more productive if they were once more working for their best ever manager. That modest calculation says everything about the importance of leadership skills to the bottom line. "Leaders remain stubbornly poor at these fundamental basics of good leadership that have little to do with the current challenging business climate," says DDI director Simon Mitchell, one of the report's authors. "It's important that organisations equip the people managing their workforce with these basic leadership essentials, and that managers are aware of their own blind spots in these areas. The good news for businesses and employees alike is that many of these leadership skills can be learnt." Indeed they can – and in ways that would have been unheard of or, indeed, discounted as ridiculous only a few years ago. Even conventional college-based courses are increasing their online, experiential and workplace-based content, while some frankly off-the-wall techniques, like the drama-based ones discussed below, are not only becoming more common but are actually proving to be highly effective. Part of the willingness to explore new methods comes from the sustained squeeze on training budgets. Industry knows it must nurture its next generation of leaders but – like everything else in today's manufacturing – there's little room for waste or luxury in the process. So let's take a look at what's available today – both the conventional and the unusual – to see how well they balance value with payback. First of all, there is still a lot to be said for the focused route, blending the academic and the practical, and designed by manufacturers for manufacturers. Among them, the Manufacturing Institute has been providing specialist programmes for years, including bespoke courses on-site and wider qualifications in partnership with universities. Chris Teegan, general manager of Kerry Foods is a fan of its MSc course which, he says, massively broadened his thinking on the criticality of leadership in building world-class organisations. Glyn Pearson, heavy bay supervisor at Weir Minerals, is equally convinced of the value of the diploma programme which, he recalls, helped him to define his role and responsibilities as a manager and gave him the tools and confidence to carry them out. The advantage of study programmes like this is that everything the students learn is clearly and directly applicable to the manufacturing jobs they do today or the role they will take on in the future. Even though students base their projects in their own workplace, they still get the chance to share and learn from their peers in other manufacturing companies, often forging bonds that last for years. Virtual delivery It's comparatively easy to foster mutual learning and support in one seminar room. It's much harder to do it when the participants never physically meet. Nissan is not only one of the world's biggest car companies but also, with 31 production facilities in 16 countries, one of the most decentralised. Its ability to spot and develop its future leaders is a major factor in its success, but it's no mean feat to manage the process. Recently, it wanted to provide a programme for some 60 potential high-flyers from around the world. The curriculum needed to instil a uniform set of skills and a common approach to leadership consistent with Nissan's values, culture and the global direction of its business. There were, however, practical difficulties in bringing together high-potential people from across the world for training, not least time away from the day job and the cost, especially while travel budgets were frozen. It decided to explore other options. The outcome was a curriculum that would establish a common leadership language across all countries, yet could be delivered virtually. It was designed by Nissan in conjunction with DDI and named Gold – or Global Organisational Leadership Development programme. Three elements – setting performance expectations, reviewing performance progress and developing others – were delivered as web-based courses supported by virtual practice labs where participants could try out their new skills. The other four courses – essentials of leadership, leading change, reaching agreement and motivating others – were delivered in real time using DDI's own virtual classroom technology. Participants connect over web-conferencing and the course was facilitated in real time by DDI. They could ask and respond to questions just like a real classroom, and interact using white boards, annotation tools and online polling. The facilitator could even divide them into groups for team exercises and role plays. The 60 leaders were divided into three cohorts of 20, each meeting virtually eight times in six months. In the interim, they could put theory into practice in their own operations. Courses were delivered in English, Nissan's official language. The programme's effectiveness in changing behaviour was measured in targeted skill areas such as listening, providing feedback and holding effective conversations. The results were then measured against what was achieved in classroom delivery of the same DDI courses. Tellingly, leaders' behaviour change was comparable and, in some areas, even better from the virtual programme than in classroom delivery. Clearly, 'cheaper' need not mean 'worse'. Equally importantly, it has switched on lightbulbs for those taking part. Shahnawaz Mehdi, a senior manager in Dubai, says it has had a definite impact on the way he deals with his direct reports when they are experiencing difficulties. As a result, they are more comfortable working with him and appreciate his management style. And Nadia Trimmel, based in Pretoria, South Africa, says the Gold programme has been invaluable in reinforcing the importance of working through others: "It's the people around you who make it possible to achieve goals. They actually give you the results that you want." Warwick Business School's new venture departs even further from the conventional – teaching the next generation of business leaders new management skills by acting out Shakespeare's plays as part of their MBA. An element of its leadership and judgment module, the school is aiming to give them a different perspective on solving business problems. The Shakespeare workshop encourages them to look at the issues through the eyes of a whole range of employees. It is all part of Warwick's aim to bring creativity and innovation back to the boardroom as companies around the world look to pull free of the economic downturn. New opportunities "We looked at ways that challenged them, but didn't make them feel too uncomfortable," says Professor Jonothan Neelands, chair of creative education. "As part of their induction we gave them a real-world task to identify business opportunities to pitch to the RSC [Royal Shakespeare Company]. They went to Stratford to look at the RSC headquarters, did a Hamlet workshop at the RSC Clore Learning Centre and then also saw a performance of Twelfth Night." To make their pitch to the RSC, "they had to work creatively together, rise to the challenge of a workshop, manage a team, socialise, network, quickly understand different cultures and bond as a team" – all qualities that are fundamental to good leadership in any organisation anywhere. "Because it was a real task, with a real-time outcome, it gave them huge motivation – they were up until the early hours of the morning preparing," recalls Neelands. He adds that the Shakespeare workshop changed their pitches, showing a confidence in themselves and in the team that perhaps wasn't there before. "Traditionally, the team management is done in isolation from the pitch, and your team building in isolation from the business training, but we combined it all together in a real-world task." Executive MBA student Bhavn Curtis, who is head of IM governance and change at synthetic diamond manufacturer Element Six, said: "I would never have thought of using Shakespeare in terms of portraying a management problem, but it was actually quite relevant. At work you only play one role. Here, you act out different scenarios on the same problem in the play; you think, feel and sense the characters. At work you only see a problem from your own perspective, but here we were made to look at it in different roles, so it presents a multi-dimensional view of addressing an issue." Vodafone has also taken to theatrical techniques to widen the horizons of its leadership cadre. Its global head of diversity and inclusion, Debbie Laybourn, recently worked with Steps – a specialist in drama-based learning – and consultants Schneider-Ross in a pioneering programme for 250 senior leaders delivered in 20 different countries. The 1½ day event was aimed at building a common understanding of the contribution made by inclusion and diversity to the success of the organisation, helping the participants to become effective role models across Vodafone. The case for change was made through expert speakers and interactive quiz technology. Actor-facilitators from Steps brought examples of non-inclusive issues and behaviours to life, inviting interaction and stimulating debate. Steps designed different scenarios for each country or group function, basing them on detailed research carried out locally in one-to-one calls and internal focus groups. To make the programme both authentic and cost effective, Steps also found actor-facilitators from UK, Germany, India, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, Egypt, Greece, Malta, New Zealand and Ghana. Mirror, mirror... Interactive drama does things that mere questioning could never achieve. It brings issues that need to be talked about – prejudice, bias, subtle put-downs – right into the room. It holds up a mirror to the limiting behaviours that are actually happening in people's own workplace, including their own, and often lets them laugh at them. It hits hard but also provides a practical way of identifying what needs to change. The sessions were designed so that people came out with personal and organisational action plans with clear measures, ownership and accountability. Vodafone believes the workshops have been a catalyst for change. There has been a significant rise in the number of women on its executive and in senior roles. There is a new awareness in its leadership which is feeding into development and selection processes. And many parts of the business are looking afresh at their branding and their consumer proposition in respect of inclusion and diversity. It's easy to dismiss drama as irrelevant to manufacturing, especially by managers grappling with intractable engineering and technical issues. But they would be wrong. One of the phrases heard most often in businesses is "behaviour change." In order to improve, individuals or teams need to see what's wrong with the way they act today, understand and admit the effect it has both on other people and on their work, and know how to act differently in future. In essence, drama makes people see themselves and others more clearly – the first step to that sought-after change in behaviour and attitude.