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Since 1970, Development Dimensions International, Inc. has helped the companies worldwide successfully close the gap between where their businesses need to go and the talent required to take them there. Our areas of expertise span every level, from individual contributors to the executive suite.

Development Dimensions International

Armed with these convincing statistics, any manager should be able to secure funding and commitment for future learning and leadership development programs.

The Business Case for Leadership Development and Learning

Evan Sinar discusses how organizations can use the just-launched Global Leadership Forecast 2017|2018 research.

Talent Growth Through Research Intelligence: The Global Leadership Forecast

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March 2014 - TD Magazine

Lost in Translation

It’s one of the most-asked questions from talent development professionals and managers alike: what does manager success look like in our company? What follows is usually a process to define the critical manager competencies.So how can you best identify critical manager competencies? And what do you need to know about creating effective manager competency models?Criteria for Effective Manager Competency ModelsWhile it’s important to have competencies for your first-level managers, not all competencies are created alike. How can you tell a strong competency model from a weak one?While I could write about this topic alone for a while, I’ll briefly mention three important criteria when building a competency model for frontline managers:Align to strategic business priorities. Too often, HR’s strategy is divorced from the business strategy. For example, if your company strategy depends on driving innovation and expanding into new markets, but your competency model is primarily focused on behaviors linked to driving process efficiency, you won’t achieve the business goals you need.Differentiate for leader levels. Many companies try to use a single competency to reflect a certain skill. But the behaviors are different at each level. For example, effective communication at the frontline leader level primarily takes place in conversations, performance management, and some presentations. Meanwhile, great communication at the executive level looks very different.Focus on observable behaviors. Poorly defined competencies focus on outcomes and leave a lot open to interpretation. Instead, competencies need to be focused on clear, observable actions. At Development Dimensions International (DDI), we call these key actions. You need to know exactly what it looks like to perform the competency well.Identifying Critical Manager CompetenciesNow let’s dive a little deeper into how to identify the frontline leader competencies you need. A best practice is to identify some of the unique competencies that are aligned with your business strategy. In addition, you may want to pull in some of the foundational competencies that nearly all frontline leaders need: communication, building partnerships, coaching, decision making, facilitating change, and execution. However, the context of the work environment and the stressors on the leader have changed (and will continue to change) drastically. These context changes increase the importance of certain leadership competencies within each of these domains. DDI’s Global Leadership Forecast 2021 (GLF) offers some important leadership research trends and insight.According to the report, leaders who succeed in times of crisis are those who can learn new skills quickly and embrace change and uncertainty. Additionally, organizations with leaders who were stronger in leading virtual teams, coaching, delegation, and empathy were more prepared to meet the business challenges they faced. But based on an analysis in the GLF about which competencies leaders need help with the most, HR should focus on developing these essential skills as they rapidly adapt to meet new demands: managing change, influencing, and building partnerships.Laser Focus With Competency-Based DevelopmentUltimately, your first-level manager competencies will serve as the guide to success in your organization. It helps you create clear development action plans that will help your leaders see what they need to do to perform well and advance to the next level. As a result, you’ll also start to see other benefits, like lower turnover, stronger talent acquisition, better performance, and a stronger leadership bench. To learn more, check out DDI’s blog.

Best Practices for Identifying Critical Manager Competencies

As leaders continue to work remotely, they’re getting used to self-directed learning and development online. However, many learners still get the most out of online learning when they have a way to discuss it with their peers and process what they’re learning.Whether learning is in person or virtual, peer learning is crucial for leadership development success. Why is this the case? And what are the benefits of peer learning during leadership development?The Benefits of Peer Learning for Leadership DevelopmentWhile Development Dimensions International (DDI) has clients who run the gamut of doing all digital to all in-person leadership development (and every combo in between), companies that incorporate peer learning during some or all their programs tend to see stronger results. Check out an example of a major company that used peer learning as a critical part of their global frontline leader program.First, leaders get that valuable opportunity to network with other peer leaders, especially those from other parts of the company. It’s a powerful opportunity to get to know one another and create one shared leadership culture.Furthermore, deeper learning occurs when leaders are sharing experiences with one another. In fact, a Harvard study showed that students did better on tests when they participated in active learning versus only absorbing information through lectures.Peer learning also provides a safe space for skill practice and peer coaching. This enhances a leader’s feedback and coaching skills and increases accountability for behavior change. Along with increased accountability, learning with peers can provide a healthy pressure to maintain momentum for the on-the-job application of new skills. When leaders see other leaders who they went through development experiences with succeeding on the job, this can serve as a positive model for them to follow.Finally, peer learning for leadership development leverages content and learning to address leadership challenges. Naturally, a collaborative learning format will bring other perspectives and challenges to light, including those that leaders wouldn’t have considered on their own. With instant feedback from multiple perspectives, leaders quickly get a more nuanced view of the effect their behavior has on others.When to Use Peer LearningPeer learning is built into group learning journeys whether it’s in person or virtual. But as many companies increasingly rely on self-directed or digital learning, peer learning is critical for creating accountability, retention, and skill application.We often see self-directed learners join peer learning groups and experience several aha moments. For example, I’ve heard participants say, “I didn’t realize that content was there. I’ll have to check it out!” or “I never would have thought to apply that skill like that.”Peer learning is also helpful when onboarding a leader who is new to their role or new to the company. First-time leaders going through leadership development often find a sense of camaraderie when learning with other first-time leaders.What’s the best way to structure peer learning groups, and what should a session look like? Find out by checking out DDI’s blog.

Why Peer Learning Is Crucial for Leadership Development

Jim Concelman is vice president of leadership development at Development Dimensions International.

Jim Concelman

Richard S. Wellins, PhD, is senior vice president of Development Dimensions International (DDI) and is a co-author of the research study, Driving Workplace Performance Through High-Quality Conversations: What Leaders Must Do Every Day to Be Effective. Rich is an expert on leadership development, employee engagement and talent management. He is responsible for launching DDI’s new products and services, leading DDI’s Center for Applied Behavioral Research (CABER), its major research projects and developing and executing DDI’s global marketing strategy.

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