Our groundbreaking research has uncovered a critical blind spot in talent management: your highest performers may be your most vulnerable employees. At Keystone Partners, we’ve discovered that the relationship between performance and resilience isn’t what most leadership development experts assume—and this misconception is costing organizations their best talent.

The Resilience Gap: A New Understanding

Our research journey began in 2023 when we first explored resilience in the workplace. We discovered that investing in employee resilience could significantly impact organizational outcomes, including performance, retention, and culture. Building on this foundation, our 2024-2025 research delved deeper, examining correlations between resilience, performance, and burnout.

What we found was eye-opening: there exists what we call a “resilience gap” or “burnout zone”—a discrepancy between an employee’s performance index (PI) and resilience index (RI). While many might assume high performers naturally possess high resilience, our data tells a different story.

The average performance score among respondents was 31, while the average resilience score was significantly lower at 19. This gap represents a serious risk, particularly for high-performing employees with low resilience. These individuals are productive today, but their long-term sustainability is at risk.

The Hidden Cost of the Burnout Zone

Perhaps most alarming is that employees in the burnout zone (high performance, low resilience) are five times more likely to be looking for new jobs compared to those with high resilience (50% vs. 10%). This statistic reveals the hidden cost of overlooking resilience in talent management.

Burnout isn’t just affecting employee well-being—it’s estimated to cost U.S. employers between $125 billion and $190 billion in annual healthcare expenses alone. This makes developing resilience not just beneficial but essential for organizational health and sustainability.

The Team Effect: Resilience as a Collective Strength

Our most significant finding might be that resilience is fundamentally a team sport. When even one team member receives employer-funded development, the entire team reports a 60% higher overall resilience score compared to teams with no investment at all.

This ripple effect challenges the myth that employees only care about their own development. Instead, it demonstrates that one individual’s growth fuels broader resilience and performance across the team, which can ultimately impact the entire organization.

Even more compelling, employees who benefit from team-based investments (like team development and group coaching) demonstrate 60% higher resilience scores and higher performance scores than those who received individual programs alone.

The Compound Effect of Quality Investment

Just as financial advisors talk about compound interest, we discovered a “compound earnings effect” in resilience development. Organizations that invest in three key development areas—skill development, leadership training, and coaching—see nearly 30% higher resilience scores compared to those investing in just one area (which yields about 19.5% improvement).

However, it’s not just about spending more—it’s about spending wisely. Quality matters more than quantity when it comes to development programs. When employees reported positive perceptions of learning experiences (describing them as engaging, relevant, and enjoyable), their resilience scores more than doubled compared to those reporting negative perceptions.

Strategic Implementation: Where to Focus Your Investment

Based on our research, here are four actionable strategies for building resilience in your organization:

1. Identify high performers with low resilience: These employees in the burnout zone should be your top priority, as they’re already at risk of leaving.
2. Close the resilience gap with quality development: Invest in comprehensive development programs that address multiple areas rather than spreading resources too thinly.
3. Make resilience a team sport: Team-based investments yield significantly higher returns than individual programs alone.
4. Foster a leadership culture that prioritizes resilience: Leaders who model resilience encourage the same traits in their teams and promote well-being alongside performance metrics.

FAQs from HR Leaders

During our webinar, several insightful questions came up that further illuminate the practical implications of our research:

Q: Have you correlated an increase in resilience to financial performance?
A: Yes, our research report includes several pages showing the direct link between resilience and financial performance metrics.

Q: Has team-based group coaching been part of the research to determine its impact on team performance?
A: Absolutely. Our findings confirm that team-based interventions—including team development, group coaching, and leadership development programs surrounding the team—significantly amplify resilience levels organization-wide.

Q: Is it the offering of quality programs alone or what is learned in the programs that drives resilience?
A: It’s about matching the right development to the right moment in the employee lifecycle. For example, a first-time manager needs foundational skills like communication and delegation, while a newly promoted enterprise leader might benefit from a “first 100 days” coaching program. The quality of these targeted interventions matters more than spreading development resources across all levels.

Q: How do you create awareness about how important resilience is when some companies see burnout as a weakness?
A: Use research data to your advantage. Show that low resilience is not a weakness but a skill gap that can be addressed through development. Demonstrate that in our volatile business environment, building resilience is a strategic advantage, not an optional soft skill.

The Competitive Edge

The bottom line is clear: resilience is no longer optional for organizations that want to thrive. By proactively providing targeted development and coaching, companies can mitigate burnout and retain high-performing employees who might otherwise be looking for the exit.

Organizations that make resilience a key strategic initiative will see the impact on their bottom line through greater retention, engagement, organizational health, and optimism about the future. In today’s challenging business landscape, resilience might just be your most powerful competitive advantage.

Contact us today to learn how we can support your organization.

Transform Your Organization Through Team Resilience Strategies

Are your high performers burning out? Discover why team resilience strategies are the foundation of sustainable performance. In today’s high-pressure work environment, burnout prevention isn’t just nice to have—it’s essential for business survival.

The Cost of Ignoring Team Resilience

Organizations lose $322 billion annually to burnout, while employees with high resilience are 5× less likely to leave. Our comprehensive leadership development research proves that team-based approaches deliver measurable results.

What Our Research Reveals About Performance Coaching

Keystone Partners’ latest study shows organizations investing in team-based performance coaching see 69% higher resilience scores and 40% better retention rates. These aren’t just statistics—they’re your competitive advantage.

What You’ll Learn in This Essential Webinar:

• The science behind collective resilience building versus individual approaches
• Data-driven employee retention solutions that outperform traditional methods
• Three proven leadership development techniques for fostering team resilience
• Practical assessment tools to measure and improve resilience across teams

Who Should Attend:

This webinar is designed for leadership teams, HR professionals, and executives seeking evidence-based employee retention solutions and burnout prevention strategies for their high-performing teams.

Access Our Research:

• Download our initial research report: “Creating resilient workforces: A leader’s guide to strategic investment”
• Download our latest Teams research report: “Cracking the Code: Understanding How Resilience and Performance Work Together”

Ready to Transform Your Team’s Resilience?

Contact our performance coaching experts today.

Discover how building a coaching culture can transform your organization. Learn 5 proven strategies to boost employee engagement and drive up to 788% ROI through effective workplace coaching.

The phrase “We need to create a coaching culture” has become a common refrain across organizations of all sizes and industries. But what exactly is a coaching culture, and why has it become such a critical focus for forward-thinking leaders?

As partners to HR in leadership development and executive coaching, we’ve seen firsthand the transformative power of coaching cultures. In this blog, we’ll demystify this concept and explore how it can drive tangible business impact.

Defining a Coaching Culture

At its core, a coaching culture is an organizational environment where:

1. Every level of the organization focuses on individual growth and development
2. Feedback is actively sought and shared constructively
3. Empathy is a cornerstone of interactions
4. Meaningful conversations drive daily impact and performance improvement

It’s not just about formal coaching sessions, but a pervasive mindset that infuses all aspects of organizational life.

The Business Case for a Coaching Culture

While the importance of coaching might seem intuitive to HR professionals, proving its value to the C-suite often requires hard data. Fortunately, the numbers speak for themselves:

• Studies have shown significant ROI for companies investing in coaching, with some reports citing returns as high as 788%. source
• Organizations with strong coaching cultures report higher employee engagement, increased productivity, and improved financial performance.

Beyond the numbers, consider the ripple effects. Well-coached employees are more likely to:

1. Stay with the company, reducing turnover costs
2. Innovate and problem-solve creatively
3. Collaborate effectively with colleagues
4. Provide better customer service
5. Develop into future leaders

The Evolving Role of Leadership

The need for a coaching culture is amplified by the changing nature of leadership itself. In our post-pandemic, AI-driven world, leaders can no longer rely solely on technical expertise or positional authority. Instead, they must excel at:

• Fostering collaboration in distributed teams
• Navigating complex human challenges
• Leading with creativity and innovation
• Promoting inclusivity across diverse workforces

These skills align perfectly with a coaching approach to leadership.

Building a Coaching Culture: 5 Key Strategies

Based on our research and experience working with diverse organizations, here are five strategies that successful companies use to build a robust coaching culture:

1. Democratize Coaching Skills: Make coaching a core competency at all levels of the organization, not just for senior leadership. This creates a multiplier effect, with coaching conversations happening throughout the company.
2. Leverage Natural Talent: Identify and nurture those in your organization who have a natural aptitude for coaching. These “coaching champions” can help spread best practices and enthusiasm for coaching throughout the organization.
3. Celebrate and Reward Coaching Behaviors: Publicly recognize and reward those who exemplify great coaching. This sends a clear message about the behaviors your organization values.
4. Start at the Top: While coaching should be organization-wide, having visible buy-in and participation from senior leadership is crucial. When executives talk openly about their own coaching experiences, it normalizes the practice and encourages others to engage.
5. Integrate Coaching into Key Moments: Build coaching into critical points in the employee lifecycle, from onboarding to promotions to offboarding. This ensures that coaching is seen as an integral part of the employee experience, not just an occasional add-on.

Overcoming Challenges

Creating a coaching culture is not without its challenges. Some common hurdles include:

• Resistance from leaders who view coaching as a sign of weakness
• Lack of time and resources for coaching initiatives
• Difficulty in measuring the impact of coaching efforts

To overcome these obstacles, consider:

1. Framing coaching as a tool for high performance, not a remedial measure
2. Starting with small, targeted initiatives to demonstrate value
3. Using a mix of quantitative and qualitative measures to track impact

The Role of HR in Cultivating a Coaching Culture

As HR leaders, you play a pivotal role in fostering a coaching culture. Here are some ways to drive this initiative:

1. Advocate for Resources: Make the business case for investing in coaching programs and training.
2. Lead by Example: Embody coaching behaviors in your interactions with colleagues and stakeholders.
3. Provide Tools and Training: Equip managers with the skills and resources they need to be effective coaches.
4. Integrate Coaching into HR Processes: Incorporate coaching elements into performance reviews, succession planning, and talent development programs.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Coaching Cultures

As we look to the future, it’s clear that coaching cultures will play an increasingly vital role in organizational success. In a world of rapid change and uncertainty, the ability to adapt, learn, and grow is more crucial than ever. Organizations that can harness the power of coaching to unlock their employees’ potential will be better positioned to navigate challenges and seize opportunities.

Creating a coaching culture is not a quick fix or a one-time initiative. It’s a long-term commitment to changing how your organization approaches learning, development, and leadership. But the potential rewards—in terms of employee engagement, innovation, and organizational agility—are immense.

By championing coaching within our organizations, we’re not just developing better leaders—we’re creating more resilient, adaptable, and successful companies ready to thrive in the ever-changing landscape of modern business.

Contact us today to learn how we can support you and your organization.

Discover how to foster a robust learning culture to enhance organizational resilience in today’s VUCA world.

Learn key strategies for effective leadership development and creating a sustainable growth mindset.

In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, the ability to adapt and learn continuously is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. HR leaders are tasked with not just managing talent, but nurturing it to thrive in what we often call a VUCA world: volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. But how do we build organizational resilience in the face of such unpredictability?

The answer lies in cultivating a robust learning culture, particularly for emerging leaders who will shape the future of our organizations. Let’s explore how we can unlock this potential and create sustainable growth.

The Imperative of Resilience

Recent research has shown that resilience—the capacity to absorb change and continue doing our best work—is a critical factor in organizational success. In fact, it should be a primary strategic objective at the highest levels of any organization. Why? Because resilient employees create resilient organizations, capable of not just surviving but thriving in today’s ever-changing environment.

The Learning-Resilience Connection

Building resilience isn’t about controlling external factors—it’s about developing internal capabilities. And the key to this development is effective professional development. By investing in learning, we’re not just imparting skills; we’re cultivating an adaptable mindset that can navigate uncertainty with confidence.

Rethinking Leadership Development

Traditional approaches to leadership development are often falling short in today’s fast-paced world. One-off training sessions or sporadic online modules simply don’t cut it anymore. We need a more holistic, integrated approach that embeds learning into the fabric of daily work life.

Here are some key principles to consider:

1. Micro-learning for macro impact: Break down complex concepts into digestible, daily lessons that can be immediately applied.
2. Applied practice: Provide structured opportunities for leaders to practice new skills in real-world contexts.
3. Personalized insights: Use assessments to heighten self-awareness and tailor learning to individual needs.
4. Peer learning: Leverage the power of group dynamics through live coaching sessions where leaders can learn from each other’s experiences.
5. Manager involvement: Engage direct managers in the learning process to ensure accountability and reinforce new behaviors.

The Accelerator Approach

One innovative model that embodies these principles is the Accelerator Program. This approach combines self-paced micro-learning with live group coaching, applied practice activities, and manager involvement to create a comprehensive learning journey.

Key features include:

• Drip content: New lessons are released weekly, allowing for gradual skill building and preventing an overwhelming experience.
• Multi-modal learning: Variety in content delivery (videos, podcasts, readings, discussions) caters to different learning styles.
• Real-world application: Structured activities encourage immediate application of new concepts in the workplace.
• Cohort-based learning: Live sessions foster peer-to-peer learning and provide opportunities for real-time problem-solving.
• Manager support: A parallel track for managers ensures they can effectively support and reinforce their team’s learning.

Measuring Impact

One of the biggest challenges in leadership development has been demonstrating ROI. Modern approaches are tackling this head-on with real-time analytics dashboards that track not just completion rates, but also knowledge retention and behavior change over time.

This data-driven approach allows HR leaders to:

1. Demonstrate tangible impact to stakeholders
2. Identify areas for future improvement
3. Tailor interventions to individual and organizational needs

Creating a Learning Culture: Beyond Programs

While structured programs are valuable, truly unlocking a learning culture requires a broader shift in organizational mindset. Some strategies to consider:

1. Normalize continuous learning: Celebrate and reward learning behaviors at all levels of the organization.
2. Create psychological safety: Foster an environment where it’s safe to experiment, fail, and learn from mistakes.
3. Integrate learning into workflows: Look for opportunities to embed learning moments into everyday work processes.
4. Lead by example: Encourage senior leaders to share their own learning journeys and challenges.

The Path Forward

As we navigate the complexities of the modern business world, the ability to learn, adapt, and grow is our greatest asset. By reimagining leadership development and fostering a true learning culture, we can build the organizational resilience needed to thrive in uncertainty.

The future belongs to organizations that can turn change into opportunity, and challenges into growth. As HR leaders, we have the power to shape this future by unlocking the learning potential within our teams and organizations.

Are you ready to embark on this journey of continuous learning and adaptation? The time to start is now.

In this guide, we’ll share with you the top reasons why employees will leave their jobs in 2024. We’ll also take a closer look at why employees stay, all to help you retain and develop your workforce.

Top Reasons Why Employees Will Leave Their Jobs in 2024

According to a 2023 Pew Research Center Study, 49% of workers are unsatisfied with their current jobs. This leaves millions of employees potentially planning to jump ship in 2024. Overall, employees leave their jobs for a variety of reasons, and the decision to quit is often influenced by a combination of factors. Some of the most common reasons why people quit their jobs include:

1. Lack of career growth opportunities

When employees see a clear path for growth and advancement within the organization, they are more likely to invest their time and energy into their roles. Employees also may seek new opportunities if they feel their current role offers limited prospects for career advancement or skill development. To prevent this:

• Implement clear career development paths for all employees
• Create mentorship opportunities within the organization
• Share regular performance reviews to help achieve their career goals

2. Inadequate compensation and benefits

Dissatisfaction with salary, benefits, or overall compensation packages can lead employees to explore other opportunities that offer better financial rewards. To retain your employees, ensure that you regularly review and adjust salaries to remain competitive in the market. Along with comprehensive benefits packages, consider:

• Non-monetary perks such as flexible work arrangements
• Wellness programs
• Recognition incentives to motivate employees to stay

3. Issues with company culture

Employees may leave their jobs if they feel the company culture does not align with their values, work style, or preferences. Preventing this should start before employees are even hired. During the hiring process, assess cultural fit to ensure alignment between the organization’s values and those of potential employees. Along with that, ensure current employees are aligned with the company culture by:

• Integrating cultural fit evaluations into the hiring process
• Actively seeking feedback from employees
• Assessing the company culture to identify areas for improvement

4. Burnout, overworked, or overstressed

Employees experiencing burnout, excessive workloads, or chronic stress may feel overwhelmed and exhausted. This can negatively impact their mental and physical well-being. About six in ten workers (62%) place a high priority on paid time off. To combat this, while also setting realistic expectations for workloads, encourage employees:

• To take breaks
• Use vacation time
• Adopt a healthy work-life balance

5. Unhealthy work environment

A toxic work environment characterized by poor management, lack of communication, or interpersonal conflicts can drive employees to leave in search of a healthier workplace. To create a supportive atmosphere for all employees, make sure you have:

• Effective leadership
• Open communication
• Initiatives that promote employee well-being

6. Insufficient recognition and appreciation

Employees who feel undervalued or underappreciated for their contributions may become disengaged and eventually decide to leave. In fact, one in four unsatisfied workers say they rarely, or never get feedback from their managers. To ensure that employees feel valued and appreciated for their contributions:

• Implement recognition programs
• Provide regular feedback
• Acknowledge the big (and small) achievements

7. Ineffective and poor leadership

The numbers don’t lie — research has found that 57% of employees quit their jobs because of their boss. This shows that poor leadership can be a significant factor in employee dissatisfaction and turnover. Prevent bad leaders and managers from causing your employees to leave by:

• Investing in leadership development programs that will enhance their skills
• Fostering transparent communication, provide guidance, and show support
• Actively addressing leadership-related concerns among your workforce

8. Lack of work-life balance

Excessive work demands without corresponding support for work-life balance can contribute to burnout and prompt employees to seek roles with a more sustainable lifestyle. To find a healthy work-life balance for your organization:

• Consider offering flexible work schedules and remote work options
• Promote a culture that respects personal time
• Set realistic expectations around communications outside of regular work hours

9. Issues with commutes

In 2023, 15% of workers polled stated they felt “not at all satisfied” with their commute. Changes in personal circumstances, such as relocation or lengthy commutes, may prompt employees to seek new roles that better align with their geographic preferences. What’s key here is understanding employees’ circumstances. To assist your employees in dealing with this pain:

• Offer remote work option
• Provide support for employees facing relocation or long commutes
• Consider flexible work arrangements

10. Absence of training and development

More than one in five American workers say they are not at all satisfied with their opportunities for training and development at their current job. The absence of skill development and inadequate training programs can make employees feel stagnant in their careers, prompting them to seek other roles that offer continuous learning. To prevent employees from quitting due to this absence:

• Invest in ongoing training and development programs
• Provide opportunities for skill enhancement and career growth
• As a leader, show a commitment to employee learning and professional development

11. Other “good” employees are leaving

The departure of high-performing or well-regarded colleagues can create a widespread negative impact on team morale. If employees see their talented peers leaving, they may question the overall health of the organization or feel disheartened about their own growth prospects. To prevent this from having an impact on your remaining workforce:

• Conduct exit interviews to understand the reasons why an employee leaves
• Be honest with remaining employees about the departures
• Address concerns seriously and take steps to make improvements

12. Organization’s instability or restructuring

Uncertainty about the company’s future, financial instability, RIFs, or frequent organizational restructuring can create an uneasy atmosphere, leading employees to explore more stable employment options. If your organization is going through a rough patch or restructuring, reassure your current employees by:

• Transparently communicating about the company’s status and future plans
• Providing support during times of change
• Involving employees in the decision-making processes (when possible)

13. Unfulfilled (or bored) in current role

Employees may also leave if they find their current roles unfulfilling or the job responsibilities do not align with their skills, interests, or career goals. To make sure your employees are engaged and not bored in their current roles, consider:

• Regularly checking in with employees to gauge job satisfaction
• Providing opportunities for employees to address concerns
• Ensuring that roles align with employees’ skills and interests

14. There’s a change in their personal life

Life events, such as family obligations, health concerns, or other personal reasons, can influence an employee’s decision to leave their current job. Sometimes, there is not much that can be done when there is a change in an employee’s personal life. However, you can take steps to create an accommodating work environment that is empathic and supportive. Consider taking steps such as:

• Offering flexible work arrangements, such as part-time options or remote work
• Working with the employee to accommodate personal or family-related challenges
• Most importantly, showing empathy and understanding

15. They feel a lack of trust and independence

When employees feel micromanaged or perceive a lack of trust in leadership, it can lead to dissatisfaction and a desire to leave. Employees value autonomy and the freedom to make decisions within their roles. Addressing these issues requires a proactive and holistic approach through strategies such as:

• Cultivating a culture of trust by empowering employees to make decisions in their areas of responsibility
• Fostering transparent communication between leaders and employees
• Clearly communicating expectations and goals while providing constructive feedback

5 Biggest Reasons Why Employees Stay With a Company

Understanding why employees leave an organization is crucial, as it allows companies to identify and address potential issues that may contribute to turnover. Conversely, creating an environment that encourages employee retention involves cultivating a workplace where individuals find fulfillment and purpose in their roles. Here are some of the key reasons why employees stay at an organization:

1. Options for a balanced and flexible work environment

Providing a balanced and flexible work environment is crucial for employee retention. 71% of employees who work from home most or some of the time say doing so helps them balance their work and personal lives. Acknowledging the importance of work-life balance, offering options like remote work or flexible hours enhances employee satisfaction and retention. This respect for individual needs also boosts loyalty.

2. Career development supported at all levels of the organization

In 2023, only 33% of workers were highly satisfied with their opportunities for promotion at their current jobs. Prioritizing career development at all levels of the organization fosters an environment where employees, seeing a clear growth path, are likely to commit long-term. Training, mentorship, and development initiatives show dedication to personal and career growth, promoting loyalty and motivation.

3. Employees are recognized and rewarded for their achievements

According to a 2023 Pew Research Center study, “80% of people who receive frequent feedback are also highly satisfied with the relationship with their manager or supervisor.” Recognizing and rewarding employee achievements is vital for retaining top talent. Various forms of recognition, including praise, awards, and incentives, create a positive feedback loop, enhancing morale and job satisfaction.

4. Company culture that fosters positivity and inclusivity

About 70% of workers extremely satisfied in their current jobs say they’re treated with respect at work and can be themselves, all or most of the time. This number supports that a positive, inclusive culture strengthens employee retention by fostering a sense of belonging and reducing stress. Prioritizing diversity creates an environment where employees feel valued. This not only retains talent but also attracts top professionals seeking inclusive workplace cultures.

5. Mentorship and coaching opportunities are made available

55% of workers say they don’t have someone at work who they would consider a mentor. Offering mentorship and coaching programs supports employee retention by creating a supportive environment for individual growth. Personalized attention fosters loyalty, while valuable insights from mentors contribute to professional development. Coaching equips employees with tools to overcome challenges, further enhancing retention.

Here to Help Retain and Accelerate Your Workforce

Employee retention is not just about avoiding the negative aspects that drive people away, it’s about creating a workplace that inspires loyalty, dedication, and a sense of pride in being a part of the organization. By addressing these aspects, companies can not only reduce employee turnover but also build a strong, committed workforce that contributes to the long-term success of an organization.

At Keystone Partners, we use decades of consulting expertise to create personalized solutions to propel the professional advancement of every individual across all levels of your company. With innovative leadership development programs, we aim to elevate employee engagement while enhancing the overall organizational culture. Collaborating closely with our consulting teams guarantees that your workforce acquires the essential skills required to nurture their careers, fostering excellence and continual growth.

“I’m suffering from anxiety but don’t know how to talk to my boss about it.”

“I don’t feel a sense of purpose in my job anymore. I’m disengaged.”

These are actual stated challenges from top Fortune 50 tech company employees.  These are not made up. “Are your front-line managers prepared to handle these human challenges?

The job of a leader is even more complicated than it has been in the past three or four years. This is one of the reasons that a holistic leadership development program is paramount to an organization’s success.

In fact, Gen Z, the generation making up most of our workforce today, is highly attuned, and even greater so is Generation Alfa coming into the workplace. These factors are making leadership more complicated.

The bottom line is that we can no longer afford to underinvest in our leaders. The challenges are simply too great. Here are the six key steps to an effective leadership training program design.

1. Define The Objectives

An effective leadership development program must be linked to an organization’s strategy. For example, how is the company positioned competitively, and what is the value proposition? From this step, identify the organization’s capabilities or the attributes required for the successful execution of the strategy. Finally, what skills are required to be developed to maintain the organizational capabilities? You must ensure that a clear strategic framework drives program content and design.

The second step in building an effective leadership development program is identifying the target audience. Most current leadership development coaching investment is spent on senior leadership. However, most investment should be spent on new manager training or front-line leaders.

2. Identify the Target Audience

Front-line leaders oversee 60-80% of the workforce, and leaders account for 70% of the variance in employee engagement¹. If you are struggling with low employee engagement, building the capabilities of new managers has a greater impact on the entire organization than a smaller portion of senior leaders. Further, when you invest in new manager training courses, you develop employees earlier in their careers. These employees have less hard-wired leadership patterns allowing you to see a greater impact on a larger talent pool.

3. Create a Holistic Program

Once we have a development strategy linked to capabilities and skills identified, you must build a comprehensive, threaded multi-component holistic program. Many leaders, in and outside of learning and development, don’t know much about how people learn, so they fall back on paying for one-day workshops and approving spend on learning technology. Still, these solutions rarely build more effective managers. Content consumption is not the same thing as learning.

Your leadership training program must utilize all five adult learning methods: cognitivist, behaviorist, humanist, social cognitive, and constructivist. A multiple learning method program threaded together creates consistency, compatibility, and reinforcement, leading to managers who remember what they learned and actually apply the skills back on the job.

The cognitivist adult learning theory is based on how we think and memorize as humans. The best strategy for acquiring knowledge is to teach in asynchronous online training modules. This offers our learners flexibility in how and when they learn. It is also cost-effective when deployed to new managers in geographically dispersed locations.

The second adult learning theory is behaviorist. It is based on the philosophy that humans create learning by responding to external stimuli. The best strategy to accomplish this is through coaching. Compared to virtual learning alone, employees are 1.5x more likely to apply a newly learned skill when they receive both virtual learning and coaching together².

Humanist is the third adult learning theory that asserts that knowledge and feelings are not separate – they go hand in hand, and we must look at the whole person. We can accomplish this by including assessments in our holistic program. The 360-degree assessment is the gold standard, but other assessments might include: personality, emotional intelligence, values, strength-based or adaptive assessments.

The fourth social cognitive theory relays that learning occurs in a social context. Humans gain information by combining our own experiences with the observations of others. This includes both rewards and punishments. Including peer-to-peer learning opportunities is a force multiplier when it comes to new manager training and performing quickly in a new role. Further, peer feedback enables enduring mentoring relationships that far outlast the formal program.

The final element of your holistic program is derived from a constructivist theory which states that knowledge is created not by transmission from an instructor but rather by a learner creating meaning for themselves. Applying the knowledge in the workplace and practicing – not in a classroom but with their teams. This practice reinforces the learning and allows the manager to apply theory to real-life situations, gain additional feedback, and correct behavior for the future. 

For our learning training programs to have an impact, you must build a program that leverages all five adult learning theories, has practice embedded into it, and has an opportunity to create peer-to-peer learning.

4. Involve Key Stakeholders

Within an effective leadership development program, you must involve key stakeholders to create a culture of accountability – this must be over and above simply getting “buy-in.”. When a manager of a manager is involved in the program, they emphasize that learning is a priority in the business. It allows them to build strong relationships with their team members and increase trust and respect. Creating a collaborative, supportive environment, they can also use this as an opportunity to coach and mentor their direct reports and reinforce the training’s alignment with the organizational strategy and goals.

5. Evaluate Effectiveness

Leadership development historically is failing with a miserable 10% return on investment³. If other investments in your company were only effective 10% of the time, they wouldn’t exist. Consider a business that only delivers products to customers 10% of the time – the business wouldn’t exist. You must proactively evaluate the effectiveness of our new manager training with leader assessments, employee engagement or other ROI measures and do better!

6. Provide Ongoing Support

Leadership development isn’t a sprint or a one-time event. It must be viewed as an ongoing process of experimenting, self-making, and self-discovery. If you genuinely want to move from self-awareness to true behavior change, our leadership development programs must span multiple periods.

Are you ready to transform your approach to leadership training? Keystone Partners’ Accelerator Program uses a proprietary microlearning process that allows for learning over time, reinforcement of the content to allow for greater knowledge retention, remote live group coaching sessions to allow for feedback, and manager support to encourage and promote skill application. Interested in learning more? Contact us today to hear how our Accelerator Program can elevate your team.

The original publication of this article was posted on TrainingIndustry.com on May 23, 2023 https://trainingindustry.com/articles/leadership/6-steps-to-an-effective-leadership-training-program/

¹  https://news.gallup.com/businessjournal/182792/managers-account-variance-employee-engagement.aspx

² https://www.gartner.com/en/documents/3975868

³ https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/leadership/whats-missing-in-leadership-development

I work in a field where our business benefits when others lose their job. It can be challenging to promote our brand. But then I am quickly reminded that layoffs happen every day, and what we do serves a vulnerable population. We get to help people by providing outplacement consulting when they are in some of their darkest moments – a job loss. For an employee, it is a loss of income, dignity, identity, and a community of friends and colleagues. 

So, I say with pride – our company empowers laid-off employees and protects company reputations. Keystone Partners provides outplacement solutions. Many businesses and people who lose their job don’t even know that outplacement consultants exist, but outplacement coaching is invaluable for both an employee and an organization. 

With a recent heightened focus on employee retention and recruiting, we are often asked, “why should I spend money helping people who are no longer an employee?” 

Offboarding or separating management cannot be an afterthought; it should be a critical, thought-out, end-of-the-talent management cycle.

Employee outplacement, offboarding, or separating management cannot be an afterthought; it should be a critical, thought-out, end-of-the-talent management cycle. It is more than compliance – it must be littered with compassion. How someone is treated as they exit a company can be an opportunity for companies struggling to bring talent back into an organization, retain current talent, secure their reputation, and protect themselves from legal action. 

One in three people have turned down a job offer because of a company’s bad online reviews.

One in three people have turned down a job offer because of a company’s bad online reviews. Angry, former employees don’t often leave raving reviews about company reputations. Today, disgruntled employees who are upset about a layoff are not just telling their friends and family; they are posting on social media, rating you on Glassdoor, and damaging your employer brand in the process. Don’t ignore the offboarding process if you want to protect your brand in the community. 

For more information or to learn more about Keystone Partners’ services, visit our compassionate outplacement service solutions page.

Whether searching for an outplacement firm for the first time or reevaluating your current one, this blog presents the essential criteria for selecting a compassionate and reliable outplacement firm and considerations for both the employee experience and the employer.

Here are the top 5 things to consider as you explore your options related to your departing employees’ experience.

1. Employee Focused: Look at outplacement firms that prioritize your exiting employees’ well-being and career success. This can be assessed by reviewing testimonials or case studies highlighting the outplacement firm’s commitment to personalized support. Ask potential outplacement partners what their intake process involves and how they match a career consultant with your separating employees. Choose the outplacement firm that emphasizes the focus and importance of a compassionate approach.
2. Personalized Consulting: Outplacement services can vary depending on the provider, and personalized consulting is critical for a job seeker. Seek an outplacement firm that provides one-on-one consultants for employees at all levels and will customize their program to meet the needs of each individual. It doesn’t matter who you are or what your role was, a job transition is tough, and people come into a job transition with different needs and requirements. Working with a dedicated career consultant who will tailor the experience provides support, encouragement, direction, and accountability during an unsettling time.
3. Consultant Bench & Expertise: Ask your potential vendor about their consultant-to-employee ratio. Beware of firms that overload consultants with numerous clients, as it may make employees feel undervalued. And make sure the firm you select has a team of expert consultants that can support all levels of people in an organization, from individual contributors to senior executives.
4. Time Limit Considerations: Assess the duration of consulting benefits offered to employees. Evaluate if time-limited programs, typically lasting 30-60 days, add unnecessary stress and impact the quality of the outplacement benefit. Consider providers offering flexible time frames for their programs, boosting engagement and utilization. And be cautious of firms advertising unlimited consulting, as they may not provide optimal support.
5. Technology: Does the outplacement firm have a technology platform to supplement one-on-one consulting support? We don’t recommend choosing a provider offering only a technology solution with no consulting element. However, it is essential to know if the firm you are looking at offers a technology platform for their clients. Having the option to securely tap into online job search resources, such as e-learning modules, resume templates, and interview simulators, under the guidance of their consultant is a win-win situation.

Now let’s explore the top 5 criteria that focus on the experience of the employer:

1. Budget Friendly: Cost is often at the top of your mind during a layoff, but it is important to remember that you get what you pay for. Low cost doesn’t always translate into high value. Seek an outplacement firm that offers flexible service packages tailored to your organization’s budget and needs. Avoid a one size fits all solution. Choose a provider that offers different program levels depending on the scope of the layoff, the roles impacted, and the tenure of the employees.
2. Responsiveness: The speed and responsiveness of an outplacement provider can significantly impact your decision-making process. How quickly did you receive a response from your initial phone call to learn more about their firm? Choosing a provider that promptly addresses your questions and provides comprehensive answers is critical. In today’s fast-paced world, time is money, and waiting too long for a response shouldn’t be the norm. And that timeliness directly correlates to your departing employee’s experience with their program.
3. Analytics and Reporting: How will you know who is taking advantage of the outplacement program you have offered? The last thing you want is to provide this great benefit and either never know what has happened or discover that the engagement rate is low. Ensure the outplacement firm offers up-to-date reporting on program engagement and utilization rates. Also, inquire about ongoing communication and support for your stakeholders. Understand the metrics such as average utilization rates, time to land a new role, and satisfaction ratings for each firm and inquire if regular touchpoints are available to ensure deliverables are being met.
4. Pre/Post Notification Planning Support: Ask the outplacement agency if they offer guidance and logistics planning for an upcoming reduction-in-force (RIF). It is especially beneficial if you haven’t had to manage a layoff in a long time to work with a firm with the experience and best practices to navigate the day of logistics, termination scripts, manager training, and organizational renewal workshops for the surviving employees.
5. Payment options: When it comes to your payment options, it is vital to understand the factors that trigger your invoice. Are you being charged for individuals who do not take advantage of the outplacement program? Many outplacement firms follow a payment structure that only requires you to pay if the person engages in their consulting program. And it is essential to determine the definition of “engagement” for each company. Additionally, exploring whether discounts are available for bulk program purchases can be advantageous.

As you can see, there are many things to consider as you make the critical decision on whom to partner with for your outplacement. Choosing a firm due to its size or market recognition is not always the way to go. Conduct thorough research and do your homework to find a long-term outplacement agency who cares for both the employer and the employee. By selecting the right outplacement partner, you can navigate layoffs with compassion and support, ensuring a smooth transition for all involved parties.

How to start a career transition program

At Keystone Partners, we apply years of expertise in order to create goal-oriented, custom outplacement programs for individuals and organizations. Contact us today and see how our tailored approach to layoff and RIF services creates a more effective and engaged workforce.

What Can go Wrong When Transitioning to Management?

So, what could possibly go wrong when one moves from a buddy to boss? Any or all of the following are typical, and can occur even if completely unintended:

• Change in the nature of former friendships can occur, such as former peers hesitating to raise issues due to concerns about negative evaluations or a reluctance to socialize after work for fear of compromising authority. Alternatively, your new manager may grieve the loss of these friendships and engage in inappropriate conversations or gossip to retain the “friendship” status.

• Having the expectation that because their former peers are friends, they’ll automatically and without question respect them and follow through on work they delegate. New managers often find it difficult to hold their former peers accountable and have difficult conversations for fear of ruining these key relationships.

• Not delegating challenging tasks because as a friend, they have been privy to how stressed their colleagues’ personal lives are, and they don’t want to cause them any additional strain; instead, the new manager does the work and gets overwhelmed.

• Holding on to work that should be done by their direct reports because they are the “expert”. Many manager promotion decisions, especially at the front-line are based on performance as an individual contributor rather than potential of management success. Therefore, the manager often engages in behavior that made them successful in their previous role.

• Being too nice and caving to unrealistic requests by their former peers because they don’t want to be viewed as a mean boss, or conversely, not agreeing with appropriate requests because they don’t want to be seen as too lenient.
• Not understanding their role in communicating company messages and therefore not saying anything about changes in the way business is done or strategic decisions. Or worse, engaging in non-supportive messaging because they don’t agree with the strategic messaging and “they’ve been in the shoes of their team and knows it is dumb decision.”

How to Support Your Employees to Smoothly Move from Buddy to Boss

What can businesses and human resources do to smooth the path to being a new boss of former peers and friends and prevent the altered working relationships from going south? Here are a few tips for your new leaders:

Help them embrace the new role and its differences in relationships and responsibilities

Identify what has changed in their accountabilities, the tasks they do, and their relationships with direct reports, new peers, their manager, and others. Help them take proactive steps to find out what these various people expect of them in the manager role. Have them talk with their new manager and gain clarity on their responsibilities as a manager, specifically, what tasks should they continued to do, what should be delegated based on their new role and what should be removed from their list of responsibilities all together. 

Define and establish expectations

Former peers may try to see how serious the new manager is about behaving as their boss and test their limits. Encourage the new manager to head off this situation early by clearly articulating the new rules of engagement; for example, what are their expectations for giving status updates, the timeframes and quality standards for completing work, collaborating as a team, following policies such as working from home, working hours, communication, etc. If appropriate, help the new manager role play ways in which they can confront challenges of trust and increase the comfort level of their new role with former friends.

Educate them on communication and change techniques

New first-time managers don’t often have the skills to communicate company messages – where, when, and how. Further, they may lack the skills to lead their employees through changes in direction, policy, or processes. Support your new managers with education on how to communicate effectively, motivate and encourage their direct reports, and how to lead teams through times of changes. Their direct reports need information and context to be effective in their roles and to feel their work adds value – just as they did when they were their peer. New managers need to understand the definition of leadership, transparency, and about what information they can and cannot share. They need guidance to see the big picture and the “why” of any new direction they want to take the team in. Explain decisions they and upper management make that could impact their team’s work, how they were made, and why, and they need to be prepared to answer questions. This is especially true when it might be a company decision that they don’t agree with. First-time managers need to understand the damaging effects of gossiping with former peers and what boundaries cannot be crossed now that they hold a position of authority.

Encourage peer-to-peer relationships

Managers are expected to deliver business results that are achieved through their own work and that of their team rather than delivering results themselves. This may mean taking action even in ambiguous circumstances and getting their team’s commitment to execute on tasks. New managers need to focus on what they do know, seek subject matter experts’ perspectives, prioritize what’s most important for achieving results, seek their manager’s input/support if needed, and initiate action. The transition to first-time manager can leave managers feeling alone, abandoned and left on their own to navigate their new roles. Encourage new managers to build peer-to-peer relationships either through mentoring relationships or group coaching. These relationships will far outdure any training program that is put in place and will support cross-organizational collaboration and let the manager know they are not alone in this critical transition.

Keystone Partners: Experts in Helping New Leaders Transition from Buddy to Boss

The transition from buddy to boss can be filled with landmines, yet, with thoughtfulness and planning, you can help your new managers dodge them and they will be well on their way to success in their new role.

Connect with other new and aspiring leaders online with Keystone’s Emerging Leadership Development Program.