As we step into a new year, many managers face the familiar challenge of enhancing their team’s performance. It’s the perfect time to reflect on how collaboration between managers and Learning & Development (L&D) teams can drive impactful learning initiatives. Let me share an example from my own experience that highlights the power of aligning goals with organizational strategy and transformation.

A Time of Transformation

At the time, I was working at a Japanese company undergoing significant change. The company, previously part of a joint venture with an American partner, had become fully foreign-owned. With a new CEO at the helm, the focus shifted to globalizing operations and aligning with the demands of the global headquarters.

For HR, this meant facilitating a cultural and operational shift. Processes tailored to Japan needed to evolve into standardized global practices, and employees had to become adept at collaborating across borders. This was a significant challenge, requiring both mindset and skill development.

I joined the L&D team during this critical transition, tasked with supporting English learning programs for the leadership team. Our aim was to equip leaders with the skills to collaborate effectively in a global environment—a challenge that required a strategic partnership with managers across the organization.

Discovering the Pain Points

One notable initiative was the creation of a teleconferencing course for senior managers. At the time, video calls weren’t widespread, so teleconferences were the primary mode of communication with global counterparts. So at the teleconference meetings, the importance of effectively communicating verbally was critical.

During the discovery phase, we identified significant pain points within the R&D department, the largest team conducting regular teleconferences. Many managers were tasked with chairing these meetings, often without any prior training. As a result, they “winged it,” leading to inefficiencies. Moreover, team members lacked the confidence to chair meetings, leaving the managers to handle even routine teleconferences. This placed a heavy burden on the leaders’ time and limited opportunities for team members to develop leadership skills.

Building an Effective Solution

To address these challenges, I developed a teleconferencing course in collaboration with a senior R&D manager. The insights this manager provided were invaluable. The senior manager shared detailed, real-world issues the team encountered repeatedly during teleconferences, which I used to create realistic role-play scenarios. These scenarios became the backbone of the course, allowing participants to practice addressing real challenges from start to finish.

The relevance of these role-plays made a huge impact. I recall one participant who commented that the role-plays were so realistic, and it was incredibly helpful to have examples that they could actually use right away. Feedback like this reinforced the importance of grounding training in real-world experiences.

To ensure widespread impact, we trained all managers first, enabling them to model the skills for their teams. We also distributed a teleconferencing guidebook to all team members, aligning expectations and creating a shared understanding of best practices.

Taking It One Step Further

To reinforce learning, I attended actual teleconferences as a silent observer, providing feedback to the chair and participants afterward. While this added pressure for the managers chairing the meetings, they found the feedback invaluable. Sharing insights with team members further enhanced their ability to conduct effective meetings.

The Takeaway

This initiative succeeded because of strong collaboration between L&D and the managers. By involving leaders in the training design, equipping them with practical skills, and reinforcing learning through real-world application, we created a win-win situation for everyone involved.

This experience taught me that similar approaches could be applied to other training programs. When training content is shared widely, leaders are well-equipped, and ongoing feedback supports real-world implementation, the results can be transformative.

Over to You

As a team leader, what strategies have you used to build and develop your team? I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences in the comments.

If you’re interested in training or coaching to help your team thrive, feel free to reach out to me here. Let’s start the year by setting your team up for success!