Enablement's influence on leadership and professional development

We all have one. That movie or show that randomly shows up on cable and, no matter what time it is or how recently we watched it, we just can’t change the channel. We’re in it for the long haul.

For me, it’s the movie where a certain caffeinated beverage is labeled only for closers… you know the one.

There’s also a new way to think about the alphabet during that very same scene. ABC. Always. Be. Closing.

In enablement, that same mentality can be adopted, albeit with a slight variation to the letters. How about ABL? Always. Be. Learning.

That does not just apply to us as enablers, but the people we support on a daily basis.

There is one aspect of enablement that may be currently underutilized where we have the influence and skillset to make a demonstrable and seismic shift: Professional and leadership development.

Let’s take a moment to consider why this aspect of our workflow is absolutely mission critical to the long-term health and success of our organization(s) and something we should be prioritized.

It demonstrates a forward-thinking growth mindset and that the organization invests in its people, fostering a sense of value and loyalty.

Without our leaders, are we not just a rudderless ship?

Employees are more likely to stay when they see opportunities for growth and advancement.

Here are some statistics on the impact a strong leadership team not only has on individual contributors in the organization, but the customers they interact with daily:

📊

70% of employee engagement is driven by their manager (Gallup)

Companies with engaged workforces outperform those without by up to 202% (Gallup)

28% of surveyed employees who quit their jobs cite their “bad boss” as the main reason, while 26% say their leader is the reason they stay (Korn Ferry - prev Miller Heiman)

Effective leadership can increase customer satisfaction by up to 20% (Forbes)

Still not convinced? Let’s think about the future.

Professional development programming helps identify and develop future leaders within the organization, ensuring a smooth transition of leadership roles.

Taking it a step further, internal programs ensure that leaders are aligned with the organization's larger values, culture and strategic goals while creating alignment across the company.

Would you rather have a strong internal bench that is spread across the organization when there is inevitably turnover; or is the smarter plan to continue investing in external hires that come with a full onboarding process, not only to their new role, but the company as a whole?

I’ll let you decide.

Here are some things to consider for enablement's crucial role in professional growth as you begin your journey to standing up a world class leadership development program:

1. Leverage your Learning Management System (LMS)

While every LMS has unique features and is not one size fits all, it is a good idea to centralize your curriculum and resources under one roof. Enter the idea of a professional development HUB in your company’s LMS.

For your learners, it is a one-stop shop to easily access all relevant resources, eliminating the frustration of searching across multiple platforms or departments. This will save them time and increase their overall efficiency.

For you, an LMS developmental HUB creates the scalable, structured consistency and organization across the entire company, especially if you are supporting multiple lines of business.

Not only that, but it is easy to track and report out on.

2. Build 1-2 years of curriculum ahead of time

When it comes to the professional development of the leaders, or individual contributors, that you enable, there is no such thing as "starting too early” or “planning too far out.”

Part of what makes enablement great is our ability to pivot on a dime to best meet the ever-changing needs of our customers and still provide a best-in-class product.

However, building out your coursework for at least the next calendar year ensures your long-term vision aligns with that of your organization; while providing your stakeholders a well-structured roadmap with a clear path for progression, from foundational skills all the way up to advanced leadership topics.

Extensive planning in the beginning also takes a ton of weight off your shoulders as the program hums along.

It eliminates the stress and inefficiency of creating content on the fly and frees up time for facilitators and program managers to focus on other important tasks, ensuring professional development remains an effective, long-term strategy for your company.

I may be stating the obvious here, but professional development takes time!

A 1-2 year plan ensures the skills and competencies being built align with future organizational needs and embeds a culture of continuous learning rather than short-term training bursts.

There’s my old friend ABL again!

3. Involve SLTs (Senior Leadership Team) from the ground floor

Perhaps the most crucial piece of any long-term program is the buy-in and involvement of your mission critical stakeholders.

Without their support, the brunt of the weight to any program falls more and more on enablement, leading to a decreased chance of sustainability. In short, it is easy to stand up a new program.

It is much harder to keep it standing without the partnership of your stakeholders and SLTs.

The SLTs possess one of, if not the, deepest understandings of the organization's strategic goals and priorities. Involving them from the get-go ensures that you’re directly supporting those objectives.

To your advantage, they can provide invaluable insights into future skills, needs and market trends, ensuring the program remains relevant with some tweaking along the way.

Having the senior leaders on your side also ensures your coursework is being implemented and coached to even outside of your personal learning sessions.

I am struggling to think of a better group of people to have in your proverbial corner than those with some of the most critical impact on the overall health of your organization.

It equally helps them knowing the development of their people, which is any company’s biggest and best asset, is in great hands.

It is not always going to be sunshine and rainbows, I can assure you of that.

Thinking back to a previous point around professional development taking time, learners may see the program as “just another training” rather than a key part of a continuous education culture.

Their initial excitement may fade, leading to inconsistent adoption as other business needs join the ever-difficult juggling act of “only having so much time in the day.”

My solution? Lean heavily into microlearnings (videos, e-learnings, quick reference guides) that can be cascaded and implemented outside of the formal classroom.

This is the literal personification of ABL.

Wrapping up

Keep in mind that professional development isn’t always tied to immediate and measurable results. Keep learning interactive, relevant and evolving.

Mix coaching, mentorship, peer learning and practical application to maintain engagement.

Don’t always just “talk about the thing,” but give your learners as many opportunities as you can to “do the thing.”

Use both qualitative and quantitative metrics (promotions, retention, engagement surveys, focus groups) to show the long-term impact and efficacy of your programming.

This is another opportunity to lean into the relationships you have with your senior leadership team. The return on their investment is there; your role in showing it is what separates the good enablement professional from the great.

All of this to say, Enablement’s role in professional and leadership development can ensure the programming is

Relevant
Effective
Aligned with organizational goals
Long-lasting

This is how enablement can demonstrate having a real impact. ABL.

About Greg Hall

Greg is an enablement leader in the real estate tech industry with 10+ years experience in sales and leadership, and another 6+ years in enablement.

He leads frontline enablement across Contact Center Operations where he currently operates 5 concurrent professional development programs.