Organization which need to develop a L&D strategy, requires to get involved with a range of organization’s stakeholders to ensure the strategy is aligned with organizational objectives and priorities.
When it comes to management and leadership development strategies, Organizations have a variety of choices to make which range from formal to the informal, and from those that are organization-directed to self-directed.
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It is generally accepted that the majority of management and leadership development activities in organizations are both formal and organization-driven. It is assumed that these interventions will produce change in managers; however, there is strong evidence to suggest that most learning to manage actually occurs informally on the job Dawes et al (1996) in tacit, culturally embedded ways through people’s work practices within organizations, groups and other communities Lave and Wenger (1991). A product of learning from experience in these settings is tacit knowledge Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995), believed to be one of the most important factors dis-tinguishing successful managers from others Wenger and Snyder (2000).
Definitions of formal management and leadership development suggest that it: is concerned with unambiguous objectives, highly structured interventions, where the locus of control is outside managers, and the learning may be real or disconnected, and artificial in nature. Leaders and managers tend to perceive formal development opportunities as a mechanism to develop more transferable competencies and to remain marketable and employable Garavan, Hogan and Cahir-O’Donnell (2008). Managers do not necessarily view formal development interventions as a basis for advancement or progression. It is more about the manager maintaining his/her value in the labour market Carbery and Garavan (2007).
Formal learning and development interventions have the potential to enhance the development of organizational competencies. Specific aspects of competency that are increasingly valued by organizations include planning of work, organizing and reconquering resources, dealing with crises, taking risks, and problem-solving and decision-making skills. The possession of organizational competencies helps the organization to achieve competitive advantage. There is some evidence that manager recruitment and retention is a knock-on effect of the provision of formal learning and development opportunities, and managers are highly attracted to organizations that can offer formal development opportunities.
Informal and non-formal management and leadership development activities primarily tend to be self-directed. Such development occurs naturally through day-to-day work processes. The contemporary viewpoint is not to see formal and informal leadership and management development as competing paradigms, but to consider them as two sides of the same learning process. Garavan, Hogan and Cahir-O’Donnell (2008) suggest that, at the level of the manager, formal and informal learning activities are inter-related, contributing in different ways to the building of knowledge and competency. Informal management and leadership development differs from formal activities in that it is incidental to everyday endeavors. Sometimes led by the learner, or assisted by friends or work colleagues, it occurs in the workplace, family, community.
The impact of politics on management development strategy-making.
To make effective use of organizational politics, leaders must be aware of specific political tactics and strategies. Leaders so frequently need support for their programs that they search for innovative types of political behaviors. They influence others through power and politics. Furthermore, new tactics continue to emerge as the workplace becomes increasingly competitive.
The ethical political behaviors can be divided into three related groups: Tactics and Strategies aimed at;
• Gaining power
• Building relationships with superiors and coworkers and
• Avoiding political blunders
All these political approaches help a leader gain or retain power. Using them can help the leader succeed in and manage stressful workforce. It is an interpersonal style that manifests itself in being socially astute and engaging in behaviors that lead to feelings of confidence, trust, and sincerity.
An example is that, a middle manager with political skills can be able to defend her group against an angry CEO looking for a scapegoat.
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