Managers must now quickly learn other skills

This article was first published on pwnet.co.uk on April 13, 2021.Due to the corona pandemic, you are seeing a huge shift to digital learning, notes online training provider SkillsTown. In addition, learning needs are also increasing, particularly among managers. "Very different skills are now being asked of managers at an accelerated pace," says CEO Hans Schuurmans.At the training provider, the shift to working from home and online contact played much less of a role than at other companies: online training has been the standard at SkillsTown from the beginning. So the accelerated digitalization by corona played into Schuurmans' hands. "We were already seeing a shift to online and to blended learning," he says. "But starting last March, that grew tremendously. We had sometimes three to four times as many assignments, but we also saw up to four times as much learning by the people who have a subscription to our platform where they can have unlimited learning - sort of like a Spotify for learning. That grew significantly and certainly didn't diminish over the months."

Lasting change

If one group has seen its work change dramatically in the last year, it is management. "And that change is permanent," says Schuurmans. "When we were dealing with corona, the directive managers in particular had a hard time: they didn't have the people with them and had to learn to rely on the freedom and responsibility of employees. Teams that had been working on that basis for some time had much less trouble making the switch to working from home. I am convinced that remote management will continue to be important after corona. In my view, it is an example of management as it should be."

"If you promote lifelong learning, you should also make it possible for someone to learn at any time if they want to."

According to Schuurmans, the old-school managers in particular benefited from the acceleration brought about by corona: "Perhaps they normally had a lot of resistance to working from home and digital contact. But there was simply no time for cold feet. And they saw everyone taking even more responsibility of their own accord. And everyone notices that we have become more effective, although we miss the social aspect.

Managers were and still are a bit searching about how to fill their role now. Just because everyone got to experience working from home, it became clear that it's generally going pretty well."

Coaching role

In addition, more attention than before is needed to the human aspect of leadership, Schuurmans points out. "Take healthcare. A lot has changed there as well. There is more uncertainty and more flexibility is required. More people management is needed there than ever before. We already had problems with stress and burnout and those have certainly only increased in healthcare. So those aspects require even more attention."

This is also being addressed, says Joyce Zoer, content coordinator at SkillsTown: "We have developed training courses on mental health: how do you deal with the loneliness of working from home, how do you help colleagues and how do you ensure that your employees can continue to do their jobs well? The coaching aspect of leadership is becoming much more important."

Spontaneity disappears

Managers must also respond to the new digital communication. This is fundamentally different, Zoer says. "Video calling is quite a rich communication tool, but you still miss details. Especially if you're not in sharp or dark focus. Sitting across from each other, you get a lot more nonverbal communication. You have to ask more about what someone is feeling. It is also an obstacle for managers. In the office you just walk up to someone, but now you have to organize a team meeting. That is less informal. A five-minute conversation can be very important. Now you plan everything. We still make very few spontaneous phone calls. A Team Meeting starts very briefly with social talk, but after that it's already about the content."

Digital, practical and accessible

And if management needs to learn about digital leadership, they had better learn it digitally, Schuurmans says. "Our philosophy for years has been that learning can and should be different. Learning and development is sometimes still seen as a goal. But it is simply a means to do something better. Learning is also quite expensive. If you promote lifelong learning, you should also make it possible for someone to learn at any time if he or she wants to. We offer that through our subscription program. Learning French, giving an elevator pitch or the intricacies of Excel: you can start right away. "

"We are now also going to provide management training in digital form. We want to make that practical, affordable and accessible. With us it's not about the title either: we work with an open badge system, where you get recognition from others. It's like a Trip Advisor award where you get the stars from people who endorse your quality. Such an open badge describes what someone has done to earn that title. It's an example of what we think is the modern form of training: not three months of training and then a completion, but continuous tools to help you develop. We are not there for a title, but to help people perform better."

Getting started with management skills in your organization?

Get the best out of your organization with SkillsTown's new corporate MBE program. You ensure that employees with potential can grow in their management skills remotely, yet together. This way you create connection within your organization and give all your employees the opportunity for development.