Case Study: Elevating Leadership Development
in a Retail Company
Executive Summary
In a groundbreaking collaboration, a leading retail company and TrainingPros developed a virtual, nomination-based leadership program designed to bridge a critical gap for high-performing individual contributors. The program equipped participants with essential skills such as personal branding, influencing without authority, and managing up and across.
The initiative yielded impressive outcomes: participants reported significant improvements in leadership competencies, achieved a 30% promotion rate within eight months, and maintained a 100% retention rate of program participants. With senior executive involvement and an emphasis on peer learning, this program has become a cornerstone of the company’s leadership offerings.
The Challenge
The retail company faced a clear business need: to increase the promotion rate of high-performing individual contributors. The company’s internal promotion rate was lower than the organizational goal, highlighting an opportunity to develop leadership skills among this critical group. Historically, corporate leadership development programs had excluded these high performing individual-contributors, leaving a development gap.
Through a comprehensive needs analysis, the company’s Leadership and Development team identified key skill gaps, including:
- Personal branding.
- Influencing without authority.
- Managing up and across the organization.
To address these needs, the team set out to design a program that would prepare individual contributors for leadership roles and build a strong leadership pipeline.
The Solution
Partnering with TrainingPros, the retail company developed an award-winning leadership development program tailored to individual contributors. The program featured a three-day virtual instructor-led (VILT) format, with each day dedicated to a specific theme.
Key design elements included:
- Interactive workbooks to reinforce learning.
- Peer feedback sessions to encourage collaboration and reflection.
- Breakout sessions for skill application and discussion.
- Executive speakers to provide senior-level insights and mentorship.
This virtual format ensured accessibility for remote employees, fostering engagement across diverse teams.
The Result
The program delivered measurable and transformative outcomes based on surveys and interviews before the program and 90 days after the program:
- A 67% improvement in influence without authority.
- An 111% increase in participants perceived on-the-job influence.
- A 30% promotion rate within eight months, far exceeding the company’s overall promotion rates.
- A 100% retention rate among program participants, compared to the company’s 92% overall retention rate.
These achievements underscore the program’s impact on both individual contributors and organizational leadership pipelines. The initiative has become a permanent fixture in the company’s leadership offerings, with future cohorts planned.
The collaboration between the retail company and TrainingPros demonstrates the power of targeted leadership development programs in fostering internal talent. By addressing specific skill gaps and engaging participants through innovative learning design, the program not only increased promotions and retention but also positioned the company as a leader in cultivating high-performing talent. This initiative reflects TrainingPros’ commitment to delivering impactful, results-driven solutions for leadership development.
Elements of a Learning Journey for Instructional Designers
Resources Provided
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