Designing a Learning and Talent Development Intervention at Robbs Organization

Introduction

Robbs Organization, a government agency in California, may reflect a real story stimulating the main difficulties of the discontent employees, leadership transition, and poor communication. Such matters, however, being instrumental in public administration, exhibit a more complex nature and raise the issues central governments have to deal with (Smith et al., 2017). The Robbs Organization, with the rest of the public sector struggling through an increased level of  20% employee turnover and public reporting on operational standards, shows all the complexities of the fact that keeping the workforce in leaderless situations can be met with difficulties regarding loyalty and productivity (Kuipers et al.,2014). This paper is an intervention plan built on the Leadership and Talent Development (L&TD) strategy that will allow managers to develop their skills, build communication networks within the firm, and boost employee engagement through reinstatement. 

II.Identification of Learning Needs

Determining the learning requirements within Robbs’ organization is a significant task that demands a thorough analysis of data from staff satisfaction surveys and exit interviews. As illustrated in Table 1, this analysis unravels a triad of crucial learning gaps: communication skills in managerial affairs, leadership when handling poor employee performance, and fostering strong connections between the manager and employees.

Managerial Communication Skills

One of the concerns emphasized explicitly in most of the survey data from respondents was the need for more management communication factors. Many reports showed that employees felt disconnected; 75% of participants said they rarely received constructive feedback (Johnson-Cramer al, 2022). In addition to weakening work efficiency, it deems the trust, the basis of good leadership shall be the crucial one to be eroded. Communication, as a managerial skill, involves transmitting information, but it also involves active listening, empathy, and competence in constructively articulating feedback (Itri & Lawson, 2016). 

Leadership and Managerial Action on Poor Performance

In addition, the issue of ineffectively managed poor performance is another critical challenge. The employees quitting cited accountability for underperformance as one of the reasons for their demotivation. The research carried out by (Johnson-Cramer et al., 2022) revealed that 60% of the employees mentioned a fall in the precedent of accountability for underperformance. The above notion demonstrates an insufficient leadership skill, primarily for dealing with performance problems. Effective management certainly pinpoints and improves performance issues and builds the work atmosphere, constantly supporting workers’ personal Development and improvement (Itri & Lawson, 2016). 

Enhancing Employee-Manager Relationships

Finally, the loosening ties between the workforce and management must be addressed. The survey reported that 80% of the employees agreed that their person-to-word relationship manager had worsened over the last two years (Johnson-Cramer et al., 2022). This is occasioned by the switch in a leadership style that has impacted the entire cultures within the organization. Employee-manager relationships constitute the foundation of organizational success because they represent precisely the factors of job satisfaction, staff turnover, and performance (Itri & Lawson, 2016). However, forging such connections requires managers to execute well in emotional intelligence, filling conflicts, and cultivating a work culture of mutual respect and understanding.

III.Learning Objectives

The initial objective is to work on the part of the team, which is the communication skills of the managerial staff. This is through giving managers the skills to relay their feelings correctly, encouraging employees’ feedback, and listening actively. According to (Hargie, 2016), communication effectiveness is not simply representing information as it is but includes an exchange of feedback and reception. Hence, to accomplish this, there is a need to raise the frequency and effectiveness of interactions between top managers and employees by around 40% over the next six months, as indicated through employee feedback surveys. 

The next objective aims to form progressive measures to address the poorly performing employee situation. This also encompasses training the managers to identify problems related to performance, to take action with the progress of discipline, and having training to improve their performance. On this note, (Armstrong & Taylor,2020) contend that dealing with poor performance requires a good balance of assertiveness and support for the employees, ensuring that they know the expected performance levels and receive the required guidance to hit them. This objective will be evaluated by a 30% reduction in repeat performance problems within a year and an increase in the managers’ capacity to document and address the performance problems successfully.

Lastly, the initiative aims to cement amicable relations among employees and management. The aim behind the objective stated above correlates directly with the thought that people who enjoy their jobs have solid interpersonal relationships (Armstrong & Taylor, 2020). The intervention aims to develop emotional intelligence, conflict-resolving skills, and strategy for team integration, respectively. We will use the survey for this purpose and measure the efficiency of this objective by the 25% annual rise of the employees’ satisfaction scores towards manager relationships within the next cycle.

Engaging Stakeholders and Barrier Mitigation

Partnership with the stakeholders in the L&TD initiative at Robbs Organization is imperative for the initiative’s outcomes. The stakeholders are the company administration, the workers, the Human Resources (HR) department, and the CEO. Their participation is crucial to the success of the intervention; its relevance, acceptance, and effectiveness are ensured with the involvement of these key actors. Therefore, getting them on board calls for a strategic process. Management and the CEO, as managers, should be enrolled in determining the project’s general direction and fixing the priorities for its life cycle. As (Eden & Ackermann, 2013) underlines, their engagement is crucial for the decisions on resources and support in institutions. The difference between the top-down approach and others is the latter’s active involvement of employees. The essence of that is that the issue is grounded in real problems at the workplace, which, in turn, increases the practical applicability of it. 

Using focus groups and feedback sessions can achieve efficiency in the involvement of such stakeholders. On the other hand, these platforms enable dialogue between their users and problems, which will ensure that they are well-thought-out and contain input from all the relevant stakeholders. Indeed, this collaborative approach is a simulative factor that leads to a sense of ownership among various stakeholders, a critical factor in implementing effective change management (Bryson, 2018). It is well-known that overcoming and dealing with possible barriers is another crucial aspect. 

Learning Intervention Design

The Learning Intervention for the Robbs Organization is a carefully prepared program committed to the pillars of adult learning theory and transformational leadership development provided through a blended approach. This is meant to be a specific intervention dealing with the three issues of managerial communication, negative staff performance management and growth of employee managerial skills. The approach incorporates three core modules, each engineered to address a cognitive deficiency. Table 2 discusses the content and goals of the modules.

Communication Skills Workshop

Communication training is the central portion of this module. The exercises that strengthen listening skills provide helpful feedback and clarify expectations, which must be accomplished first. It is based on the adult learning theory. It recognizes that adult learners already have years of experience and are a valuable source of knowledge for the learning environment (Knowles et al., 2014). Activities include roleplaying, feedback, and communication strategy training. The aim is to build a relationship moving out for a constructive dialogue and transparent representation.

Leadership in Managing Underperformance Workshop

This module is about developing performance-enhancing strategies – the transformational leadership part is exemplified by (Bojovic & Jovanovic, 2020). It focuses on providing skills to managers in leading and encouraging team members to work hard and optimally. The planning content involves problem analysis, coaching for improvement, and how to execute it constructively. Group activities, such as case studies through interaction, will be used to improve active learning.

Developing Good Employee-Manager Relationships Workshop

The module here will engage the team members to improve interpersonal relationships between them and their managers. It will touch on emotional intelligence, conflict resolution and team-building strategies. The main goal is to create empathy and understanding, essential for building strong professional relationships. This module will involve team exercises, empathy training, and roleplaying conflict resolution techniques to sustain learning. The intervention is heavily based on adult learning theory and transformational leadership. As (Knowles et al., 2014) describe, the adult learning theory is considered an experiential learning process, and it centres on the freedom and assertiveness of adult learners. 

Budget and Resources

A financial blueprint for the Learning and Talent Development (L&TD) intervention for Robbs Organization is essential and may require a detailed plan and budget. The budget, equivalent to $30,000, is set aside for human resources, materials and technology, each of which fulfils a different function in the intervention and implementation. For this scope, we will hire tutors and trainers, including facilitators’ fees, consultant services, and administrative support amounting to $15,000. (As Fazel Anvari, 2017) Noted, one of the top trainers is the quality of facilitators, which strongly determines the effectiveness of the training programs. Consequently, investing in skilled personnel is the right thing to do if the program is to be successful. Material costs for workshops, estimated at $ 5000, cater to workshop supplies, handouts, and other printed materials. These digital resources are crucial for the practical part of the training, which in many ways develops manually led sessions that are jammed with activities and involve learners. The technology budget, amounting to $10,000, covers buying online learning platforms and software for virtual sessions and other digital resources. Augmentation of technology goes hand-in-hand with the intervention’s blended learning mode that shapes the learning process by enhancing flexibility, thus making it more dynamic and interactive. Table 3 is a detailed summary of resource allocation and its rationale.

VII.Evaluation Plan

Learning and Development are essential to verify if it works and to shape future improvements for Robbs Org Training (L&TDT) internalization. The performance assessment objective will be achieved by applying Kirkpatrick’s Four-Level Model, a well-established model in training evaluation (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). This model evaluates training programs at four levels: Extreme Environment, Human Adaptation, Response, Education and Results. At the start of the reboot, participants will be asked to give instant feedback on their reactions to the training. The achievement of this objective is facilitated by the post-workshop surveys, which help receive feedback on the training’s relevance compared to other alternative options, engagement and participants’ level of satisfaction. The purpose of such activities is to evaluate them and understand that they are critical aspects. Often, when there is a positive emotional response, people are more motivated to use their learned skills. Pre-test and post-test will also be set to detect growth in learners’ knowledge and skills. Successful training programs must entail evaluations covering the core items, such as communication techniques, management practices, and building relationships. A pre-change and a post-change score will be a better means to prove the level of knowledge and skills developed by the participants.

In order to assess the outcome of knowledge transfer on behaviour, a follow-up survey and interview will be conducted three months after the intervention. This will appraise the use of acquired skills at workplaces, especially in communications, performance, and staff relationship management. In addition to these metrics and suggestions of fellow workers and supervisors, the changes in managerial practices will be observed. The final level focuses on the long-term assessment of training effectiveness concerning the organizational goals. This measures the impact on employees’ satisfaction, the reduction in the turnover rate and the improvement of the general productivity. The data, which would be in the form of an organizational survey report and a performance report, will be collected at the end of each year. This is the basis for a comprehensive understanding of the intervention’s effectiveness over time. Table 4 lists the evaluation plan for the organizational capacity building (L&TD) intervention at Robbs Org, as Kirkpatrick’s four-level model was designed.

VIII. Conclusion 

The suggested L&TD project for Robbs Organization is a comprehensive program that includes assessing and closing the organization’s skill gaps to ensure the organization’s long-term prosperity and robustness on managerial communication, leadership in performance management, and employee-manager relationships. The intervention is designed to integrate practical applications with the theoretical frameworks and to create a blended learning environment. 

REFERENCES

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Itri, J. N., & Lawson, L. M. (2016). Ineffective leadership. Journal of the American College of Radiology, 13(7), 849–855.

Johnson-Cramer, M. E., Phillips, R. A., Fadlallah, H., Berman, S. L., & Elms, H. (2022). What we talk about when we talk about stakeholders. Business & Society, 61(5), 1083–1135.

Kirkpatrick, J. D., & Kirkpatrick, W. K. (2016). Kirkpatrick’s four levels of training evaluation. Association for Talent Development.

Knowles, M. S., Holton III, E. F., & Swanson, R. A. (2014). The adult learner: The definitive classic in adult education and human resource development. Routledge.

Kuipers, B. S., Higgs, M., Kickert, W., Tummers, L., Grandia, J., & Van der Voet, J. (2014). The management of change in public organizations: A literature review. Public administration, 92(1), 1-20.

Smith, W. K., Jarzabkowski, P., Lewis, M. W., & Langley, A. (Eds.). (2017). The Oxford handbook of organizational paradox. Oxford University Press.

Appendix

Table 1: Analysis of Staff Satisfaction Survey and Exit Interview Data

Table 2: Workshop Modules and Content

Table 3: Budget and Resource Allocation

Table 4:The Evaluation Plan for the organizational capacity building (L&TD) intervention at Robbs Org, as designed by Kirkpatrick’s Four-Level Model.