The Learning Partner: an expert dedicated to your success!

As a manager, do you lack the time to carry out a complete and exhaustive analysis of your company’s situation? Would you like to devote more time to your core business and business development? If so, count on the services of a Learning Partner. But what is a Learning Partner, and when should you contact this expert? Find out below.

What is a Learning Partner?

The Learning Partner, or leadership development consultant, is a professional (often self-employed) who helps managers, executives and senior managers develop their skills and leadership capacity. All with a human approach to performance management (collective and mentored).

To do this, the Learning Partner identifies development needs, and sets up and runs training programs within the company. They also establish effective management practices within organizations.

The Learning Partner works on an ad hoc basis with the Human Resources Director or the Organizational Development Manager (team leader). His ultimate aim is to help the company’s entrepreneurial strategy evolve, or to support management when faced with a problem related to its business sector.

What areas does Leadership Consulting cover?

Leadership Consulting offers a comprehensive approach to the specific situations faced by companies. Support is provided both to individual managers and to management teams. Here are the prerogatives of a leadership consultant:

• Accompanying growth: for this, the consultant defines a new strategy with potential international deployment or a change of scale, depending on the case.
• Identify and develop managers, and prepare the next generation of managers: a change of strategy can also lead to a change of governance, a new direction, etc.
• Transforming the existing business model towards a new business model (with, for example, a transition focused on sustainable development, innovation, etc.).

What’s the difference between a Learning Partner and a Business Partner?

The skills of a Learning Partner are often associated with those of a Business Partner. In reality, the two are complementary, and require the company to work closely with a trusted partner.

In the first case, the Learning Partner is a skills and performance improvement partner, while the Business Partner takes on the role of financial advisor, with the strategic dimension specific to both disciplines.

Other differences may arise, particularly with regard to the role of the trainer. The trainer transmits specialized knowledge, while the Learning Partner accompanies, guides and motivates the learner. The Learning Partner also intervenes to find appropriate solutions in the event of difficulties, and offers ongoing, personalized support.

What are the fundamental missions of a Learning Partner?

When a leadership development consultant arrives at your organization, he or she will take you through the various stages of a program. The aim is to develop the leadership qualities and skills of individuals and team managers, helping them to consolidate their position.

Identifying needs

Identifying leadership development needs is usually the first step in the program. The consultant carries out preliminary interviews, performance assessments and discussions with stakeholders.

Carrying out a development program

Next comes the design and implementation of a new leadership development program (or the evaluation and optimization of a pre-existing program). This program is further customized to the customer’s objectives (in terms of content and duration).

A good development program is tailored to your organization’s needs. It takes into account the maturity of your learning leaders at all times. It translates your ideas into concrete, measurable actions. In this way, it provides a favorable horizon for your growth and leadership transition objectives.

Coaching and mentoring leaders

Mentoring and coaching are two key concepts for achieving your goals. They are also two distinct approaches to individual and professional development. Mentoring is based primarily on personal experience. They provide you with long-term support, while you learn to develop your professional network.

The coach, on the other hand, guides you and provides feedback to encourage reflection. In the long term, this helps to bring out your skills and performance. Coaching helps you clarify certain objectives, and enhances self-awareness.

Which professional to choose? Talk to your specialist advisor. The support of a leadership mentor is more appropriate if you’re looking to develop your general skills in several areas as a leader. It’s also a good option if you feel blocked or uncertain on the road to your goals.

Evaluating and monitoring results

Evaluation and monitoring of program impact can take place in a variety of ways and on several levels. For example, you’ll find :

• A satisfaction survey of leaders who have taken part in the program.
• The extent to which program results match the objectives initially defined by the organization.
• Evaluation of the program and its impact on the people concerned.

When should you call on a Learning Partner?

When you call on an outside consultant to support you as a leader, it means you’re coming up against issues that you’re unable to deal with on your own. Here are just some of the issues you may face as a team leader:

• You want every potential employee to be able to express themselves, while respecting the codes, culture and values of your organization. There are many advantages to setting up a collective development program.
• You’ve identified a number of high-potential individuals whom you’d like to encourage to take on leadership responsibilities.
• You want to bring new skills into your organization, for greater efficiency, improved performance and a better working climate within your teams.
• You’re experiencing a communication problem of some kind, or difficulties in managing your human resources. These difficulties have a greater or lesser impact on productivity and profitability.
• You know your job well, but you feel you don’t have the time or skills to take your company to the next level. In this case, as in many others, a leadership development consultant gives you the benefit of an outside viewpoint, enabling you to step back and gain perspective on a specific situation.

What are the essential qualities of a Learning Partner?

A good leadership development consultant must demonstrate strong human and interpersonal skills. They must also be able to develop strategic skills. Here are a few examples of the core competencies required to excel as a consultant:

Empathy and active listening

The consultant’s primary role is to know how to respond to the customer’s needs and expectations. To do this, the consultant needs to develop an ability to listen that is both active and discerning (focusing not only on words, but also on emotions). In this way, the consultant can better understand the person in front of him or her, grasp his or her real needs, and then draw up an intervention framework to prevent any disputes.

Active listening can take many forms: it can be empathetic, informative, selective or passive. Empathy is the form of listening to be recommended if, as a consultant, you want to shape solid, lasting professional relationships.

Ability to analyze and synthesize

The consultant must be able to accurately analyze the functioning of the company in which he is working, while respecting the limiting framework. The analysis cannot be based on a superficial vision, and cannot be limited to easy solutions. The synthesis must be the exact reflection of this policy, and must enable clear and effective proposals to be drawn up.

Pedagogy

Synthesis must naturally feed the argumentation, with the aim of making the proposal acceptable and intelligible. Pedagogy is indispensable in many cases, including when the consultant encounters difficulties on the part of management (fear of change, etc.). Generally speaking, pedagogy is as much about psychological finesse as it is about firmness.

Personality management

If education is the key to getting a manager to accept a proposal, then personality management is the key to implementing that proposal. The role of the consultant is decisive here: he or she must be able to win acceptance for the change, so as to ensure the effectiveness of the proposed measures. The change that takes place is a real transition, which must necessarily win the support of the company’s various players.

Is the role of the leadership development consultant clearer to you? Trust is a key factor in the consultant/manager relationship, and must be nurtured at all times. Trust is the subject of our next article.