On Aon Podcast: Training Managers for the Future of Work

October 10, 2023 16 mins

On Aon Podcast: Training Managers for the Future of Work

Episode 61: Aon experts discuss training and reskilling managers to meet the rapidly evolving demands of the workplace.

Key Takeaways

In this episode, Aon experts dive into recent trends and events impacting the training and reskilling of managers
Aon experts discuss tactics for forward-thinking management training exercises
Episode 61 provides insights on the evolving demands for training in technology, diversity and hybrid work

Intro:
Welcome to “On Aon,” an award-winning podcast featuring conversations between colleagues on, well, Aon. This week, we hear from Charlotte Schaller for a discussion on training and reskilling managers for the future of work. And now, this week’s host, David Allard.

David Allard:
My name is David Allard, and I've been a colleague at Aon since 2022. I am the Director of Communications for Aon Business Services. Today, we're talking about an issue critical to the future of work, training and retraining managers. Trends like the Great Resignation and Quiet Quitting have put intense pressure on managers. They're expected to go engage and retain their teams in the midst of significant change in and out of work. Plus, AI and other technology are changing how they approach their jobs on a daily basis. All this means the role of managers has become much more complex. With me today is Charlotte Schaller. Charlotte has been at Aon for nearly a decade and currently serves as Partner, Head of Aon Assessment UK, Human Capital Solutions. Thanks for being here today, Charlotte.

Charlotte Schaller:
Nice to be here.

David Allard:
Before we get started, I'd like to ask you a quick warmup question. What is the one piece of career advice you'd give yourself if you were just entering the workplace today?

Charlotte Schaller:
Good question. Thank you. Piece of advice, work with as many different people as you can. Make friends and stay in touch because you never know when you'll get to work with them again and in what capacity. So, grow your network and from the get-go. It's been a massively important element of my career path, so that's why I say to myself again.

David Allard:
Wonderful. Thank you for that. Alright, we're going to jump right in with our first question. How did the last few years of COVID-19 remote work and more make the idea of training and retraining managers something that's necessary for the future?

Charlotte Schaller:
Well, there's a clear trend showing that the manager role has evolved, a huge emphasis on enabling change, retaining and developing talent, wellbeing management. It's more about having a flexible management style, enabling equity and inclusion, building that trust and empowerment. So effective managers must now have the skillset to inspire their teams, providing them direction and emotional support. And it's not just during tricky periods or changes of unrest, it's building that into their day-to-day. And if you think about it, empathetic leadership does not come naturally to everyone. It's a skillset that often needs to be learned. And that might be through development, it might be through upskilling or even mentoring as well as being promoted and role modeled across the organization from high excellence of leaderships through to first time managers. So, all of that change has had a massive impact.

David Allard:
Sure, that makes perfect sense. Keeping on management, how would we define an effective manager today, and how do you think that definition will change in the future?

Charlotte Schaller:
The effective manager today is someone who possesses strong leadership skills, fosters open communication and promotes a positive work culture. So, what do I mean by that? They prioritize the wellbeing of their team members. That's someone who's a really good manager there. They encourage collaboration and they support people's professional development. I think also it's important to say an effective manager will be able to adapt to changing circumstances and embrace innovation. Look how much is changing around us and at speed, and that they strive to achieve individual goals, but also organizational goals.

David Allard:
And do you see a lot of that changing in the future?

Charlotte Schaller:
Well, things are constantly evolving and changing right now. I think we'll find we're on this path, aren't we? So, it's going to constantly evolve, and we've just got to keep our eyes open to see. But I don't think that the wellbeing of your team and being an empathetic leader is going anywhere.

David Allard:
And what kind of training do you think will be necessary to help managers be effective today and in the future? And how are companies conducting this type of training?

Charlotte Schaller:
Like I just said, the definition of an effective manager it's going to continue to evolve due to several factors, but there's obviously some things that are having an impact right now. So, the emphasis on technology, massive, rapid advancements in technologies. Managers are going to need to stay updated with digital tools, data analytics to help them make better decisions. This focuses on emotional intelligence. So as the workplace has become more diverse and inclusive, managers will need to exhibit higher EQ, emotional intelligence. They need to understand and empathize with their team members' needs and emotions.

Flexibility and adaptability, I touched on before, so the future workforce might demand more flexibility in work arrangements, requiring managers to be able to be adaptable and being able to be skilled in managing hybrid teams or remote teams effectively. It's such a different day-to-day, isn't it? Continuous learning is up there. Managers are going to need to prioritize continuous learning to keep up with industry trends, best practice and new management techniques. There's more, obviously there's leveraging AI and automation. Managers might need to work alongside our new friend, AI, understanding their capabilities, but also the limitations.

David Allard:
What kind of training will be necessary to help managers be effective today and in the future. And how are companies conducting this training?

Charlotte Schaller:
The training comes in all different shapes and sizes, but we have in-person workshops and seminars. Online training platforms are quite a common use. Webinars, virtual training. Obviously, we have coaching and mentoring. We've rolled out a great scheme here at Aon, where you're really tapping into some of the experts from all over the globe and pairing people up. It's a fantastic way of learning, especially for those new into the world of work. Team building activities, role playing and simulations – that's another really popular solution for some of our clients, where we design real life scenarios that they can put themselves in and see how would they respond in those scenarios. There's not really a right or wrong answer, it's just giving people different tips and development journeys. Case studies, great way to learn in group discussions. And obviously you have the external workshops and conferences. And let's not forget on the job training.

David Allard:
Absolutely. Though the world is changing extremely quickly in that regard. Next question I have for you is about training and retraining. So, what do you think the biggest challenges are in training and retraining? And what do you think the strategies companies can use to help managers view training and retraining in a positive light look like?

Charlotte Schaller:
Yes, absolutely. It's interesting, I met with a client recently and we were talking about rolling out a learning program for their managers and their main concern was around manager skepticism. Those managers who aren't bought into why and who don't value training. And it's quite a big challenge to overcome. So, working on a common strategy as to why you're rolling out the training is just as important as rolling out a learning program, in my eyes. You need to align the training with career growth. So there needs to be relevance.

It needs to emphasize how training can enhance a manager's skills and contribute to their professional growth. It needs to be practical and relevant, and getting an app right is really important. We've also been working with our clients to give personalized learning journeys. So that's where the relevance comes in. It's not going to be a one size fits all. And really understanding the data will help inform what programs you roll out for your managers and encourage active participation. So, involving managers in the training and planning process is going to help with that buy-in and that skepticism, get them involved even before it's a born idea.

Recognize and reward learning, it should be part of our goals, but should also be part of our development goals and be recognized and rewarded. And really create a supportive learning environment. Foster that culture that values continuous learning encourages managers to seek new knowledge and skills without a fear of judgment, if that makes sense. And like I've mentioned, providing flexible learning options. So, all different shapes and sizes, different formats to suit different needs, in-person workshops, online courses, webinars, self-paced modules. It's all doable and scalable if thought through in the first place. And-

David Allard:
Can I just touch on something that you said that-

Charlotte Schaller:
Sure.

David Allard:
... I thought was really interesting? Individual learning, would that mean that a manager has the opportunity to look at the strengths and needs of someone that they're managing and tailor the learning by that?

Charlotte Schaller:
Absolutely. I'm obviously having a focus here in this conversation around myself as a manager and how I would like a personalized learning journey. But of course, that can be reflected onto the people that they are managing, really teaching them to identify people's strengths and developments and what's going to work for them. Maybe it's shadowing somebody, maybe it's throwing them straight in the deep end. That's the best way they learn. Just don't give them any brief, just off you go. Others might need a proper full-on old-fashioned workshop in person. Different people have different needs.

David Allard:
Great. And all of this training certainly reminds me of something really important in our culture or just at Aon in general is culture. And so, one of our last questions is going to be about culture. And how do you think training for managers helps build a culture of learning for the company, and why is that so important?

Charlotte Schaller:
Well, lead by example comes to mind straight away. When managers participate in training and demonstrate a commitment to learning, which I keep repeating, they set a positive example to their teams. It inspires employees to follow suit and invest in their own development. It just also shows a authenticity and a vulnerability that as a manager, you're not just the finished product, you are still growing and learning yourself. And that's a really, really important example to present to your team. It promotes continuous improvement. The learning culture encourages employees, including managers, to continuously seek new knowledge and skills.

It's being thrown at us all the time. And that drive for improvement leads to more adaptable and innovative workforce, naturally. It's got to have a good positive input on employee engagement. So, employees will feel more engaged and valued when they see their organization investing in their professional growth. It's going to really help with attracting talent and retaining talent. That all really helps build a great culture, employee value proposition. It's going to obviously enhance employee performance. So well-trained managers are better equipped to support and guide their teams. It's going to, therefore, lead to improved overall employee performance and productivity.

David Allard:
Great.

Charlotte Schaller:
And it's going to support... The big topic that we are regularly discussing with our clients is around succession planning. You've got people moving up and onwards or out of organizations. Developing a learning culture is going to really help the organization see where the gaps are and what the paths are and who their future leaders are going to be and who their future managers are coming up behind. So, embrace.

David Allard:
I like that. Embrace. Thank you so much. I have one more fun question for you as we close this up. And I wasn't sure, I had a few, and you brought up something really important to our culture here at Aon and that's wellbeing. And so my last question for you is what do you do to relax or have fun after work?

Charlotte Schaller:
Oh, well, I have quite a busy life outside of work. I've got two kids. One's just finished her GCSEs, so that's been joyful. Exams. Obviously, for my colleagues out of the UK. She's 16 and just on loads of exams. But I love swimming outdoors. I'm extremely lucky. I know I live in England and you're probably thinking cold and rainy and cloudy, but I said to myself two years ago, no matter what the weather, I'm going to swim in my local outdoor pool. It is heated, but I have swam in the snow, in the sun, in the sleet, in the rain. It's a two-minute walk. And sometimes I go in my towel and my flip-flops in the winter. But what it allows me to do, I don't know why, but while I'm swimming, I can only think of what number length I'm on. I can't think about work. I just swim one, two, and it just clears my mind. I suppose it's my own personal mindfulness, but I feel wonderful afterwards, especially when it's really, really cold. It's a great feeling.

David Allard:
Wow, what a great story. Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Charlotte Schaller, thank you so much for joining us. That's our show for today. And thank you to all our colleagues for listening. And look for the next episode of On Aon, coming soon.

Outro:
This has been a conversation “On Aon” and the future of work. Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this latest episode, tune in soon for our next edition, and stay tuned for season two, episode 1 of the On Aon Insights podcast series, coming soon. You can also check out past episodes on Simplecast. To learn more about Aon, its colleagues, solutions and news, check out our show notes, and visit our website at Aon dot com.

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