Enabling "Ready" Talent Pipelines

First-level Managers (FLMs) play a critical role in improving productivity and retention of the on-the-ground workforce, esp. in distributed set-ups in the insurance industry. Designing effective development programs for FLMs requires attention to a few key considerations:

• Relevance & Contextualization: Contextualizing content to participant context came across as a key requirement. Simpler language, industry-specific and even role-specific examples (e.g., banca vs. agency), and easy-to-use on-the-job aids proved to be great enablers for success.
• Delivery Format: One-off workshops have not proven effective, but getting people to travel for multiple workshops is very expensive. A hybrid or virtual learning journey with multiple touchpoints in small groups came out to be a more effective solution.
• Facilitated Conversations: Most managers were not looking for conceptual inputs. Our facilitators could engage the audience effectively by enabling conversations around on-the-ground issues and connecting concepts & skills to these issues.