Training Magazine Middle East September 2014 | Page 21

EXPO 2020: Can Dubai Fill The Skills Gap?

For companies based in the Middle East, the main advantage of recruiting nationals is the decreased budget needed for leadership and cultural training. Nationals possess the required regional skills without training and thus only need global leadership training.

After Expo 2020, expatriates will still remain an important addition to companies in the Middle East and HR departments will need to get the balance right between reliance on expatriates and locals.

How do we train global leaders?

There are many training methods that develop a global leader. In order to be successful , the training must take the trainees outside of their comfort zone. The most basic but powerful strategy for developing a global leader is the investment in training abroad (Hall, Zhu & Yan, 2001). Training abroad can be facilitated through a job exchange or rotation program.

Executives report that “it takes at least three months to become immersed in a geographical location and appreciate how the culture, politics, and history of a region affects business there” (Gail Naughton, as quoted in Tricia Bisoux, “Global immersion,” BizEd, 2007, Volume 6, Number 4, pp. 44–49).

Other successful immersive training models include cross-cultural mentors, cultural diversity communication training programs and global leadership development programs. The majority of GLD (Global Leadership Development) programs focus on talent management and leadership skill development.

How do you identify which training method suits the training objectives?

Strategic workforce planning (SWP) is a highly recommended tool for assessing skills and identifying skills gaps. In 2014, the AMA (American Management Association), reported that twice as many high performing organizations use SWP than under performing organizations. Following an evaluation of the company’s objectives with the SWP results it is easy to identify the best suited training method for each individual within the organization.

Furthermore, global leadership training should always be customized to the individual and their job objectives, e.g. if a job role has frequent travel to China, the employee needs to understand that change in China happens quickly and experimentation is common. In contrast a sales executive will need to know the skills of negotiation, but objective analysis skills training is not necessary.

A company specific GLD program is the most beneficial training model, tailoring the GLD program to each employee’s current skill level, job description and the company’s strategic objectives ensures the training is relevant and actionable.

Another effective training technique is incorporating global leadership training into employees’ schedules on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. On the job training techniques include attending meetings in foreign locations, working within culturally diverse or cross-border teams and completing expatriate assignments.

International assignments coupled with formal learning and experience of working in diverse teams is the quickest way to equip a leader with the skills required to become a global leader.

Conclusion

The importance of global leadership development is undisputed and growing. As experienced trainers, we recognise that we cannot make an individual learn a skill, they need to be proactive in their learning and this is especially true for global leadership training.

Implementing a recruitment process that is aligned with the organizations strategic objectives and is partnered with tailored training which incorporates a variety pf the strategies discussed, is the quickest and most successful route to developing the global leaders of tomorrow, global leaders who will take the multi-national companies of tomorrow to the next level.

Eva Khan is Editor-In-Chief of Training Magazine Middle East and lives between Dubai , London and LA.

Global Leadership Feature