Dig-ins vs. Traditional Training

Programs: What Works Best for Family-Led Companies?

If you are like the large majority of organizational leaders across industries, you have sat through workshops and training sessions that covered topics of little interest or applicability to your role. Leadership training does fail, but it is not the fault of the person attending in most cases. The information and the method of presentation have the most influence on the effectiveness and engagement of any employee training program.

In most cases, today’s leaders need targeted topic-based training that is efficiently delivered rather than generalized broad training. This is particularly true for family-led businesses that have unique management needs. For this reason, The Utech Group developed dig-ins to make leadership training in family-led businesses more relevant to traditional training. The following discussion explores dig-ins and traditional training programs.

Unique Training Needs of Family-Led Companies

Family-led companies need to develop leadership skills as much as any organization, but they have unique training needs. For example, every organization needs leaders who are decision-makers and problem-solvers. In the family-led business, additional dynamics due to family relationships impact leadership styles and decision-making. Traditional training typically addresses general leadership topics suitable for all business leaders rather than leadership skills within the context of family management. When it comes to family-led companies, a more tailored approach may be needed to meet the specific needs of the business.

Consider the following questions about leadership skills within the context of a family-led business.

Can your family members effectively solve problems without family conflict? Do your family leaders know how to communicate effectively with their teams when employees are wary of family connections?
Does the son or daughter promoted to a leadership position have, as a minimum, similar management experience that an outside hire may have brought to the position?
Is there a need for training on communicating long-term strategic goals within the context of the family business’s mission and values?
Do all family members have the essential leadership skills in communication, conflict resolution, employee engagement, problem resolution, feedback, team leadership, emotional intelligence, and more?
Do top family leaders, including the founder or owner, need leadership training but seldom participate in training opportunities, even though the company needs a transformation to modernize the culture, adopt a collaborative team leadership style, etc.?
Are family members allowed to participate in leadership training?
Do family members know how to develop systems that equitably produce high performance?

Some of the crucial areas in a family-led business that can impact organizational sustainability through growth and competitiveness include entrepreneurial competence, handling conflicts constructively, strategy development, collaboration among family members, ability to empower employees, and rigorously supporting shared values and goals, to name some of the most critical ones. Preparing family members to help a business family strategy that contributes to business continuity depends on ensuring each family member and their non-family management colleagues are trained on the specific leadership skills each person needs.

There is another consideration too. The larger a family-led business grows, the more likely non-family managers are needed. So, another essential leadership skill for family members is successfully hiring, retaining, and motivating top talent for leadership roles. It can be challenging for family members to share their decision-making authority in the business. However, competent, well-trained family members have a broader perspective on what is good for business sustainability.

Each family business has unique skills gaps, so it makes more sense to hone the specific skills of organizational leaders that are weak or even missing. Making someone sit through traditional training may equate to wasting time and losing the attention of a professional with specific needs and interests.

What Are Dig-Ins?

John F. Kennedy said, “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” The Utech Group believes leadership training should be focused and effective, so we developed what we call “dig-ins.” Dig-ins are topic-based trainings for individuals and teams to learn, reflect, and grow. They are designed to get right to the heart of addressing skills development needs. Some features of dig-ins include the following.

Sessions can be attended individually or attended as part of a six-part series.
Sessions can be customized through a choice of 24 topics on a menu.
The business can decide how many topics to cover.
Each session is 90 minutes long.
Sessions can be delivered virtually or in person.
Sessions are designed to be more engaging than large-group traditional training sessions due to the immersive nature of dig-ins
Real-time feedback is provided
There is high flexibility in training content and endurance.

Utech consultants can assist those who choose virtual delivery if they have questions. Virtual or in-person training by dig-ins offers more personalized learning experiences than is achievable in traditional training in the group setting. When compared to traditional training, dig-ins provide more flexibility because you can decide if your leaders will attend an individual session, complete a series of training sessions, or learn from customized topics based on organizational needs.

Differences Between Dig-Ins vs. Traditional Training

Traditional training is structured and formal and has a defined curriculum. It may include classroom work, workshops, lectures, seminars, audio-visual presentations, and e-learning. Many of these presentation forms require employees to be away from their work for a long period of time. Though e-learning is deliverable 24/7, traditional training is normally broad and comprehensive. It requires employees to complete several training modules, whether or not they need development in some topical areas.

We adhere to the philosophy of W.B. Yeats, who wrote, “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” Traditional training is mostly about “filling a pail.” Dig-in sessions are focused, and you determine which topics to cover. When comparing dig-ins vs. traditional training, dig-ins:

Concentrate on specific subjects or skills, targeting areas of expertise or need within a short timeframe.
These are short-term training sessions, so leaders learn essential information quickly and efficiently and do not require decision-makers or team members to be away from work for a long period of time.
Are customizable to address specific needs versus a set curriculum that is less adaptable to individual needs
Have clear, focused objectives related to a specific area of knowledge or skill versus broad learning objectives encompassing a wide range of competencies and skills
Offer a choice of individual or team participation.
This can lead to higher retention of specific knowledge due to concentrated focus.
Are highly customizable to meet specific needs, objectives, or emerging trends and can be adjusted quickly, while traditional training is more standardized and has less flexibility to adapt to individual or immediate organizational needs
Focus on achieving specific, clearly defined learning outcomes related to the topics versus generalized learning outcomes.
Offer leadership development opportunities that are quickly adaptable to emerging trends and specific organizational requirements.

Leadership skills development is not something that should be postponed or avoided because your leaders keep the business competitive. Dig-ins support a business continuous learning culture which is so critical in today’s ever-changing business environment. This investment in employees and leaders can also improve engagement and retention.

When Dig-Ins Work Best

Family-led businesses may struggle with developing a structured and strategic approach to ensuring leaders maintain relevant skills. For one thing, they may not want family members responsible for operations to disrupt their work or teams for lengthy training periods. Dig-ins offer an efficient skills development strategy that zeroes in on the specific knowledge leaders need to develop. When you consider dig-ins vs. traditional training, there are some points to remember.

Their focused delivery offers an excellent and structured method for promoting an organizational learning culture without disrupting the business.
Different family and non-family managers need different skills training opportunities, and dig-ins offer exactly what is needed rather than large segments of information not needed.
They are customizable, so they can more easily recognize the economic and social changes that lead to the need to master new skills.
Dig-ins make leadership development available to more people through virtual sessions.
Dig-ins are a convenient option for adding formal but focused skills development to match current training needs.
Topic-based training can be easily customized to align with the unique culture, values, and strategic goals of the family business, ensuring the training is directly relevant and immediately applicable.
Dig-ins support the onboarding of next-generation family members and integration into the family leadership structure.

Family-led companies often focus on succession planning and knowledge transfer across generations. Topic-based training can prepare the next generation of leaders for specific roles and responsibilities. Customized training ensures that critical knowledge and skills are preserved and passed down, maintaining continuity and sustaining the company’s legacy.

Balancing the Training Approach

Family-led companies often thrive with topic-based training compared to traditional training for several reasons. Family-led companies often have faster decision-making processes due to fewer bureaucratic layers. This allows them to quickly implement and adapt topic-based training programs to meet immediate needs. Dig-ins can be swiftly tailored to address specific skills gaps or emerging challenges. The curriculum can incorporate business-related and family-related topics.

Topic-based training can be precisely aligned with the goals of family-led businesses, ensuring that every training session supports the overall business strategy. The training can also be designed to reinforce the core values and mission of the family business, strengthening the organizational culture. Learning occurs when training participants understand the program objectives and the content is meaningful. Dig-ins meet both requirements.

Topic-based training aligns well with the dynamic, resource-conscious, and relationship-driven nature of family-led companies. It provides the flexibility, customization, and strategic alignment needed to support their unique strengths and challenges, ultimately contributing to better performance and long-term success.

Meeting the Needs of Family-Led Families

Utech’s topic-based training, called dig-ins, is designed to meet the needs of family-led businesses. It is a flexible and agile leadership development approach that can specifically address the needs of family and non-family leaders and their teams in the family-led business. They offer high engagement, effective personalized learning, real-time feedback, and flexibility.

We encourage you to contact The Utech Group to discuss dig-ins and our other training options designed for family-led companies that include leadership collectives and custom training.

With 30+ years of experience, our team of experts is here to help you grow and develop as a leader. If you’re interested in learning more about what we offer, CONNECT WITH THE UTECH TEAM TODAY!