Hollister: The Call to Action Heard ’Round the World: A Success Story in Learning Transfer for New Managers
Hollister President Alan F. Herbert
(left) presents
a certificate for the intensive manager training
course to David Rieger, Manager - IT Operations
and Client Support.
Ask learning and development professionals to name an element common to successful management training programs. The answers will likely focus on one thing: To make a difference for their organizations, participants must transfer learning from the classroom to the workplace. This is a mark of success that Hollister Incorporated and LFCE achieved together with the Building Your Management Skills certificate program for new managers.
John McCarthy, Director of Global Training and Development at Hollister, explains the vision that guided the program’s design team. “As Hollister continues to grow, we need more talented employees to rise to management positions. With this in mind, our goals were to help our current managers sharpen their skills and, at the same time, build bench strength for leadership of the company.”
During training, participants strengthen management communication skills, learn to effectively manage the performance of staff, gain a deeper understanding of Hollister’s values and culture, practice skills for effectively dealing with day-to-day conflict, and apply the fundamentals of team building.
The participants’ diversity further helps strengthen skills and working relationships throughout the organization. Managers from across Hollister’s worldwide operations are selected for participation. Half of a recent group of participants were based outside the US, representing operations that included Italy, Germany, Ireland, the UK, France, Spain, and Mexico. Participants also are drawn from diverse functional areas: from supply chain management, product development, and IT, to country managers responsible for managing their countries’ entire operations.
The program is presented in three modules consisting of three days each. A period of three to four months separates each session. Six to eight weeks after each session, small groups of participants reconnect by conference call.
Guided by LFCE faculty, these groups share successes and challenges they’ve faced while working to apply the new techniques and skills they learned in the classroom. “From breakthroughs to struggles, participants discuss their real-world experiences. Everyone grows together,” explains Howard Prager, LFCE Director and program project manager.
The reinforcement conference calls enable LFCE faculty to bring the classroom experience directly to participants while they are working to apply new skills and techniques on the job. “Think of a recent conference call you’ve had and ask this question: Did I come away feeling more connected to my organization and more confident using that more organizations will likely incorporate into their programs.”
Like the reinforcement conference call, many of the program’s successful design elements can be attributed to teamwork and the highly collaborative relationship Hollister and LFCE have formed. “Our close working relationship helped us at LFCE truly understand the culture and objectives of Hollister, and customize the program to meet their specific needs,” Prager explains. “It’s exciting to see the measurable business results the program is delivering.”
Indeed, the program is paying off. An impressive 94% of participants have reported they learned new skills and applied them on the job. In addition, 84% of participants report that changes in their behavior have already resulted in positive outcomes on the job.
“These results are very encouraging,” says McCarthy. “We’re also pleased to see participants network outside of class. Recently one participant hosted a backyard barbeque for her classmates. Spontaneous interactions such as these reinforce the culture of community among associates that we encourage at Hollister.”
The company’s strong support for managers’ growth extends throughout the key leadership team. In fact, Hollister President Alan Herbert kicks off each session and returns to the final class to personally award achievement certificates. “Research shows that senior management support is another factor that significantly increases training program effectiveness. The enthusiasm and support of leaders at Hollister, and the results that followed, support these findings,” Prager says.
Word has spread fast among the company’s future business leaders. Already there’s a waiting list of participants for upcoming sessions. The third group of participants from across the globe will begin the program in April 2007, as Hollister continues to grow and develop its management bench strength worldwide.
