We, at Kovai.co, believe that effective leadership is crucial for boosting a strong company culture, improving retention, and, most importantly, growing productivity. Kovai.co recently organized two editions of enriching leadership training programs designed for first-time managers and senior managers. While Breakthrough Bangalore, a behavioral and outbound training firm, conducted the program for senior managers, Bangalore-based Change+ conducted the program for first-time managers.
The programs aimed to help managers cultivate a leadership mindset, enhance managerial skills, and foster increased productivity and a better work culture. Both editions of the two-day event brought together more than 40 managers from diverse departments, including engineering, sales, marketing, customer success, and operations.
Senior Managers Program
The program conducted for mid and senior-level managers focused on promoting self-awareness among our managers, both regarding their personality traits and those of their team members. According to Jagadeesh, Operations Head at Breakthrough, understanding one’s leadership style facilitates a deeper comprehension of team members’ working styles, communication preferences, strengths, and weaknesses. This insight, he emphasized, contributes to a more empathetic and effective leadership approach.
First-Time Managers Program
The program conducted for first-time managers aimed at cultivating a leadership mindset among first-time managers who had mostly functioned as individual contributors until recently. The goal was for first-time managers to realize how to best use resources, manage different scenarios they were likely to come across, and how to build a team. This group was also made to understand their own individual personality traits and leadership styles.
Training Agenda
The programs were structured into distinct phases, starting with “Discover who you are!” featuring a DISC assessment. This phase enabled managers to grasp their personality styles, understand their team’s preferences, and appreciate the significance of maintaining a supportive work culture. Other phases included Feedback Culture and Leveraging Your Team.
A recurring mantra throughout the programs was “Different strokes for different folks,” emphasizing the importance of adaptability in communication and leadership styles. Robin Samuel, a consultant with Breakthrough, highlighted the significance of flexibility in dealing with team members of varying personalities, demonstrating different ways to relate to individuals through experiential learning.
DISC Assessment
Participants underwent a DISC assessment before the session. The People and Culture team aimed to cultivate self-aware leaders who engage in constructive debates, fostering an environment where the best ideas prevail and leading to faster project execution aligned with organizational goals. The training objectives were conveyed through interactive games and activities, reinforcing key concepts.
For instance, the “human tic-tac-toe” game illustrated the benefits of teamwork, while the “Change the Process Challenge” facilitated behavioral change and openness to feedback.
As part of the first-time managers program, the teams had to build a bridge with spaghetti to show different ways to utilize resources and build structures with paper, teaching them creativity.
What Our Managers Had to Say…
Participants shared their positive experiences, with Apurva Thrilok from Customer Success expressing how the training provided valuable insights into self-regulation and effective goal achievement. The session on giving and receiving feedback resonated strongly with Vijay Praveen Kumar, a program manager, who highlighted the importance of tailoring communication based on team members’ personalities. Antony Praveen, Senior Manager of Talent Acquisition, praised the workshop’s interactive and fun nature. His favorite activity, planning a trip based on DISC assessment scores, offered an eye-opening experience on diverse perspectives and priorities.
Conclusion
Kovai.co remains committed to investing in training workshops and upskilling programs to ensure continuous growth and improvement. We are confident that Empower360 and LEAP will benefit both our managers and their team members, contributing to our collective growth and success.
#togetherwegrow
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