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Not every manager is trained for their role. Many are elevated to the position without any formal guidance, and are forced to navigate the job alone—to the detriment of their direct reports. But one company has a popular crash-course program teaching supervisors how to lead.
Canva launched its own internal learning and development strategy called the Leadership Academy in April 2023. The 12-week “coach essentials” course is available to all middle-managers at the 5,000-employee company, and teaches skills like delivering actionable feedback, managing hybrid teams, and building trust among staffers. There are several ways supervisors can learn, from virtual classes, to peer-to-peer sessions with Canva’s people leadership executives. So far coach essentials has been well received by managers with a sky-high 92% NPS score: a type of user approval rating.
Jennie Rogerson, global head of people at Canva, tells Coins2Day the idea for the Leadership Academy came about by listening to employees. From one of the company’s biannual pulse surveys, they found that managers needed a lot more tangible help when it came to leading teams. When creating the course materials, Canva was sure to encompass the entirety of the talent cycle—from onboarding, all the way through the end of a staffer’s stay at the company.
One of the biggest concerns Canva initially heard from managers was about leading through change—whether that be the dawn of AI or navigating a shifting DEI climate. People were also struggling with how to lead different generations; for instance, supervising a Gen Z staffer is different than managing a boomer. For younger staffers in particular, it’s important that “they don’t just feel like a cog in a wheel, but like a real integral part of what the company is building.”
Rogerson says that the Leadership Academy is core to Canva’s overall talent strategy. After all, managers have an outsized effect on employee experience, and therefore engagement and retention.
“The [Leadership Academy] makes sure that everyone has all of the context, all of the information they need to really lead their teams incredibly effectively,” she says. “Information can get bottlenecked if you’re not really intentional.”
Emma Burleigh
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Today’s edition was curated by Brit Morse.
Around the Table
A round-up of the most important HR headlines.
Managing employees experiencing chronic health conditions can be tricky. Here’s what managers can do to make their lives easier. New York Times
Doniel Sutton, the chief people officer at Pinterest, explains why forcing workers back into the office won’t work for most companies. Fast Company
Demand for jobs, skills, and talent related to sustainability is still high across the U.S., according to a new report from LinkedIn, and experts say that isn’t likely to change. Inc.
Watercooler
Everything you need to know from Coins2Day .
A little advice. At the Coins2Day Global Forum conference on Monday in New York City, Target CEO Brian Cornell discussed the cultural glue that keeps the massive one-stop-shop chain growing. —Natalie McCormick
Income disparities. Abby Joseph Cohen, former chief U.S. Investment strategist at Goldman Sachs, believes pay inequality has “become more and more problematic” since the pandemic. —Orianna Rosa Royle
Post-military struggles. Despite historically low unemployment numbers among veterans, many are still having a difficult time transitioning out of public service and into the private sector. —Jonathan Due
