Leadership development refers to any activity that enhances the quality of leadership in an individual or in an organization and can range from MBA style programs to action learning, high-ropes courses and executive retreats.
Good leaders are followed not because of the skills they possess, but because people trust and respect them, so leadership development programs often try to teach the attitudes and behaviors that allow a person to not only direct and instruct people, but also to earn the trust and respect of those being led or managed.
Leadership development courses can include instruction on:
- when to be a leader and when to be a follower
- how to lead by example
- the dynamics of being a leader within a group
- communication skills
- how to gain employee respect
- how to discover and utilize the strengths of your team in a way that engages them
Professional development refers to skills and knowledge attained for both personal development and career advancement. The purpose of professional development is to increase general knowledge or knowledge of a specific profession in an effort to make someone a more informed and effective worker and can take the form of learning opportunities, such as college degrees and coursework, or attending conferences or training sessions.
The reasons most people attend professional development courses are:
- an interest in lifelong learning
- to maintain and improve professional competence
- to enhance career progression
- to keep abreast of new technology and practice
- to comply with professional regulatory organizations
Hospitality training is a form of customer service training specifically geared towards those in the hospitality industry who interact with customers, clients, or guests on a regular basis.
Hospitality training can include instruction on:
- delivering personal service that is genuine, warm, and unobtrusive
- exceeding customer expectations
- projecting a professional work image
- anticipating a customer’s needs
- making customers feel understood and appreciated
- resolving problems that arise in a way that satisfies the customer
Team Building is the process of enabling a group of people to reach a desired goal. It involves setting a goal before a team, with all the tools they need to meet that goal, and allowing them to identify and work through the obstacles and in attempt to reach the desired outcome. The general purpose of team building exercises, which are often physical challenges, is to help a group of people work together better.
Team building can be used to:
- increase the productivity and effectiveness of a group
- motivate employees
- help people get to know one another
- help identify strengths of the team and individual team members and areas that need improvement
- to improve group dynamics and communication
People management refers to the interaction between managers and the people they oversee and can include hiring, compensation, safety, wellness, communication, training, and providing ongoing support and direction for employees.
People management training can include instruction on:
- how to hire and retain the right employee for a job
- how to lead by example
- how to provide quality training
- how to create a positive working environment