Most modern leaders recognise the need for continuous training and development, both for themselves and their team. Helen Lancaster shares the benefits and advice for those considering the investment
You’ve had external training both at a junior and senior level. What drove you to make that investment when you were new to your career in marketing?
When I took my first diploma, a three-year course in marketing, I was in my early twenties. I just wanted to get a foot in the door and I had an English literature degree, not business qualifications. It definitely proved to be a useful thing. I think it gives you confidence. Even now when I look at projects, I still sometimes draw on my diploma. I even remember the different modules. The challenge when you’re younger is finding the motivation to swap hours of your social life for studying, but it’s absolutely worth doing.
You trained again as a seasoned marketer. How did you juggle that with the demands of your job?
I took my second diploma, a course in digital with the Chartered Institute for Marketing in 2013. It was a year-long evening course in London. I found that one more challenging because it was quite coursework-heavy and meant using evenings and weekends to sit in dark rooms and apply myself for hours. That’s hard with a busy job and the demands of family life. It may seem like a hard trade.
Given they’ve already reached seniority, why is it important that leaders still seek training?
By consequence of how fast things move, if you don’t train, you’re already out of date. I would absolutely encourage any marketer to go for it – if not paid courses then the free ones. The knowledge can also filter down into your team. Tell them about it, brief them and give them a presentation about what you’re learning.
How do you get your boss’ buy-in for the time commitment of a qualification?
It’s all about proving the value and impact it will have on your job. Sometimes people suggest things that are difficult to support because you can’t tie them back to work and the value is hard to prove. Once you know that, you should find evidence from other companies in the form of testimonies. I think a challenge organisations face – especially during tough times – is that there isn’t funding to support people. It can be a constraint from a management point of view because you can’t push and encourage people to take these qualifications without providing the financial support. Then it becomes about what else you can do to support them.
If qualifications aren’t an option, what other ways can you learn?
I remember a marketer saying this to me once: “You have to be nosey, inquisitive, curious, and ask questions all the time – whether you think it’s in your remit or not.” You need to find out what’s going on in a business and draw on that experience.
Would you do any more qualifications?
You know what? I would absolutely love to. My current constraint is having a two-year-old and a busy job, so it’s dropped down my priority list a little bit – but it’s on the horizon.
