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Solution
Coaching and Mentoring
According to Hayden (2024), coaching and mentoring are effective one-on-one developmental training activities offered on the job. A coaching approach is characterised by real-time feedback and problem-solving, whereby an experienced leader mentors an emerging one. In contrast, a mentoring relationship is more long-term where the senior leaders offer guidance and firsthand information for career growth and professional development.
Coaching and mentoring are needed at Saudi Aramco so as to bring out future leaders as the organisation continues to operate under immense competition and constantly transforming global environment. Coaching and mentoring have the strengths of being able to deliver individual-specific training that improves people’s communication, and thus working relationships with others. They provide practical, situation-based learning which may be very useful as compared to theoretical training (Overton, 2021). However, this approach can be time-consuming and may need time commitment from both the mentor and the mentee. Further, not all mentors may have the right coaching skills, hence the experiences may be inconsistent.
Self-Directed Learning
Through self-learning, leaders and managers can own their own development by selecting the materials and courses that address their personal needs and preferences (Barends, 2023). This approach consists of e-learning modules, online courses or access to leadership development materials.
At Aramco, self-directed learning would grant leaders the flexibility and adaptability for learning specialty skills such as digital transformation and energy transition. Flexibility is the main advantage of self-directed learning. Leaders can engage at their own speed, select the subject that best applies to their role, and access a wide variety of materials (Graham, 2019). But that comes with a lot of self-motivation and discipline. Without clear guidance, some leaders may shift their attention on less critical delivery elements, resulting in capability gaps in essential competencies.
Own Judgement
In my opinion, coaching and mentoring would be best for Saudi Aramco. The method provides personalised, hands-on development for leaders to learn real time insights and practical skills to help navigate the complexity of the global energy sector (Hayden, 2024). In addition, it establishes strong, personalised relations as well as tailored guidance, especially for preparing leaders to cope with the industry specific issues such as digital transformation as well as sustainability. While coaching and mentoring take a lot of resources, they provide long term benefits of improving leadership agility and creating a continuous learning culture, and thus more impactful than self-directed learning for Aramco.
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