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Leadership Development Program

We believe that managers develop through a comprehensive program rather than taking a series of training classes. There are many comprehensive programs, of course, some including more time commitment or components than others. For some organizations, we have developed six to twelve month leadership development programs, which included 360 evaluations, learning plans, three to four residential programs, action learning teams, coaching, shadowing assignments, required reading, and a capstone. We have worked with other organizations developing a handful of courses based on leadership competencies woven together with an initial assignment, leadership development plan, and a reflective capstone experience. We offer a wide range of leadership development services.

We have been designing and delivering leadership development courses and programs for over a dozen years in both the public and private sectors. Some of our clients include the Internal Revenue Service, where in 1997, we were the first consultant to transform a large government agancy’s leadership development "talking heads" program into an Action Learning and competency-based LDP. In the past ten years, we have developed and implemented a variety of leadership development programs for organizations such as the Navy Engineering and Logistics Office, The USDA Forest Service, Senior Service America, and others.

Leadership Development Programs are customized to meet each client’s needs and may include:

• Assessment instruments: 360 evaluation, MBTI, StrengthFinder, DiSC, etc.
• Residential sessions that include leadership topics
• Leadership Development Plan and Learning Contract
• Action learning team experience
• Learning journal
• Required readings (from our library of 100+ titles including synopses and categorized by competency)
• Self-directed and informal learning experiences
• Personal Leadership Model and oral presentation demonstrating leadership presence
• Action learning team presentation to Executives
• Use of leadership systems, tools, and processes
• Personal Board of Directors which may consist of a learning coach, mentor(s), supervisor(s), colleague(s), external career advisor, internal career advisor, and their facilitator
• Leadership community of practice through discussion boards
• Mentoring relationship
• Coaching, both individual and team

Executive Coaching - Career Coaching - Team Coaching

Executive and Managers Coaching

Coaching is a valuable investment an organization makes in an individual whom it values enough to want to lift to a higher level of performance or responsibility. It is a targeted approach that does not waste the individual’s time, nor does it bore them with training or learning they already have. Instead, coaching works directly with the individual, and in a short time transforms their skills, competencies, and leadership abilities to maximize their effectiveness at their current level or readies them for success at the next level.

Our clients include Chief Operating Officers, CEOs, Regional Directors, Vice Presidents, Managers and candidates in Executive Development Programs. We work with clients in the federal government, non-profit, and private sectors. As Baby Boomers retire, coaching is an effective way to ready current employees to fill upcoming vacancies at one, two, or even three levels above their current position.

Often, an executive or manager is sent to training to develop leadership skills, prepare for the next level in the organization, or to fine tune a skill or competency that may hold them back from reaching their full potential. They return from the training only a little closer to achieving those goals. Instead, had these leaders spent their time in a coaching relationship, their areas of growth could be quickly targeted and they could focus their time and energy specifically on the skills and competencies that will help them become the most effective leaders in your organization.

Coaching can be performed in person or by telephone and can be contracted for six months, twelve months, or open-ended time periods. The first session usually begins with some type of individualized assessment and shortly after, the client determines the areas/skills of focus which they will work to further develop. This targeted approach means that time spent in coaching is directed specifically to the individual’s development and tailored to the skill level.

Career Coaching

When employees are at a crossroads and either their currect career is not a good match or their current job must be cut, often employees need some assistance in helping them transition to their positions. Whether these positions are inside or outside the organization, we can coach the employees to make the best selection and assist them with the transition process. We help them look at all options realistically, including retirement or changing careers - options they may not have considered without our assistance. We understand the stress, family concerns, and mix of emotions that employees need to work through and we coach them through their individualized situation.

Team Coaching

Often, teams have the subject matter expertise to explore a problem or opportunity and make recommendations, but they cannot seem to work together in unison to produce effectively. In these situations, a team building program may help but often the team leaves the "feel good sessions" only to return to former behaviors and relationships. Team coaching helps teams determine what is derailing them as a team and provides the continuous structure and guidelines so they work together effectively and quickly begin producing results. Once in team coaching, every team member begins to recommit and feel inspired and dedicated to team solutions or recommendations. They usually say about team coaching, " Why didn’t we do this sooner!"

Human Performance Improvement (HPI or HPT)

How often have you attended training for help with a perceived performance problem only to return to work to find that training is not the solution?

At ASTD, they have said for many years that if your only tool is a hammer, then every problem looks like a nail. Training is often not the solution to a performance issue, or at least, not the total solution. Some of the factors that can create serious performance issues include:

• Management and human resource practices which conflict
• Policies that are outdated or unclear
• Ineffective processes
• A contradictory corporate culture

For instance, your staff attends a stress management course but when they return to work, all the stressors are stll preventing them from performing successfully, the course did not really solve their problems.

When training does not resolve a performance issue or when a large number of individuals in an organization exhibit performance problems, it’s time to take a holistic approach to identifying and fixing the real issues and concerns. A Human Performance Improvement (HPI) study is just such an approach.

HPI is a scientific, quantitative, and holistic approach which uncovers and addresses the true performance issues. It includes a systematic needs analysis to determine the environment, needs, currect and expected culture, policies and processes, and other issues that impact work performance. From this analysis emerge recommendations for performance enhancement that may or may not include training.

Retreat and Meeting Facilitation

Do your meetings seem to get easily derailed? Do they go off on tangents, get bogged down in minutia, spend too much time on one topic at the expense of another, get embroiled in personality conflicts, or simply run into overtime? Whatever the meeting agenda, our professional facilitator can help you get the most out of your meeting. Our facilitators will help you stay on topic, make sure that all parties are heard, coach understanding among participants, moderate disagreements, help you keep time, and record action items and open issues.

Do you have a retreat or occasion that requires a facilitator to assist the leader and ensure the event is successful? Our facilitators can record discussions and decisions, and track progress. They can also work with the retreat leader to develop ice breaker exercises, break-out group work, simulations, games, and other activities that support your retreat goals.

We have facilitators with experience in a variety of industries so we can provide a seasoned facilitator who quickly understands your business and can partner with you to ensure your retreat, meeting, or other event goals are attained.