Leading indicators: leadership development in action

T+D, March, 2004 by Jennifer J. Salopek

There is much to read and learn about leadership development theory. Scholarly opinions run the gamut; all make persuasive cases. But this month, I thought you'd enjoy reading about some real leadership programs that your real peers are managing--and the characteristics that those successful programs have in common.

Leaders for Tomorrow, Blanchard Valley Health Association

Blanchard Valley Health Association, headquartered in Findlay, Ohio, is a multifacility health-care system that employs 1700 "associates." Founded by a group of nuns in the late 19th century to serve poor women and children, the system now serves several counties and is best known in the community for its flagship 150-bed trauma center.

A needs assessment undertaken by BVHA's organizational development and education department in 2002, revealed a need to train supervisors and managers in leadership skills that were closely tied to the work, says Amy Kincaid, education specialist. There was a need to identify, train, and assess competencies long term, she says.

Leaders for Tomorrow was developed with a dual emphasis: to teach basic management skills and to integrate knowledge and skills. What would be included in the latter category was designed with BVHA's unique needs in mind. The Health Care Advisory Board, a U.S. accrediting organization, had identified 42 executive competencies for its members. An in-house group of directors at BVHA reviewed that list and narrowed it to the 15 competencies most important in frontline leaders in their organization.

"These are high-level, long-term skills," Kincaid emphasizes.

A pilot of LTP was launched in February 2003. Since then, two more classes of 12 have commenced; there are three classes planned for 2004. The program takes more than a year to complete, but the initial push is an intensive eight-week session. Eight hours of study per week, on top of the participant's regular job responsibilities, consist of four hours of classroom time, two hours of applied discussion with one's sponsor, and two hours of computer-based learning modules.

Participants must be nominated online by their managers and are selected by a committee based on level of service excellence, effective communication, and clear long-term goals. Further, Kincaid says, an attempt is made to create a mix of clinical and support personnel, varied levels of experience, with all facilities represented. Before commencing LTP, participants must create a set of learning objectives with their sponsors and participate in a 360-degree analysis. The 360-degree exercise is repeated at the conclusion of the eight-week program and again seven months later.

After completing the LTP curriculum, participants join Action Learning Groups, in which they will work for a year on a pre-approved project such as a new testing program or launching a new line of business. These groups meet for 90 minutes, once a month.

Leaders Developing Leaders Mentoring Program, Scientific-Atlanta

Scientific-Atlanta is a high-tech company that supplies products that facilitate the use of interactive video, data, and voice, such as digital set-top boxes that permit interactive television and video on demand.

The Leaders Developing Leaders Mentoring Program was developed out of a desire to offer new opportunities to high-potential employees, as well as to enable the company's seasoned leadership team to share its legacy, says Heidi Rogge, learning and development manager. Further, S-A's employee development program emphasizes the role of "leaders as teachers" in the Noel Tichy mode.

In its pilot phase, which concludes in April, 43 mentees--directors and vice presidents from S-A's five business sectors--were matched with 30 mentors, who are senior executives. Cross-sector matching was emphasized where possible. Training workshops were provided for both groups, as well as for the managers of the mentees. Quarterly breakfasts bring the entire cohort together for networking and keynote speakers on leadership topics.

The responsibility for driving the relationship rests with the mentees, who must make and maintain contact with the mentor. "They have been trained on strategies to get in front of those executive mentors," Rogge notes. The mentor acts primarily as a resource and coach, serving as confidant and sounding board. The mentee's manager is the third part of the equation, and is expected to provide support in setting performance objectives and giving ongoing feedback.

Rogge and her colleagues benchmarked their program against others in such companies as NCR, Arthur Andersen, and the Weather Channel. "The best recommendation we received was to get the manager involved," she reports. Matching mentees with mentors across S-A's business sectors makes the program unique for the company, in which people "often don't cross lines."

"Our primary achievement is crossfunctional learning," concurs Laura Grams, director of learning and development solutions.

Matching mentees with mentors was a delicate dance that involved the input of 10 vice presidents of human resources from all of the business sectors. "We put the names of mentors on the wall and moved around cards with the names of mentees. It was very visual and very interactive," Rogge reports. "We could look at that wall and build consensus."