I. BACKGROUND
A large international company (230,000 employees worldwide) contacted us to develop a Management Development Programme. The programme design was done in cooperation with the Central Management Development Department and was based on the following principles:
- Develop the Leadership Competences in the company through challenging inter-disciplinary
company projects.
- Enhance personal capacity to make entrepreneurial decisions based on strategic criteria
- Stimulate the active leading of the change processes
- Expand horizons of reflection and action and encourage out-of-box thinking
- Develop individual and team skills to manage complexity in a multi-cultural environment
- Provide a platform for challenge and exchange amongst a peer group of high-performing leaders
20 programs had been completed by the end of 2007.
II. IMMEDIATE BENEFITS FOR PARTICIPANTS AND THE COMPANY |
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| Participant |
Company |
- Effective networking with peers
- Accelerated learning on multiple levels supported
by experienced coaches
- Feedback on own behaviour for personal
development
- Greater visibility in the company |
- Synergies from different perspectives of multi-
cultural and multi-disciplinary teams
- Direct results for the company through application of
group potential to key projects |
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III. PROGRAMME DESIGN
The programme took place over a 5-month period with three distinct modules. There were 4 virtual teams of 6-8 members working on real strategic company projects.
Integrated within the programme was a personal profile analysis, experiential learning exercises for teambuilding and training on the company's leadership guidelines and values. |
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| MODULE |
CONTENT |
Module 1:
Casting Off |
- Introduction of the Projects (see *Project
Background)
- Strategic Project Management
- Project Selection & Teambuilding
- Project Environment
- Action Plans & Role Distribution |
Module 2:
Adjusting the Sails |
- Project Review
- Team Performance
- Operating in a Learning Company
- Revised Action Plans |
| Coaching |
- as required, typically 1½ days |
Module 3:
The Way Forward |
- Presentation of Projects to Executive Committee
- Handover of Projects to project sponsors
- Project Portfolio
- Lessons Learned
- Personal Feedback |
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| * Project Background: The projects were issued and presented by sponsors who were members of the Upper Management of the company. Participants joined a project team according to interest and several key criteria (teams had to be interdisciplinary, intercultural and interdivisional, etc). Sponsor and team worked together to develop and co-sign a Project Contract Agreement including objectives and criteria for actual implementation. At the end of the program, projects were ready for implementation and handed over to the sponsors. |
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| IV. CONTENT |
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The focus of the three modules included topics such as:
Project Leading
- Strategic Project Management
- The Project as a Social System
- Project Marketing and Communication
- Measuring Performance and Quality
- Planning and Reality
Enhancing Personal Leadership
- Company Values to Live By
- Company Guidelines for Leadership
- Leading Change and Dealing with Change
- Encouraging a Feedback Culture
- Managing Boundaries and Ambiguity
Managing Complexity
- Critical Success Factors
- Systemic Analysis for Decision-Making
- Assessment of Opportunities and Risks
- Power Sources in a Matrix Organization
- Performance in a Multi-Cultural, Multi-Divisional, Multi-Disciplinary Team |
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| V. SUMMARY OF RESULTS |
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In the 3rd Module, Project Groups present their work to Project Sponsors, delegates, interested parties and members of top level management. Interest has grown progressively with each generation of the program, as clear evidence of resulting significant increase in:
- cross-company networking
- cross functional and cross division collaboration
- internal consultant advantage where project teams provide «free and informed» consultation
- across divisional accelerated and simplified Business Process
- monetary savings to the company |
