Developing Emerging Leaders
Thought Leadership
Developing Emerging Leaders is designed for first-time supervisors and newer managers (or more experienced managers who have had limited training). The objectives of the program are to increase knowledge of management fundamentals, to practice the skills associated with successful management, and to create lasting change in management effectiveness back at the job. The program is conducted with a blended learning approach that combines instructor-led presentation, small and large group discussion, case study, and simulation-based role plays to ensure maximum learning and maintain active participant engagement throughout the program.
Developing Emerging Leaders is based on the TalentQuest Manager Competency Model – a research based model that captures the skills most critical to management success. The program is ideally delivered to no more than 20 participants (matched with one TalentQuest trainer) over a series of 8 distinct sessions.
The program is highly modular and customizable. The curriculum is optimally delivered in 1 – 2 session modules to allow participants the opportunity to pace learning and to practice newly acquired behaviors and skills back in the work place. However, content is easily adaptable to meet the learning and scheduling needs of any organization.
Day 1: Developing Yourself as a Leader
Day 1 is an introduction to leadership and self-discovery. During this session, participants craft their personal vision of leadership and learn the leadership values and framework of the organization. Self-assessment through 360 degree feedback and several styles and personal trait inventories form the foundation of self-discovery. By the end of the session, participants have created an individual development plan which will guide and target their learning for the rest of the program.
Day 2: Working through Conflict
Day 2 focuses on building skills in working through substantive differences in opinions and views. Based on Thomas Kilmann’s work, participants learn various strategies for achieving true collaboration and working through conflict. Participants self-assess their primary preferences for managing differences (i.e., competitive, passive, accommodating, compromising, or collaborating) and then practice new skills in negotiating win-win outcomes.
Day 3: Gaining Credibility and Influence
Day 3 focuses on building skills associated with influencing others. The day is based on Kouzes and Posner’s work on Credibility and how managers’ actions can build or detract from personal credibility. Along with self-assessment, participants practice influencing strategies as they attempt to convince a panel to support a major organizational initiative.
Day 4: Leading the Team
Day 4 explores and practices the skills associated with building and inspiring your team. Utilizing Ken Blanchard’s work on building high-performing teams, participants learn the PERFORM model to employ in building their own team. The day culminates in a case-study in which participants create a strategy to turn around a low-performing team in the organization.
Day 5: Executing the Plan
Day 5 focuses on the skills associated with driving execution in their team and department. Participants learn a 4 step-model to deliver successful outcomes, based on a) establishing goals that matter to organizational success, b) identifying activities that lead to goal achievement c) creating a scorecard that motivates, and d) reviewing and establishing accountability. Participants explore the use of this model in their own organization and make plans to improve their team execution.
Day 6: Managing Change
Day 6 is dedicated to skills associated with managing and leading change. The day is led with a virtual business simulation produced by ExperiencePoint. This is a sophisticated computer-based simulation in which participants introduce and implement a significant change initiative in the organization. Participants make decisions which lead to either increased or decreased commit to the change effort. Through this work, participants learn how to introduce and manage continuous improvement efforts in their own organization.
Day 7: Managing for Peak Performance
Day 7 orients participants to a holistic framework of performance management. Participants are exposed to the complete cycle of high-performance and practice skills necessary to help team members achieve peak performance. Participants practice setting goals that cascade and that align with organizational objectives. They also learn how to conduct effective performance appraisals and check-ins that motivate and inspire higher levels of performance.
Day 8: Coaching for Excellence
Day 8 is dedicated to practicing skills associated with the coaching and development of team members. Participants learn TalentQuest’s five-step model of coaching which provides a simple but effective framework to help participants develop the skills of their associates. Through a variety of fishbowl and small-group exercises, participants practice the skills of goal-identification, feedback, brainstorming, and agreement to create lasting change in behavior.
