Chapter 3: Development Plan
The 70-20-10 process is a learning and development model developed by Michael Lombardo and Robert Eichinger (1996) that uses a three blend approach to provide a development platform for senior managers and leaders:
· About 70% of learning is by using challenging assignments and on-the-job experiences.
· About 20% of learning is developed through relationships, networks, and coaching/feedback.
· About 10% of the learning is delivered via formal training processes, classwork, and reading.
I believe that an improvement plan is a living document, forever evolving as old skills are refined and new skills are learned and mastered. As life changes, sometimes goals do too, which means it is very possible to see a shift in goal priorities.
I also believe improvement activities need to consider long term and short term objectives as well as a blend of fortifying strengths and, at the very least, neutralizing weaknesses. My approach will be to implement a balanced, realistic, and achievable approach considering I work full time, go to school, and have four children who also need my help / want some attention !
I am going to create a prioritized list of summarized improvement plans, will focus on 1-3 development needs at a time. I have worked for three companies in my career and that has been consistent advice from all three. Choosing exactly how many skills to work on depends on how similar the development needs are, access to resources, and motivation levels. Much of any development plan is making the necessary time. It is easy to lean on the excuse of “I’m too busy” or “It’s not my job today”. If improvement is important, prioritize it and schedule it in a calendar if needed.
First Round of immediate improvements:
1. To build on my strength of strategic thinking by:
· Adopt vocabulary of strategic thinking gurus by staying current reading their books and articles by this weekend
· Join Strategic leadership forum by January 2014
· Participate in writing my divisions strategic plan which begins February 2014
· Identify a potential mentor within my organization by January 2014
· Find one new market opportunity in the marketplace by March 2014
· Teach one of my children how to play chess by November 2014
2. To learn more about corporate financial systems by:
· Register for finance oriented classes at NC State by March 2014
· Participate in my divisions budgeting process for next year by October 2014
· Set up a finance review for my product line with divisional finance team every other week by January 2014
· Join a stock investing club or real estate investing club by April 2014
· Create a monopoly money portfolio and manage a virtual mutual fund and track its progress by January 2014
3. To improve upon being able to communicate upwards in an organization by:
· Find two issues and successfully deliver a succinct message with potential solutions by March 2014
· Use the strategic market opportunity listed in action #1 to present a case to upper management by March 2014
· Become the spokesman for one project teams I am currently on so that I can take the lead in reporting out.
· Create a preparatory checklist that should be done in anticipation of meeting a senior leader by March 2014
On deck round of improvements, I will fill in the dates as objectives above are met.
1. To learn more about operations and supply chain by:
· Finding a cross functional project team to join
· Registering for an operations oriented class at NC State
· Determine the feasibility of my next role being operations oriented
· Set up bi-weekly meetings with the plant manager for my product line
2. To improve upon my networking skills by:
· When attending industry or business events and commit to meeting 3 new people at each event
· Reach out to 3 people per week in my existing network that I have not spoken to in over six months
· Learn how to take advantage of the first three minutes of an interaction to set the right tone and first impression
· Learn / study more about managing nonverbal communication either through reading or taking a class
3. To build upon my drive for results by:
· Review my goals to make sure they follow the SMART format, including resourced properly
· Survey my team to make sure they have a clear understanding of performance expectations and goals
· Publish in a visible place a balanced score card on department’s performance
· Read a book on Total Quality Management or Six Sigma
· Find an opportunity to participate on a Six Sigma training/project team
· Review skills Motivating Others, Delegation, and Directing Others.
4. To build upon my creativity by:
· Practice giving myself more time to consider problems more thoughtfully and do more thourough research.
· Read a book on rules of unearthing creative ideas.
· Find a non-familiar group that is stuck on a problem and offer to join and assist the group
· Take on a tough or un-doable project that others have tried and failed
· Take an art class
· Prepare an After Action Review with a mentor after a successful or unsuccessful project
I will also test my progress by setting up meetings with my manager and my manager’s boss. In many organizations feedback only comes at formal times such as end of the year performance reviews. It is best to set up official quarterly meetings with my boss and perhaps his boss as well as random stake holders in the organizations success. It is just as important to display a newly acquired skill or improvement as it is to gain it in the first place.
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