In order to receive maximum benefits from the Leadership Development Program, participants should attend all sessions.
Recommended Program Delivery
The program takes place in eight, two-day sessions over a 10 to 12 month period (16 total days). It can be offered in an intensive format of three to four day blocks. This pace allows for application of new concepts and skills on the job and feedback on what has worked and what hasn't during sessions—and why. The program provides the kind of expansive thinking and personal change necessary to move human services organizations in new directions.
As with other Center programs, the Leadership Development Program can be customized to the needs of sponsoring agencies, and it can be delivered in a variety of settings:
- a single county agency or superagency
- for multiple agencies or organizations within a county
- for groups from different counties
Program Description
Executive Leadership
Sustaining Transformational Change
Thinking Skills
Personal Influence and Organizational Insight
Human Capital
Determining and Setting Direction
High Performance Organizations
Putting It All Together
Executive Leadership
Two days
Effective leaders achieve results in ways that set them apart from others. This session discusses leadership in a competency framework.
Participants will learn to:
- describe and apply three models of leadership
- assess their leadership style
- demonstrate flexibility in their leadership role
Several leadership models are offered, and participants have an opportunity to assess their own leadership styles.
Sustaining Transformational Change
Two days
Public sector executives need to actively lead their organizations and their staff through any change effort. This session focuses on the leadership of transformational change.
Participants will learn to
- identify and apply critical factors in leading profound change
- describe characteristics of effective organizations relative to design, structure and culture
- describe strategies to master the challenges of "tops, bottoms and middles"
Emphasis is placed on examining the structure, design and culture of organizations and the efforts required to implement significant changes in those areas.
Thinking Skills
Two days
This session emphasizes the importance of a systems approach to understanding the environment and dealing with issues. Participants practice creative techniques to approach workplace issues through a variety of exercises.
Participants will learn to
- use systems principles to make more effective decisions
- use a set of tools to examine their own organization's performance and style
- identify and apply strategies to build a learning organization
Through an organizational simulation, participants analyze relationships in the workplace and consider the extent to which their own agencies are "learning organizations."
Personal Influence and Organizational Insight
Two days
Studies reveal that the most effective leaders clearly understand their own preferences, styles, abilities - and areas needing improvement. This session offers participants an opportunity to gain greater insight into their personal and communication style and develop competence and confidence in their ability to influence others. In addition to work around individual issues, participants will cover a set of tools for examining organizational behavior.
Participants will learn to
- assess the impact of their style on others and adapt their behaviors to get desired results
- understand and demonstrate the effective use of power and influence
- identify components of effective negotiations
Techniques for dealing with organizational conflict and issues around the use and misuse of personal power are considered.
Human Capital
Two days
Creating a workforce of empowered, productive workers in an environment of cutbacks and reductions is a major challenge. This session focuses on skills that enhance performance and improve retention. The importance of moving to an outcome orientation is emphasized, and participants have the opportunity to create appropriate measurable outcomes for their organizations.
Participants will learn to:
- implement an effective performance management system
- apply coaching skills appropriately
- identify components of an effective rewards system in the public sector
- create a succession plan for their organization
- identify strategies to improve retention
- explain the value of an outcome orientation and develop a set of key outcomes for their area of responsibility
Succession planning, coaching, mentoring and reward systems are also covered.
Determining and Setting Direction
Two days
This session focuses on specific activities leaders take to set direction. The first day covers strategic planning processes, emphasizing the importance of setting measurable goals and objectives as well as cascading responsibility and authority for achieving the goals throughout the organization. The second day offers successful approaches to create and implement policy as well as other policy-related issues.
Participants will learn to:
- lead a strategic planning initiative
- more effectively prepare and implement public policy
- identify and use a set of techniques to examine and enhance processes
Also covered are specific tools for examining and enhancing a range of work processes.
High Performance Organizations
Two days
Successful leaders recognize the importance of moving to a high performance approach. This session offers participants a set of skills to move organizations to a more effective team-centered approach. A simulation is used to demonstrate team process skills.
Participants will learn to
- build and maintain effective teams
- effectively lead and facilitate meetings and transfer that learning to others
- describe the project management process and charter a project team
Because leaders spend so much time in meetings as facilitators and participants, a set of specific skills to make the best use of that time is also presented.
Putting It All Together
Two days
This last session provides an introduction to a set of principles and techniques to help move organizations to a greater focus on customers. The program concludes with an opportunity to examine organizations' abilities to operate as "learning organizations" and a discussion of how to achieve more of a learning focus.
Participants will learn to
- apply the principles necessary for creating a service-driven organization
- apply the principles of learning organizations in their own organizations
A review of the entire program and closing ceremonies occupy the last day.
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