From the website for Management Quality : www.inutsikt.se

Personalize your management development.

By Natalie Shope Griffin, Harvard Business Review, March 2003

This article and its author advocate individual plans for leadership development, rather than "one-size-fits-all". We are now talking about individual management development, and not about organizational Management Quality, which is the main theme of this website.
Having said that, here is an article that deserves reading and reflection. As responsible for management development in Nationwide Financial the author established a management development program, adaptable to individual needs. The program was not mandatory - managers had to apply and motivate their candidature like approaching a prestige-name university.
(But how about all those managers who badly need development, but never open a course catalogue? She mentions that they are considering making the program mandatory.)
The development program is spread across one full year. The author does not describe how they deal with new participants and find the right path for each individual, but more about the four "main tracks" they have found. The article gives examples of how they manage each of the four groups and may include a great deal of rationalization "after the fact", rather than a truly individual concept. Several examples illustrate that this program did not produce many stars, but better managers in most cases. It also stresses that the greatest and most important part of management development takes place in daily work situations.

It is worth reading by all responsible for management development programs, general or individual. However, it completely misses the point that certain types of management development (not directed at curing personal shortcomings) is best designed as group events.

The author and her company make distinction between four categories of managers; each category and its program components are described separately:

1. Reluctant leaders. (Lack of self-confidence. 20 % of all managers)

•  360-degree feedback, indicating both strengths and weaknesses

•  Mentor for dialogue about problems and solutions

•  Mandatory performance assessments of staff

2. Arrogant leaders (Insecure, but overcompensating, career orientated, 10 %)

•  360-degree feedback, presenting the black and white picture of how manager is perceived

•  Formal warning - if necessary

•  Tough coaching

•  Critique and support by his/her own manager

•  Practice tasks of employees

3. Unknown leaders. (Competent but need time, not extrovert, 25 %)

•  360-degree feedback

•  More participation in various groups and meetings

•  interview and select a mentor

•  Plus positive experiences of mentor

•  New assignments within familiar environment

4. Workaholics. (Love their job and concentrate on subject matter not management, 45 %)

•  Holistic evaluation, "healthy leader model", (not 360-degree feedback)

•  Support from own manager to define a development plan, leading back to a more balanced situation.

•  Establishing rules like "never leaving office later than 7 pm )

•  Patience in delegating

(October 2003)