EXECUTIVE DEVELOPMENT

IntroductionThe basic purpose of executive development is to improve managerial performance by imparting knowledge, changing attitudes or increasing skills. Training certainly helps in improving job-related skills but when the intent is to enhance executives’ ability to handle diverse jobs and prepare them for future challenges the focus must shift to executive development.

Training vs. executive development

Tra in ing

Learn specific behav iours andactions; dem onstrate techniquesand processes.

Short term.

Tries to im prove a specific skillre lating to a job (mostly technicaland mechanical).Meet current requirements of ajob; aims at improving employeeperformance on a currently heldjob.

Pe rform ance app raisals , cos t-benefit analys is, pass ing testsor certification.

I t e m

Focus

Tim e Frame

Process

Goal

EffectivenessMeasures

D ev e lopm e n t

Understand and interpret knowledge;Develop judgement; Expand capacitiesfor varied assignments.

Long term.

Aims at im proving the total personalityof an individual (largely analytical andconceptual abilities).Meet future challenges of the job andth e in d iv id u a l ; a im s a t p r ov id in glearning opportunities designed to helpemployees grow.

Q u a l i f i e d pe o p le a v a i la b le w h enn e ed e d , p ro m ot ion f r om w i th inp o s s ib le , H R -b a s e d c o m p e t i t iv eadvantage.

Features of executive development It is a planned effort to improve executives’ ability to handle a variety of assignments

It is not a one-shot deal, but a continuous, ongoing activity

It aims at improving the total personality of an executive

It aims at meeting future needs unlike training, which seeks to meet current needs

It is a long term process, as managers take time to acquire and improve their capabilities

It is proactive in nature as it focuses attention on the present as well as future requirements of both the organisation and the individual.

Invaluable investment in the long run as it helps managers to acquire requisite knowledge, skills and abilities needed to handle complex situations in business

Enables executives to realise their own career goals and aspirations

Helps executives to step into superior positions easily

Assists executives in enhancing their people-management skills, taking a holistic view of various problems.

Importance of executive development

Steps in the organisation of an executive development programme

Executive Development Programmes: Steps

Analysis of organisational development needs

Appraisal of present managerial capabilities

Inventory of executive talent(in terms of age, service, education, experience etc

Planning of individual development programmes

Devising appropriate development programmes

Evaluating results

Methods/techniques

Various methods are employed to develop managerial skills and knowledge, such as:

Methods of executive development 1. Decision-making skills

2. Interpersonal skills

3. Job knowledge (a) On-the-job experiences(b) Coaching(c ) Understudy

4. Organisational knowledge (a) Job rotation(b) Multip le management

5. General knowledge (a) Special courses(b) Special meetings(c) Specific readings

6. Specific individual needs (a) Special projects(b) Committee assignments

(a) In-basket (b) Business game (c) Case study(a) Role play(b) Sensitivity training(c) Behaviour Modelling

In-basket: The trainee is asked to look into a number of papers such as memoranda, reports, telephone messages that typically confront a manager and respond appropriately.

+Trainees learn quickly, as they have to do everything within a time frame

+Creates healthy competition between participants allows them to grow

-The method is somewhat academic and removed from real life situations.

-Participants rarely respond to such imaginary situations in an enthusiastic manner

Case-study: The participant is asked to take up a simulated business problem and take appropriate decisions.

Methods/techniques

When the problem requires problem solving, thinking skills

The KSAs are complex and participants need time to master them

Active participation is required

The process of learning is as important as the content

Tem problem solving and interaction are possible.

When is a case study most appropriate?

Merits and demerits of the case study method

M er its

Improves problem-solving skills of participants.

Trainees can apply theory to practical problems andlearn quickly. It is a way of learning by doing.

Trainees learn how others solve a situation in theirown unique w ay. They ge t a fee l o f how othe rswork at a problem and begin to apprecia te eachother’s thinking.

Case studies can provide interesting debates am ongtra inees , as w e ll as exce llen t oppor tun it ies fo rindividuals to defend their analytical and judgementalabilities.

If the case reflects a real life situation, participantstake keen interest and examine the cross-currentswith an open and inquisitive mind.

D em er i ts

Good case studies do not orig inate easily. They arecostly and tim e-consuming (collect data , analyse,report, summarise) exercises.

Exam ining historical evidence may fail to develop theanalytical and reasoning abilities of participants.

Cases, sometimes, are not sufficiently realistic to beusefu l.

Cases may contain information inappropriate to thekinds of decisions that trainees would make in a realsetting.

Indiscrim inate use of case s tudies m ay no t helpparticipants w ho are not mature enough to analyseand participate in discussions actively.

A tra inee who is not skilled in this technique canundermine its usefulness.

T he case s tudy m e thod have l it tle o r no th ing incomm on w ith the tra inee’s w orkplace, which m aylim it its effectiveness.

Be clear about learning objectives and explore possible ways to realise the objectives

Decide which objectives would be best served by the case method Find out the available cases that might work or consider developing your own Set up the activity – including the case material, the room and the schedule Observe the principles that guide effective group interactions Provide an opportunity to all trainees to participate meaningfully and try to keep the groups small. Stop for process checks and get set to intervene when interactions go out of hand Allow for different learning styles Clarify the trainer's role as a facilitator Bridge the gap between theory and practice

When using case studies

Business games: It is a learning exercise representing a real-life situation where trainees compete with each other to achieve specific objectives.

Methods/techniques

Merits and demerits of the business game method

Business games compress time; events that takepainfully long time are made to occur in a matter ofhours .

One can learn from m istakes, take a different courseof act ion by look ing a t the consequences andimprove performance.

T h ey p r om ot e in c r e as e d u n d er s ta n d in gof complex relationships among organisational units.

“They help trainees develop their problem solvingskills as well as to focus attention on planning ratherthan just putting out fires.”

Prompt feedback facilitates quick learning.

Difficult and expensive to develop and use goodbusiness games.

They are often far removed from reality. In real life,an executive may get unlim ited chances to find hisway through the jungle, depending on his mentalmake-up (instead of choosing from an imaginativelist of alternatives).

Participants may become so engrossed in pushingo the rs to the w a ll tha t they fa i l to g ra sp theunderlying management principles being taught.

Creativity m ay take a back seat when unorthodoxstrategies advanced by innovative participants maynot find acceptance from others in the race.

M e r i t s D e m e r i t s

Role play: This is a technique that requires the trainee to assume different identities to learn how others feel under different circumstances

+ Participants develop interpersonal skills

+ They learn by doing things actually

+ The competitive environment compels participants to listen, observe, analyse and improve their own performance by exploiting their potential fully

__lack of realism in this method comes in the way of enthusiastic participation

--not easy to duplicate the pressures and realities of actual decision making

--most trainees may not be very comfortable in role playing situations

Methods/techniques

Trainer’s responsibilities in role playing situations

Ensure that members of a role playing group get along with each other

Select and prepare the participants by introducing a specific situation

Ask participants to actually come out with potential characters

Realize that volunteers make better role players

Prepare observers by giving them specific tasks such as evaluation, feedback etc.

Guide the role play enactment over its bumps, since it is not scripted

Keep it short

Discuss the enactment and prepare bulleted points of what was learned

Sensitivity training: This is a method of changing behaviour through unstructured group interaction. (also known as T-group training, where T stands for training)

Features of T-group training T-Group consists of 10-12 persons.

A leader acts as a catalyst and provides a free and open environment for discussion

There is no specified agenda

Members express their ideas, feelings and thoughts freely and openly

The focus is on behaviour rather than on duties

The aim is to achieve behaviour effectiveness in transactions with one's environment

Methods/techniques

Benefits Participants gain rich experience in getting along with people

The exclusive focus on each others' behaviour helps participants to observe, analyse and then respond appropriately

Trainees can find out where they stand in comparison to others

The agenda less discussions encourages the participants to come out more openly and share their opinions with others

The opportunity to take charge of the group is always inherently present for the right candidate.

Costs Considerable time is wasted in agenda-less, direction-less discussions

T-group leaders may lack the skills to instil enthusiasm and confidence in participants.

There is an immoral and unjustified invasion of privacy, based on false assumptions about the nature of human relationships at work.

The interchange of opinions in an open manner may be punished by superiors at a later stage, using some pretext or the other

T groups may actually destroy team learning and team spirit as they encourage participants to be hostile without feeling guilty during

training.

On the job experience: This is a kind of class room learning where the trainee learns by actually doing things under the supervision of an experienced supervisor. Such methods are highly useful for certain groups like scientific and technical personnel

Behaviour modelling: This is an approach that demonstrates desired behaviour and gives trainees the chance to practice and role-play those behaviours and receive feedback.

Coaching: This is a development activity in which a supervisor plays an active role in imparting job knowledge and skills to the trainee. For effective coaching, a healthy and open relationship must exist between employees and their supervisors.

Methods/techniques

+ Trainees learn quickly by actually doing a piece of work and obtain feedback

+Where the trainer and the trainee interact in an open manner, there is tremendous scope for the trainee to grow by seeking clarifications continuously and rectifying mistakes

__ A lot depends on the interpersonal skills of the supervisor

---The learner, often, cannot develop much beyond the limits of his own supervisor

Merits and demerits of coaching

Understudy: This is a development method wherein potential managers are given the chance to temporarily relieve an

experienced manager of part of hi job and act as his substitute during the period, giving him vital insights into the overall job that would make him the automatic choice in the succession process.

Job rotation: Moving a trainee from job to job so as to offer cross training is called job rotation. The idea behind this is to give managers the required diversified skills and a broader outlook.

Multiple management: It is a system in which permanent advisory committees of managers study problems of the company (thereby gaining first hand experience of various important aspects of business) and make recommendations to higher management.

Methods/techniques

Special courses, meetings, readings: In addition to the above, managers could also benefit by attending workshops organised

by academic institutions, attending special meetings organised by various government and voluntary organisations and by reading specific articles relevant to their respective fields.

Special projects: In this method, a trainee is put on a project closely related to the objectives of the department.

Committee assignment: In this method, an adhoc committee is appointed to discuss, evaluate and offer suggestions relating to an important aspect of business.

Conferences: A conference is a meeting of people to discuss a subject of common interest. The participants exchange notes, opinions and ideas on the subject in a systematic and planner manner.

Methods/techniques

Lectures: Lectures are formal presentations on a topic by an experienced and knowledgeable person. The presentation is generally supported by discussions, case studies, audio-visual aids and film shows.

Group discussion: In this method, papers are presented by two or three trainees on a selected topic, followed by thought-provoking discussions.

Programmed instruction: This is a learner-oriented technique which presents subject matter to the trainees in small sequential steps requiring frequent responses from the

trainee and immediately offering him of their accuracy or otherwise.

Methods/techniques

SELECTION OF A SUITABLE METHOD

While choosing a specific method, the following guidelines might be kept in mind Suitability of executive development techniques

Te chn iq ue Suitability

Job Rotation To develop diversified skills and broaden the outlook of an executiveU nderstudy To aid succession planning by developing the skills of juniors according to a pre-set planMultiple Management To assist managers in expanding their outlook and knowledge in various functional areasCase Study To develop analytical, reasoning and problem -solving skillsRole Playing To translate theoretical knowledge into action plans and to promote good human relations

skills among tra ineesBehaviour Modelling To teach inter-personnel and cognitive skillsIn-basket To promote situational judgement and socia l sensitivityBusiness Games To develop smart thinking, quick reactions, initia tive, organising and leadership skillsSensitivity Training To promote self awareness and its impact on othersC onference To improve and expand knowledge, attitudes and develop interpersonal skillsLecture To impart conceptual knowledge to a large audience within a short span of time.