Exec Development is a Different Game

The traditional way of committing to something new is to begin by defining what it is we’re bringing into form. For example, if it were to be a better listener, we would first define powerful listening. We would then read or hear examples of leaders who were powerful listeners and how this made them effective. We might read a paper or see a PowerPo

managers say, “I’ve got to figure this out completely before I make a move.” They remain in “connecting” and “deciding,” and miss the learning that comes from experimentation (acting), and considering the results.

teach in-house seminars and training sessions, or create an internal “university” for advanced executive education, make training and development a top priority across all layers of your organization.

Ken Barber, Jiffy Lube International’s manager of learning and development, says training has to be engaging in order to hold employees’ attention. At the time we spoke, Barber was putting the finishing touches on a computer-based simulation game for company managers called “A Day in the Life of a Store Manager.”