Execs Find Personal Satisfaction in Leader-Lead
Development Programs
It’s not easy for company leaders to find time to pass along
their experience and vision to new employees. Yet, more and more,
hands on training by top company leaders in being found to be
the most effective way to perpetuate success.
"Many CEOs and senior executives are historically unapproachable
on the subject of regular teaching duties," explains Eric
Herzog, President of Quest Corporation, "However, we’ve
proven – on a rather large scale – that leader-led training is
one of the most profitable investments of time and money a successful
corporate leader can make.
"The concept – leaders developing leaders – can
be carried down through every department... in every facility," says
Eric. "How much more powerful would the corporate mission
statement be when delivered personally by the CEO? Who better
to teach the operating procedures than the person who developed
them? "
Over the years, many core concepts are lost to future generations
of managers and employees simply because the initiators have
move upward. Yet, the absence of these keys to success can affect
the entire corporate culture. And can lead to a decline in performance
and profitability.
That’s the challenge COSTCO , the giant membership retailer,
faced when their growth plans called for 5,000 new leaders to
run the 30 + new stores per year they are opening. Training was
becoming more costly and less effective.
It became apparent HR and management must work together to turn
out the caliber of new manager the company needed to meet its
expansion goals. Or the company’s entire business plan was in
jeopardy.
"At the time it seemed a radical concept," according
to Ron Rothman of COSTCO. "Pulling crucial managers off
the floor and getting them to train new leaders had never been
considered. Never seemed cost effective. Yet we were committed
to the growth plans, so we got together with Eric and his Quest
team and developed a program.
Building on the strengths of COSTCO’s long-standing, solid retail
reputation was a basis for the strategy they developed. A combination
of capable staff, with a pioneer’s knowledge of the marketplace
led the Costco/Quest team to focus on several areas.
Maximizing Internal Strengths
Studying existing capabilities led to a list of basic strengths
matched with the employee characteristics which most needed cultivation.
Assessing on-staff leaders and top performers led to a model
of core competencies necessary to accomplish the objectives.
Developing New Capabilities
By assembling data from the successful and the less than stellar
pockets of the company, team members quickly found out weak points.
No matter what the category, there were stores which stood out
for weaknesses or isolated successes. Some one, or a team,
which developed a better way of accomplishing their mission.
Taking advantage of those new methods and skills gleaned company-wide
necessitated a step-by-step program. And leadership by those
very innovators who were solving problems and getting peak performance
in their departments. The Leader-Led program was set up to tap
into this wealth of experience.
Know the Marketplace
Understanding Future Markets is a key factor in training
the leaders of tomorrow. And this endeavor -- undertaken correctly
-- involves the entire organization in the process. After understanding
comes planning. To take advantage of potential new opportunities
never dreamed of just a few years ago.
Preparing for New Customer Behavior involves input from
all levels in an organization. Here’s a key area where Leader-Led
Development gives those privy to the best corporate information
the chance to apply it to building the leadership base that will
accomplish the goals over the next decades.
The results have been spectacular. ON every level COSTCO’s HR
team has documented and proven the program has impacted the bottom
line. Not only are they getting more effective training, they
are cutting costs by eliminating ineffective programs.
They have
even developed an analysis method to quantify the bottom line
impact. Proof of an HR program which is truly in
line with and actively supporting corporate goals.
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