Comments on: Future Leaders Training

By: Intelligent Speculator | Financing Ramblings

Intelligent Speculator | Financing Ramblings — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 19:09:56 +0000

[...] should look at when fixing your financial situation? -A very good guest post on Four-Pillars about leaders training -Another debatable point, does diversification rule? -A subject discussed too rarely, lifestlye [...]

By: Mr. Cheap

Mr. Cheap — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 01:12:11 +0000

guinness416: Yes, modern companies have demonstrated repeatedly that retention is a very low priority for them. I could be wrong, but I think as the workforce continues becoming increasingly mercenary they will begin to see value in it.

By: guinness416

guinness416 — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:54:38 +0000

Quantity surveyors like yours truly do this and it’s a pretty intense couple of years. You have to have taken a certain number of hours in, and be able to demonstrate proficiency and experience in, a number of areas to get chartered. So not just the construction-specific stuff like tendering methods and construction law and scheduling and contracts and so forth, but the “general” business skills like ethics, health and safety, communication, resource management, blah blah. So instead of the universities doing it maybe QS firms like mine should be selling this to other industries!

Skank’s right though, the only reason this stuff gets so much time and attention in this line of work is because it’s vital to get your staff chartered. Otherwise it’s hard to persuade the powers that be to devote so much resources to it, I bet Rotman and Ivey have learned that.

By: Mr. Cheap

Mr. Cheap — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:29:18 +0000

Shank: Interesting, and does your in-house training program have the implications I mentioned here (that you expect to be on the fast-track to move up the ranks in your organization)?

By: Shank

Shank — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:16:23 +0000

Many larger organizations already have training programs like this in place in-house. I’ve attended one with another one scheduled for next year. That leads me to believe this idea has wings for smaller companies that can’t afford to develop a leadership cost center but would be willing to outsource it. With that being said, if you’re busy enough at work, one week per year on training like this is likely all you can afford and still perform your ongoing job.

By: Mr. Cheap

Mr. Cheap — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:47:09 +0000

Mike: I actually went to band camp (as an air cadet). And this one time, at band camp, …

nobleea: That may be an idea too. Or if losing the personnel for one week each term was too much, they could do a week once a year, and three weekends in the other quarters…

K.E.: Yes, you’re right that they do custom programs. What I’m talking about here is more structured than that. I agree with you that if you told them you wanted this and asked for it to be designed as a custom program for your company, they’d be happy to oblige. Instead I’m suggesting that the school could sell this idea (and offer it) to the companies, not just provide it if requested.

By: K. E.

K. E. — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:35:01 +0000

Just a heads-up: the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario has been running these “executive development” programs for many years. Here’s a link to the list of some of their clients:

http://www.ivey.uwo.ca/executive/Custom/Partners.htm

I’m almost certain that Rotman and Queen’s offer similar seminars/sessions with the ultimate goal of enrolling more working folks into the lucrative (for the schools) executive MBA programs.

By: nobleea

nobleea — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:58:46 +0000

I don’t think one week a year would be enough. Maybe a week every quarter.

The Future Leaders might also tend to move around companies alot while they climb the ladder. You’d want to catch them quick, and just doing it once a year wouldn’t be enough.

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 11:03:47 +0000

Kind of like band camp.

I’d be into this sort of thing if my company offered it.