Organizational Development for Knowledge Management at Water ...

Project Study # 7
Employee Leadership and Development
Project Description: The Employee Leadership and Development Program will identify
approximately 20 mid- to upper- level supervisors who will participate in an 18-month
supervisory training program. The program consists of a minimum of 9 full-day classes
designed to correlate with the identified competencies. Participants will be advised of their
responsibility to actively participate in the program as part of their Individual Development Plan
as established by their immediate supervisor. Leaders must master a number of competencies
to effectively conduct their job. The first responsibility of the supervisor is to recognize his/her
strengths and weaknesses, and work to build those areas where deficiencies lie.
Size of Utility: 241 employees
Critical Success Factors: A critical success factor is recognizing supervisory competencies.
Examples of these are: strategic skills, energy and drive, operating skills, courage (conflict
resolution; making tough calls that will affect people’s lives), organizational positioning skills,
and personal and interpersonal skills. Establishing benchmarks that focus on what can be
learned from experience by: providing information of potential career blocks—certain flaws or
behaviors that may lead to derailment and linking lessons and experiences together to guide
further development.
Costs: University fees for training courses and the individuals commitment of time and travel.
Alignment: Specifically aligned with strategic planning.
Benefits: Better trained supervisors who recognize their strengths and weaknesses and know
the value of transferring knowledge to fellow employees. . It provides the practicing leader with
a benchmark on how he or she is doing when compared with a similar norm group. Through
benchmark analysis this program will determine how successful executives develop and why
they sometimes fail to develop.
Compiled October 2007
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POC:
Gwendolyn Hargrove Ruff
Columbus Water Works
©2011 Water Research Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.