Need for Career Development Programs
The need that employees have is “to be attracted to organizations that have well-developed mentoring programs, career
development initiatives, and job enrichment opportunities” (ASTD, 2005).
Characteristics of a Successful Career Development System
Alignment With Mission and Vision:
Able to act on a development program that brings about the vision and mission of the company
Characteristics of a Successful Career Development System
Core Competencies:
• Brings skills and knowledge that are important for individuals to develop to be successful
• Helps the individual to link their job to the mission and vision of the company.
Characteristics of a Successful Career Development System
Self Assessment:• Brings self-understanding of abilities, interests,
values, and goals• Vital foundation of the career development process• Use of assessment tools such as Now, Discover Your Strengths by Buckingham & Clifton and Career
Anchors by Edgar H. Schein can be used for self-assessment
(Assessment tools will be discussed more in a separate section)
Characteristics of a Successful Career Development System
A Variety of Learning Options:
• Develops skills to sell and train• Personal support to improve sales
• Regional managers support and give guidance• Develops a mentoring culture using existing sales
personnel
Characteristics of a Successful Career Development System
Career Options and Available Talent:
• Potential individuals identified can assist, train, and handle local issues for the regional
manager.
Characteristics of a Successful Career Development System
On-Going Communication:
• Keeps communication open • Connected through conference calls
• Regional manger kept updated on career and product development
Assessment Tools from Now, Discover Your Strengths
• Looks at 34 strengths in an individual and records the top 5
• Builds a strengths-based culture in the corporation
Four Aspects of a Strengths-Based Corporation
• Spend a great deal of time and money selecting people. Helps mitigate the “I don’t think I have the right talent for the role” problem.
• Focus performance by legislating outcomes rather than focusing each person into a stylistic mold. Addresses the “in my role I don’t have any room to express my talents” problem.
• Focus training, time, and money on educating about strengths and figuring out ways to build on strengths. Solves the “I don’t have the skills and knowledge I need” problem, the “I don’t know what I’m best at” problem, and the “my manager doesn’t know what I’m best at” problem.
• Devise ways to help each person grow his career without necessarily promoting him up the corporate ladder and out of his areas of strength (Buckingham & Clifton, 2001, pg.216-217).
Assessment Tools - Eight Career Anchors (See “Eight Career Anchors” Handout)
• Technical/Functional Competence• General Managerial Competence• Autonomy/Independence• Security/Stability• Entrepreneurial Creativity• Service/Dedication to a Cause• Pure Challenge• Lifestyle
Benefits for Mentoring and Coaching
• Overcomes performance problems• Helps others that have performance issues and guides them through those issues
• Develops employee skills• Delegates routine activity to others, allowing for more mentoring time
• Increases productivity