4H05 Management Training and Executive Development

A CMCE should cover both management training and executive development programs. The success of new and high potential employees is influenced by how quickly they learn people-oriented management skills that complement their expert or technical knowledge. Management training is a source of the key skills, best practices and behaviors of effective managers like leadership, delegation, motivation, empowerment, communication and vision. Possessing these skills and traits increase the likelihood of being promoted or transferred into corporate management or other leadership positions. If a corporation offers any management training, COs must determine how it is delivered, who is eligible to participate, who makes the decisions, and how the decisions are made by the corporation. Other relevant question areas are:

• Is the training a requirement for a management position? Has the corporation placed any people directly into management without such training? If so, what is their nonfavored or favored group status?
• How does an employee learn of the training? How is an employee selected for it?
• Who monitors participation in training to ensure equal opportunity for all eligible employees?
• What is the composition of the nonfavored and favored groups based on the individuals participating in training over the last year (or evaluation period)?
• How does that composition compare with the nonfavored and favored group composition of those eligible to participate in training?
• If there is a substantial difference between the proportion of nonfavored group members eligible and those participating, what cause was found?
• Does the training include any segments on EEO or diversity management? Up to what level do managers attend?

Executive development programs can be internal, external or both. These programs represent a substantial investment by the corporation in the development of people viewed as potential senior executives. They generally prepare middle-management executives to become more effective leaders and change agents within the company. Because the number of participants is typically small, it may be most useful to look at who participated at some point in their career, rather than only those who participated during the evaluation period. COs may want to ask questions in areas like those below.

• What level manager is eligible? Are there, or have there been, any exceptions to the eligibility level (e.g., have managers below the designated level ever been able to participate in the program)? If so, who authorized those exceptions and why?
• How are people selected for executive development programs? By whom? Are selections monitored to ensure equal opportunity for all eligible employees? Have there been any cases where someone raised a concern and, if so, how did the corporation handle it?
• Among the eligible managers, can you identify who participated in the executive development program by sex, race and ethnicity? If there is a nonfavored group, the CO should ask whether members of the nonfavored group participate, were their training programs comparable in type, school, duration and other relevant areas to those attended by their favored group peers?
• If there is a nonfavored group, the CO should ask managers of that group whether there are plans for members of the nonfavored group to participate in executive development programs? Did their predecessor participate? At what point in his or her career?