BOSTON - July 2006 - Due to the
shortage of qualified senior-level executives, companies today are more
frequently providing coaching earlier in the development of middle managers and
high-potential employees to prepare them to become the next generation of
leaders, according to ClearRock, an
executive coaching and outplacement firm headquartered in Boston.
"After selecting and assessing
potential leaders, more organizations now want to make sure their managerial
skills progress steadily along with their job-related knowledge and expertise,"
said Greg Gostanian, managing partner
for ClearRock.
To ensure they grow quickly, more
organizations are helping middle managers and high-potential employees develop
qualities and abilities they desire in their upper-level managers earlier in
their careers. These include
strategic thinking, vision, creativity, innovation, decisiveness, motivating and
engaging others.
"These are skills many
organizations value most in their CEOs and other senior-level executives. They want to build their managers into
motivators and leaders," said Annie
Stevens, managing partner for ClearRock.
Providing coaching to employees
earlier in their careers also benefits organizations by enabling them to make
determinations sooner about which ones have the requisite skills and abilities
for upper management. "Companies
can get a better idea regarding which employees will be best able to make the
transition from managers to leaders, which ones will need help in improving
these talents, and which ones may be unable to progress much further," said
Gostanian.
Some companies are assembling
teams of high-potential employees and giving them visible problems for which to
develop solutions. "This builds
teamwork and strategic thinking skills, as well as uncovers new approaches
to some chronic problems," said Stevens.
"You don't have to be a CEO to
learn how to think strategically, be innovative, creative, or decisive. But it hasn't been regarded as critical
for middle managers and high-potential employees to sharpen these
attributes. Companies that drive
these down through the organization will have an edge in the marketplace," said
Gostanian.
Simulations, case studies, and
mentors help future leaders hone these leadership traits, as well as
coaches. "A combination of
practicing these abilities in their current jobs, role modeling using mentors,
and hypothetical situations provide the most well-rounded training," Stevens
said.
"Mentors show how these skills
are employed to create policies, procedures, and make decisions, and then
explain the thinking behind them," added Gostanian.
About ClearRock
ClearRock focuses on executive coaching and
outplacement. The coaching process
helps link business objectives, vision, and direction with individual
development of key leaders in the organization. The outplacement process helps
individuals and groups successfully navigate through the career transition
process, and clarify and implement career and life goals and objectives. For more information, please visit our
website at www.clearrock.com.