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FORT BELVOIR, Va. - Changes to the Defense Logistics Agency’s leader development program are expected to help employees gain leadership skills earlier in their careers and encourage experienced leaders to continue learning.
The new Enterprise Leader Development Program was launched in August to align the agency’s leader development processes with the Department of Defense Civilian Leader Development Framework and Continuum, which is DoD’s blueprint for the deliberate development of civilian leaders.
The new system has five “levels” instead of the four “tiers” used by the previous program. Tier one included both non-supervisors and team leaders. The ELDP begins at the non-supervisory level and extends through the executive level to provide leader development opportunities and resources to all employees under one program. Each level has its own curriculum and core competencies and lets employees use a mixture of classroom training, online training and experiential learning to develop new skills.
“Our intent is to encourage the development of leadership traits early in an employee’s work life, recognizing that leadership can be exhibited at any level,” DLA Human Resources Director Brad Bunn said.
Level 1 includes all civilian employees who are not team leaders, project leaders, supervisors or managers. Level 2 includes civilian employees who have “lead” or “leader” in their job title or are responsible for leading projects.
Newly selected supervisors and managers and those who have not yet completed either the ELDP Tier II or Level 3 programs are in Level 3. Level 4 is for experienced supervisors and managers who have completed ELDP Tier II, now Level 3. Civilian employees who are members of the Senior Executive Service are in Level 5.
Bunn said the revisions lend structure to professional development plans for employees in Levels 1 through 3 and provide more flexibility for experienced leaders in Levels 4 and 5 to identify opportunities to help maximize their leadership potential.
While employees in Level 1 are not required to pursue leadership development, they are encouraged to take on self-development activities for competencies assigned to their level, said Janet Lynch, ELDP program manager for DLA Human Resources.
“Even if [they] don’t have leadership aspirations, we encourage employees to work on expanding their competencies and to also include those efforts in their accomplishments at the end of the performance year,” Lynch said.
Two new courses – “Everyone is a Leader” and “Is Supervision for You?” – will also be available for Levels 1 and 2 employees beginning in fiscal 2012, she added.
All other levels have mandatory requirements. Employees in Level 2 must attend a 16-hour instructor-led course called “Leading Teams and Projects.” New leaders in Level 3 must complete a two-year formal program with 160 hours of developmental activities focused on human resources and people-management skills.
Requirements for experienced leaders in Level 4 include 20 hours of self-chosen learning activities that range from serving as a mentor or special project member to academic work.
“Employees have the flexibility to focus their activities on their individual needs and career goals,” said DLA Land and Maritime Deputy Commander Jim McClaugherty, who also serves as DLA’s leadership functional community manager. In this role he ensures leadership competencies are instilled and developed across the enterprise.
“This is so important. Leadership may be the best antidote we have to the constant change that buffets us,” McClaugherty said, adding that future mission requirements may also be used to determine skills employees should further develop.
A 16-hour, instructor-led course called “Transitioning to Manager” is also being developed for Level 4 employees. The course will help experienced leaders understand the difference between being a supervisor and being a manager, Lynch said.
“In the managerial world, for example, you need to break down problems, ensure that people are communicating across the organization and have a vision for where your part of the organization is going,” she added.
Supervisors typically use basic management skills to do such things as oversee employee performance, assign projects, maintain accountability of personnel and actions, resolve conflicts, solve problems, and develop their employees, Lynch said.
Level 5 employees must attend the two-week Senior Executive Orientation Program within the first two years of transitioning to an SES position and also do 20 hours of learning activities.
These changes to the ELDP have made “an outstanding program even better,” DLA Troop Support Chief of Staff Robert Ratner said. A retired Air Force colonel with years of leadership training, Ratner said he was surprised when he was first selected for a civilian supervisory position at DLA and told he would be participating in the program.
“The ELDP has enabled me to meet with other DLA managers and supervisors to find out firsthand what their challenges were through discussions of real-life experiences and, more importantly, the solutions they found beneficial to resolve day-to-day issues,” he said. “The program helped position me for success in my current job.”
Employees in all levels should record ELDP progress in their individual development plans, available via eWorkplace, Lynch said. She also recommended that employees look for training and developmental activities from a variety of sources.
“DLA Training has some new course offerings, such as a half-day class on situational leadership and a one-day class on conflict. There are a lot of viable options out there, and I encourage employees to find the ones that are right for them,” she continued.
Employees seeking more information on the program can send an email to ELDP@dla.mil.
Click here for a brochure on the new Enterprise Leader Development Program.
| Date Taken: | 11.28.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 12.01.2011 10:03 |
| Story ID: | 80772 |
| Location: | FORT BELVOIR, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 103 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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