Formal feedback experiences and career transitions both involve acquiring new skills and honing current ones. Critical to this is measuring progress. This guidebook provides a proven technique on how to get and use the feedback that will help. Tips on how to evaluate the feedback and what to do if the decision is made not to use it are also provided.

If you were to ask managers and executives where they get the most influential and effective developmental training, the answer you're likely to get is "on the job." Too often, those same managers and executives discount what can be learned from experiences outside of work. CCL research demonstrates that activities that take place outside of the regular workday contribute to a leader's effectiveness as a manager. This guidebook shows how to see those...

Despite all of the attention and accolades that organizations place on teams, they are not always the most efficient way to meet a business challenge. It's expensive and time consuming to launch a team, and it's a full-time job to lead a team toward achieving organizational objectives. This guidebook was written to help managers determine if a team is the right tool for meeting a business goal, and explains potential obstacles and challenges to forming...

Managers who are considering a developmental plan that calls for an executive coach need more than a desire to improve their leadership capabilities. They also need to understand how to get the most from their work with a professional coach. This guidebook can help managers understand the unique nature of a coaching engagement and to assess their readiness to embark on this method of professional development. It describes the three main elements of...

As individuals, we can be creative and ambitious in both our personal and professional lives. But individual efforts can't always match the energy and productivity of a group. Cultures, societies, clubs, schools, and militaries arose out of our need to band together for mutual support. Organizations were created to deal more effectively with the environment - both the natural world and the world of work. But there is a trade-off when we move from...

"Between the time a team is launched and the time it delivers results, managers need to know that the team is on course. Whether they have launched a team to achieve a business objective or have inherited a team, they need to monitor effectiveness on an ongoing basis and make course corrections that keep small problems from becoming major disasters. Monitoring and maintaining team performance is a key element of leading a team. You can provide that...

Your image can be either an asset or a liability for you as a leader. Image building is neither superficial nor unimportant. It's not about creating a false image, but recognizing genuine aspects of yourself that should be coming across to other people--but aren't. Crafting your image requires you to gain a clear picture of the image people are currently perceiving, decide what image you would like to portray, and develop the skills to close the gap....

As managers move higher in an organization, it can be more difficult for them to get accurate and unbiased input about their performance and leadership skills. Many managers recognize that to focus their personal development plans they need the uninterrupted time and attention of a skilled, objective professional-- a coach. This publication places coaching in its proper place as a means of leadership development to be integrated with other methods....

"Leadership is best learned from experience, but learning from experience is not always automatic. This guidebook introduces you to a return-on-experience framework. Using the ROE framework, you actively seek to learn from experience in order to build your mastery, broaden your versatility, and benefit your organization. When you understand and apply the framework in your work and organization, everyday experiences can be transformed into an engine...