- Seven one-day instructional modules
The integrating vehicle for the program are the seven one-day facilitated sessions delivered in an action learning (workshop) style. These sessions are typically held one month apart, and are all conducted personally by Dr. Resnick.
The sessions evolve in complexity as the leadership model is developed through the program. A detailed description of the program content is provided in subsequent sections of this brochure.
To ensure that learning is highly interactive, a maximum of 30 participants may be enrolled in a program.
In addition to the highly developed program content, each group applies the content through real-time organizational issues and problems. These organizational challenges or opportunities are pre-selected by senior leadership. Examples have included performance management systems, continuous improvement systems, development of organizational culture, customer feedback and satisfaction systems, implementation of major change initiatives, implementation of enterprise-wide software systems, etc.
- Program materials
Participants receive a manual with extensive materials for each of the program modules. These materials have been developed and copyrighted by Dr. Resnick through his company, Work Systems Associates, Inc. They have been validated and continuously refined over a twenty-five year period, applied with more than five hundred corporations throughout North America and Europe, and used directly by more than 20,000 managers and leaders.
In addition to the information required for the workshops, other related materials are included as well for reference. The participants receive a valuable set of resource materials that can be used in many aspects of their work.
- Learning teams
To help ensure application of the concepts and skills developed in the program, learning teams are formed to reinforce personal action plans and on-the-job applications.
Learning teams may represent existing segments of the organization, or they may be designed as cross-functional teams. Sometimes they are selected to address a particular organizational challenge, or address common customer issues.
If learning teams are not pre-set, then the group will be divided into different teams each module, to further reinforce the cross-functional learning opportunities presented through the program design.
- Supplemental individual coaching
Dr. Resnick also maintains personal availability to the participants between sessions. Individuals may call for personal discussion or coaching, or share materials for feedback via fax or email.
- Feedback to senior management
Before, during and after the program feedback sessions are offered to the managers of the participants and to the senior executives of the sponsoring organization. These sessions include ways to enhance the learning and application of each of the participants, and also provide feedback regarding any organizational issues or opportunities that are identified in the program.
- Action learning and real-work implementation
Because this program is conducted over seven months with multiple experiences to tie the learning together the program can focus on real-time action learning and implementation issues. This is done in three ways.
First, each participant maintains a personal Action Planner that serves as the glue between the sessions. This action planner is used to record both personal notes and plans at key points in every workshop session.
Second, learning teams are created and used to identify and apply real-time work issues through collective action.
Third, assignments are given to both individuals and learning teams for real-time work applications between the learning sessions. The class becomes a fully integrated real-work action laboratory in which ideas and activities are developed in the workshop, tried out on-the-job, and feedback is provided both between sessions and in the next formal workshop experience.
