Post-Program Follow Up 

The premier Leadership Development Program (LDP)® now includes a 10-week period of structured follow-through and coaching to extend learning beyond the classroom and back to the workplace. The new follow-through process utilizes a web-based tool called Friday5s®. This interactive system helps LDP participants convert learning into action.

"We recognized that strengthening the post-course learning transfer period was a powerful opportunity to further increase the value of our award-winning LDP program and one-on-one coaching," says Wynne Whyman, Blended Learning Manager for the Center for Creative Leadership.

"The level of improvement after a learning event directly correlates with the level of follow-through," according to Whyman. "Yet it is often difficult to manage the intentional planning, time and effort necessary to create successful and lasting change."

The follow-through process that's been included with LDP helps participants sustain and build on the program experience. On the last day of LDP, participants set goals and plan next steps to transfer their learning to their jobs. Over the next ten weeks, they use Friday5s to reflect on their progress and apply their learning. The system allows participants to ask for feedback from their CCL coach and connect with other LDP participants.

"Friday5s kept me on target. I feel a lot more in tune with my goals and where I want to focus daily," said Greg Nelson, a Nordstrom executive who recently used a pilot of Friday5s in LDP.

Friday5s was developed by the Fort Hill Company of Wilmington, Delaware. Fort Hill and CCL worked closely together to adapt the technology to CCL's philosophy and processes. Friday5s has been used by thousands of managers in other organizations and was thoroughly tested in an extensive pilot by the CCL before being introduced into the LDP this month.

We're excited we've been able to customize the Friday5s system to closely integrate with LDP outcomes," says Whyman.

Features of the Friday5s Follow-Through Process

• Updates of Goal Achievement — Every other Friday, participants are prompted to briefly note what they have done, comment on progress, and list next steps to take. It takes appropriately five minutes - hence the name Friday5s.
• CCL Coach Feedback — Executives using the system can request written feedback on goals and updates from their CCL coach any time during the 10-week period. "This 'blended' approach," said Laura Santana, who help spearhead the re-engineering process, "allows us to combine high-tech with the high-touch approach for which the Center is famous and to effectively extend development support into the critical post-course application period."
• Shared Learning — Participants are encouraged to share goals and updates with fellow LDP participants and their CCL coach. This shared learning continues to support the group's development. Participants also have the option to keep goals private.
• GuideMe® — GuideMe is an on-line, just-in-time content feature that draws on CCL research and publications to provide practical actions executives can take to build competencies.

"Friday5s is one more way CCL helps increase the transference of skills and supports participants in accomplishing goals," notes Whyman.

Another critical part of the LDP follow-through process is REFLECTIONS®, a 360-degree retrospective assessment sent to participants 12 weeks after LDP. LDP participants have used REFLECTIONS for many years as a way to measure skills and behavioral improvement and program impact. Receiving an updated view of leadership skills supports managers and executives as they continue the development process.