The Strategy of Executive Education

There are a variety of strategies/systems a company might employ. For instance there is the building block approach, or transition strategy, which consists of a set of core, mandatory programs aimed at the transition to key management levels (a more complex system popular these days refers to the Leadership Pipeline.) Typically, these blocks are developed for newly appointed first and mid-level managers and those moving into the executive ranks. In these programs, participants learn the skills and knowledge required to succeed in their new positions. This approach is also a vehicle by which organizations instill their culture at various points in the manager’s career, as well as continually reviewing and reinforcing the organization’s vision, values, strategies, and priorities.

Another strategy, demonstrated by Motorola, is to design a new program around the most critical business issue facing the company each year. All top executives attend. In the past, Motorola programs have addressed such challenges as Asian markets and competitors, cycle time, Six Sigma Quality, and projected customer expectations of the 21st century.

In summary, what I’ve found is that best practices companies link executive education directly to strategy and view it as a way to gain strategic advantage: their CEOs and top-level executives are committed and involved, they rely heavily on a senior-level advisory board, and they employ a long-range, continuous learning strategy and system.