Excellence in Practice 2017 cases showed some strengthening and deepening of trends we have noticed in recent years. And they also showed how the difference in speed of adoption of new technologies is influencing practices across companies, across departments and across populations.
First, the challenges continue to be framed in a combination of organisational and participant perspectives with, for example, cross-functional and cultural impact aspirations in several cases, which led to a specific category for “eco-system” development.
This makes for interesting reading. Most of the cases did not prepare for a defined future or even defined profile of leaders but focused on tools and techniques such as design thinking, agile development and business model innovation to manage uncertainty – preparing for the “unknown unknowns” as it was put in one of the cases.
Another confirmed trend is the growth of co-creation (or co-design and co-definition) between supplier and client. And where traditionally this was a joint effort of supplier, top management and development professionals, this time there were quite a few cases where the co-creation was done with participants in the programmes themselves.
Participant projects and action learning, project-based or problem-based learning was at the core, leading to continuous adaptation between modules and programmes, making the difference with consulting very fine in some of these approaches. Some had organisational assessments included, extending the sources and opportunities for organisational and individual development.
Almost all the cases submitted depicted a “development journey”, combining face-to-face elements with social and informal learning elements. Mentoring, coaching and action learning are regular formats these days. And the growing familiarity of participants with social media is leading to a proliferation of social network tools, eworkshops, webinars, videoconferences, portals and blogs in technology-savvy organisations, departments and target populations.
But practices are clearly maturing with, for example, a growing use of peer-support along the journey. And some organisations have advanced approaches for all their development interventions not just for a few depending on the supplier involved.
Impact measurement and indicators remain a challenge, though the introduction of technology and notably the active use of peers as feedback and support brings some very interesting evolutions. Video-taping and uploading personal projects at the beginning of the programme, progress reporting in between group modules as well as webinars months after the programme have become wide-spread practices.
We hope this year’s reading can again be an inspiration for your own work!
Excellence in Practice 2017 Winners
Category: Talent Development
GOLD
Mars & Center for Creative Leadership (CCL): Filling the Senior Leadership Pipeline
SILVER
PricewaterhouseCoopers & PWC My Way PwC: My Way – Choose to Go Further
Category: Organisational Development
GOLD
Telenor & INSEAD: Creating a Culture of Innovation
SILVER
ANZ & University of South Australia Business School: Developing Leaders of Growth Companies
Category: Professional Development
GOLD
Cisco & LIW Cisco: Global Technical Leader Programme
SILVER
Capgemini & Capgemini University: The Engagement Management Transformation Journey
Category: Executive Development
GOLD
Nokia & Complex Adaptive Leadership & Abilitie: Nokia Adaptable Leader Programme – Turning VUCA to Advantage – The ALP Journey
SILVER
Old Mutual Wealth & Accelerance: Enabling Positive Futures at Old Mutual Wealth
Special Category: Ecosystem Development
GOLD
Diabetes UK & Novo Nordisk & Ashridge: Executive Education Tackling the Diabetes Crisis
SILVER
Norwegian Armed Forces Study Center & BI Norwegian Business School: The Story of how a Business School got involved in Working with National Security
