Chief Learning Officer - March 2008 - (Page 45)

productivity decisions with the entire organization in mind, rather than only focusing on their narrow functions. Additionally, Willett has been putting together what she calls the “CLO’s notebook” that explains different aspects of the job in detail. Because she isn’t in the position to anoint a particular successor, she’s posted that to a public folder that her entire staff can access. “I’m trying to make explicit that which is tacit in my job,” she said. “I lay out what I think the job involves, the skills and abilities they need to know to be successful and key relationship networks — the chain of command, key internal and external stakeholders and the ‘loyal opposition.’ I’ve also got a chapter on meaningful metrics, which discusses what CLOs should keep their eye on to make sure they’re doing OK. Then there’s some internal ‘ash and trash,’ which I call ‘predictable annual crises.’ These are things that happen at regularly scheduled times throughout the year, and if you don’t anticipate them and get caught flat-footed, you’ll have to work like crazy. “The other thing I do on a regular basis is talk with my staff about lessons learned as we go along. What I’m trying to do is use everything that happens as a learning experience to prepare them to stretch in the future. Everyone takes experiences at a different level; they don’t all derive the same kinds of lessons from those experiences. What I try to do on a daily basis is turn everything into a leadership learning session, so that they’re thinking like a CLO as opposed to a project manager or program manager.” Willett also emphasized the importance of allotting plenty of time to lay the groundwork for the next CLO to take over the role. In her particular situation, this approach has been helpful because of GAO’s workforce demographics: At the moment, more than half the organization has fewer than five years of experience. Thus, she’s been aware of the general need to prepare succession pools well in advance. However, regardless of the organization’s circumstances, CLOs should be thinking early and often about who will succeed them and how to make that personnel shift as smooth as possible. “I think any CLO worth their salt comes into the job with a plan to build and a plan to transition,” Willett said. “Your responsibility to build includes a responsibility to successfully transition that to somebody else. From the first day you become a CLO, it’s important to have an exit strategy, meaning how you plan on leaving in – Carol Willett, CLO, U.S. GAO 45 March 2008 I www.clomedia.com I Chief Learning Officer “I think any CLO worth their salt comes into the job with a plan to build and a plan to transition. Your responsibility to build includes a responsibility to successfully transition that to somebody else.” http://www.clomedia.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Chief Learning Officer - March 2008

Chief Learning Officer - March 2008 Editor's Letter Table of Contents Imperatives Selling Up, Selling Down Strategies Take Five Learning Solutions The Treasury Board of Saskatchewan: Training the Trainers With Experiential Learning Clo Profile Environment Xerox: Creating a Learning Masterpiece Tactics Capturing the Knowledge of the Workforce Productivity Succession Planning Tips from the U.S. GAO Human Capital Influencing Competency Management Case Study Case Study Business Intelligence Advertisers' Index Editorial Resources In Conclusion

Chief Learning Officer - March 2008

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