Academy for Leadership & Development

1. Academy for Leadership & Development

2. Practicum Overview • Reflection • Journaling • Selecting a Mentor • Selecting a Program Buddy • The Academy Liaison and Coach • Reflection Reports • The Electronic Connection • Graduate Credit (optional) • Individual Professional Development Plan

3. Why the Academy Leadership Program is Different • The program is learning-centered. We will be using many different types of experiential activities during the training so that everyone’s learning styles and preferences will be engaged at some point and the training will be meaningful for everyone. • The program is comprehensive. Each module builds on the skills and knowledge of the previous modules. • The program builds a learning community that reinforces itself. • The program provides theory and an opportunity to apply and practice the concepts, both during the session and throughout the yearlong practicum. • The practicum is integrated into your current responsibilities, at whatever level you are operating, so the training becomes a part of your work, not an addition to it.

4. Five Key Unique Factors • Learning-centered • Comprehensive • Community Building • Year-long Practicum • Integrated Practicum

5. Discover Your Strengths

6. Two Out of Ten and the Three Myths • Are you one of the “2 out of 10”? • If you are not a “20-percenter,” how can your IPDP and the Practicum help you become one? • How could you use your Individual Professional Development Plan and Practicum to play to your strengths?

7. Purpose of the IPDPand Practicum To provide an opportunity for participants to apply the concepts and skills learned during training to their current position through the development and implementation of an Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP).

8. Blank IPDP Worksheet Name: Job Title:

9. Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP):Writing Your IPDP • “How can I apply this information to the work I am currently doing? How can I use these concepts and skills to become a more effective leader?” • At the end of each module, write two or three reasonable goals for applying the information to your daily practice. State them in terms of objectives. Remember, objectives must be: • Specific • Measurable • Attainable • Relevant • Timely • Think of possible strategies for accomplishing your objectives. • Decide on appropriate measurements for success. • Decide on appropriate measurements for success.

10. Other Problems to Avoid When Writing Objectives • Too many objectives • Objectives that aim low; stretch yourself! • Objectives that depend on circumstances out of your control • Objectives that stop with “communication” or “awareness” • Awareness is a first step, but behavior change is the goal • Objectives that focus on changing someone else’s awareness and behavior; the objectives should focus more on you becoming a more effective leader

11. Problems to Avoid When Writing Measurements • Measurements that don’t relate to the objective • Measurements that take more time or effort than practical • Measurements that are really strategies • Attempting to assess vague, subjective, or immeasurable aspects, such as balance, attitude, or climate

12. IPDP Worksheet Name: Job Title: