A NEED FOR FORMAL LEADERSHIP TRAINING

1. LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
NUMERICA
CREDIT UNION
A NEED FOR FORMAL
LEADERSHIP TRAINING
After two mergers greatly increased
Numerica’s total number of members,
employees, and branch locations—with
more expansion planned—the credit
union’s executive team determined that
a formal leadership training program was
needed to better position the organization
for the future.
“We were experiencing pretty extensive
growth within the credit union, and we
wanted to design a program that would
equip our managers with the leadership
skills they needed to assist in the develop-
ment of their staff,”says Nancy Harter,
senior vice president of administration.
“Our goal was two-fold,”explains Erynne
Hallock, training manager. “We wanted a
formalized program so employees could
speak in the same language and learn the
same skills. Also, we wanted one that would
differentiate us from our peers for the
dedication we show in developing our
leaders.” Hallock says that Numerica’s
senior leaders believed that such a program
would provide a competitive edge for
recruiting talent and boosting employee
retention.
A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO
DEVELOPING KEY BEHAVIORS
The solution for this 300-employee credit
union? Management in MOTION, a robust
training program with a breadth and sophis-
tication rivaling those implemented in many
Fortune 500 organizations.
Each year up to 15 employees are selected
by the executive team to participate in the
program. Any employee who shows high
potential for leadership ability, regardless
of actual job title, may be nominated by
management for the training. In fact, half
of the current trainees are not in titled lead-
ership positions, while some are assistant
vice presidents. Thus, a participant might
go through the training alongside his or
her direct reports.
“When we walk into that classroom for a
Management in MOTION session, we’re all
learning together,”Hallock says. “We have
each had different experiences and we
have different knowledge that we bring,
so it enhances our group discussion and
the experience.”
Once they accept the invitation into
Management in MOTION, employees com-
mit to a three-year curriculum. Participants
are required to complete a training-related
activity every month to continually rein-
force the new skills and concepts they learn
in the training. A major emphasis is placed
on applying classroom learning to the work
environment, to support learned behaviors
becoming innate behaviors.
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ABOUT NUMERICA
CREDIT UNION
> Headquarters in
Spokane, Washington.
> 17 branches throughout
Washington and
Northern Idaho.
> The credit union has
81,000 members and
300 employees.

2. “In other types of training, you might take
away one or two ideas, use them for a few
days or a month, then go back to old habits,”
says Guy Ottersen, who is now in his third
and final year of the program. By practicing
techniques reinforced in Management in
MOTION sessions, he improved his commu-
nication skills and, most importantly, learned
to give more effective feedback to his team
members. “One of the hardest things to do
was change the habit of giving non-specific
feedback.”
The first year, participants complete nine
half-day courses, at a rate of one to two
courses per month,at Numerica headquarters.
Classes include Essentials of Leadership,
High Impact Feedback, and Positive
Communication & Diversity. Conference
calls aimed at reinforcing development are
held during non-classroom months.
The second year includes four DDI courses,
including Leading High PerformanceTeams
and Networking for Enhanced Collaboration,
and two from Numerica’s Supervisor
Series—a curriculum of courses open to
all Numerica leaders,whether they are in
the Management in MOTION program or
not—for a total of six half-day classes plus
conference calls.
In the third and final year,students go
through the DDI courses Influential
Leadership,Leading Change,Boosting
Business Results,and Supporting Leadership
Development. They write a thesis paper on
leadership and act as mentors for the incom-
ing class.
The Management in MOTION curriculum is
modified as needed. For example,training
on industry-related issues,such as strategic
forecasting,was added to the third year of
classes to augment soft skills.
“We looked at many vendors and what we
liked most about DDI was the broad spec-
trum of topics in the curriculum and the
flexibility,”says Harter.
“DDI surpassed anything else that we saw
in terms of the number of courses they had
available,”says Hallock. Also appealing, she
says, was that DDI offered the option of
certifying an internal trainer to deliver the
courses.
REGULAR ASSESSMENTS REINFORCE
LEARNING
An important component of the
Management in MOTION program is
the option for trainees to achieve career
enrichment goals along development paths
reflecting three stages of a management
career. These stages are general, mid-level
(manager and supervisor), and key (assistant
vice president or vice president level).
Based on long-term goals discussed during
one-on-one interviews that Hallock con-
ducts with the participants, each individual
is assigned to a path that includes relevant
opportunities such as job shadowing, read-
ing select business books, or completing
courses offered outside the Management in
MOTION program. When management posi-
tions open within the organization, hiring
managers can review the accomplishments
of candidates in these self-directed activities.
To reinforce positive behaviors and increase
accountability, Hallock completes several
assessments throughout the three-year
process. After each class, she evaluates
each participant in three areas. In the first,
embracing course concepts, she critiques
their investment in and commitment to the
class topic. The second, classroom participa-
tion, is critical because it drives effective
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3. networking among the trainees—a long-
term benefit to the organization—who
represent a wide range of departments
and branches of the company.
“I encourage them to get involved in our
group discussions, to work when they’re
in partners, to work when they’re in small
groups,”Hallock says. “I’m not looking for a
quiet, reserved person to become a vibrant,
outspoken individual. I’m looking for them
to put themselves just outside of their com-
fort zone, to really invest and get to know
their classmates. That’s what creates more
of a dynamic experience.”
Third, the group is evaluated on the assign-
ment they are given at the close of each
class, which provides a chance to apply the
learning back on the job.
To proceed to the next year, participants
must attend all classes, complete homework
assignments, participate in at least 80 per-
cent of the conference calls and successfully
complete the annual“knowledge check,”or
final exam. Online quizzes are available to
help in the review of key concepts.
The completed evaluations are sent to the
trainees’ supervisors, and the leadership
skill areas for which they are assessed—
communication feedback, issue manage-
ment, coaching and developing, and catalyst
leadership—are incorporated into their
annual performance reviews during their
time in Management in MOTION, and for
the remainder of their employment with
Numerica.
An abridged version of the three-year pro-
gram is offered to all senior leaders, at the
assistant vice president level and higher, so
they can reinforce the development of their
direct reports.
As groups finish Management in MOTION,
they are recognized with two high-profile
celebrations. First, they spend a day in
team-building exercises with the executive
leadership team. In addition,they are awarded
their degrees during a graduation ceremony
as part of an organization-wide annual event,
where they are acknowledged and lauded in
front of the entire employee population.
A COMPANY-WIDE CULTURE
OF LEADERSHIP
Despite rapid growth and increasing
geographic distance between branches,
Numerica has helped its workforce to
create a culture of more open communica-
tion and collaboration. Before Management
in MOTION was launched three years ago,
most employees learned leadership skills
by copying their direct supervisors’
management style. Today, the emphasis is
on empowering all employees, regardless
of job title, to take a leadership role in
their workplace.
For Guy Ottersen, the timing was perfect.
He was promoted into his first supervisory
position after starting the program and now
manages 13 team members in Numerica’s
call center. These team members field all
incoming calls to the organization and, if
they cannot help the callers, transfer them
to one of the 18 branches.“The program
really built my confidence level,”he says.
“When you speak with composure, it goes
a long way.”
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4. “Team members are stepping up to the
plate and performing unbelievable tasks
that one year ago, they didn’t believe they
could do,”says Heidi Blair, accounting man-
ager, a graduate of the first Management in
MOTION class. “There is more of a willing-
ness to share ideas now that open commu-
nication is clear. I encourage everyone to
come up with better ways to do things.
It’s been amazing to see what being open
to new ideas and opinions has done for
the team.”
“We have seen a big impact on recruitment,”
adds Harter. “We provide information on
the program during interviews, and find
most candidates have not been exposed
to this kind of program. It shows we are
serious about developing our employees.”
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CONTACT INFORMATION
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> The Management in MOTION program has had
a positive impact on Numerica’s ability to recruit
talent and retain valued employees.
> A pipeline of leadership talent has been estab-
lished, making it easier for open leadership
positions to be filled with qualified internal
candidates.
> Skill levels and performance of leaders have
increased significantly, and a culture of more
open communication and collaboration is emerging.
> The organization has the leadership talent it
needs to drive future growth.
THE BOTTOM LINE