Early last year, my supervisor encouraged me to consider and apply for the USDA Graduate School. I haven’t attended a big leadership class in a while (10 years) so it sounded like a good thing to do.
“The Executive Leadership Program is an intensive nine-month developmental program designed to develop future public service leaders by providing assessment, experiential learning and individual development opportunities.”
What the heck, sounds like fun.
I and one other R5 Forest Service employee, Terry Froli from the Lassen NF, were accepted to attend the Center for Leadership and Management’s Executive Leadership Program – ELP. Last week we attended our orientation session in Baltimore, Maryland. The class is about 300 attendees, and we are broken into working groups of ten.
This was the first time I had introduced myself as “US Department of Agriculture.” Not only was I considered with a whole pack of other government employees, but this group did not look like your standard Forest Service crowd (old and white). This group is better example of workforce diversity.
I would like you to meet my new friends of the ELP – MVP’s (Executive Leadership Program – Most Valuable Players).
Katherine (Kat) Grahm
Passport Specialist & Academic Liaison,
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Quote: “Go Red Sox!”
Gus Shanine
Transportation Manager, US Department of Transportation,
Federal Highway Administration
Atlanta, Georgia
Quote: “Everyone has a right to his or her opinion.”
Cheryl Avent
Logistics Management, Naval Air Systems Command
Patuxent River, Maryland
Quote: “Grey is not a sign of getting older,
it’s a sign of getting wiser!”
Howard Brown
Fishery Biologist
U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration
Sacramento, California
Quote: “North to the Future!”
Michelle Armstrong
Department of Education
Washington, DC
Quote: “Ten minds are better than one.”
Lee Anne Kramer
Project Manager, U.S. General Services Administration,
GSA Public Buildings Service
Kansas City, Missouri
Quote: “Interesting Fact: I love to scuba dive!!!”
Jeffery Brown
Deputy Director, Marine Corps Community Services,
Pruchasing & contracting Branch
Okinawa, Japan
Quote: “One can not achieve excellence alone.”
Kimberly (Kim) Huges
Chief, Executive Secretariat Branch, USDA,
Farm Service Agency, Office of External Affairs
Washington, DC
Quote: “You too can be a travel agent!”
Daren Magness
Federal Aviation Association,
Hardware Manager
Washington, DC
Quote: “Hell, Yeah!”
And Me
Cynthia Whelan
Assistant Lands Officer, Sierra National Forest
Clovis, California
Quote: “No matter where you go, there you are!”
I think we are one hell of a group of outspoken, pragmatic extraverts wanting to get down to business. In three (3) hours we were able to develop and decide on:
Team Name
Team Motto
Team Colors
Team Icon
Team Shirt
Team Cheer
Team Song: MVP Team (…sung to the tune of YMCA… “It’s fun to lead with the MVP Team”)
Team Leadership Schedule for the Nine Month Program
Role of Team Lead
Role of Facilitator
Team Charter
Team Mission Statement
List of Shared Values
Team Profile
Operating Requirements
Potential Pitfalls
Guiding Principles
Team Structure
Team Decision Making
List of topics suggested for Team Project
A synopsis of ELT progress and processes during the week
Ways the team will support each other’s individual growth
Team communication strategies
Team Points of Contact
And Team Action Items
Several “Teams” that I have been on couldn’t accomplish that in three years, let alone any timeframe that could be measured in hours. I am impressed with our flexibility and willingness to get along to get a task done. I like moving quick and running with fast people. This team is smart and efficient.
Our Team Charter
“The ELP-MVP project team will consist of all team members as assigned to team #20 by the USDA Graduate School Executive Leadership Program for the 2007/2008 class. The LEP-MVP team members, will to the fullest extent their abilities, work both individually and together to meet all of the requirements described in the 2007/2008 project handbook. All representatives of the LEP-MVPs are expected to participate equally, and therefore, will have equal representation on the project team.”
Furthermore, the ELP-MVPs, will, to the maximum extent practicable, and allowable by existing policy, statute, or law, integrate fun, a cooperative spirit, and enjoyable atmosphere, while carrying out all program-related activities and requirements
We had to turn in a synopsis of our Executive Leadership Team progress and processes during the week, and it look like this:
“Our Executive Leadership Team (ELT) came together as a team almost immediately. The team is made up of a variety of backgrounds, experiences, skills, abilities, and personalities. Each team member possesses a strong personality and is not shy about expressing their ideas and opinions. Even though these strong personalities exist, the team is able to come to quick decisions in order to move on to the next issue/topic. Each member is encouraged to openly express their ideas and opinions. We have developed a schedule where as each team member will serve as a Team Lead over the next nine months. We have been exposed to various tools that we may customize to fit our specific leadership styles that will allow us to develop our strengths and weaknesses.”
For my progress in the class, I wrote a few personal goals for the ELP.
1) Do everything required for the class.
2) Do it on time.
3) Do it well.
4) Do something that will last.
5) Do something personal.
6) Do something that changes our future.
7) Do it all while maintaining my real life and my current job.
So, what am I going to do?
Actually, I’m not sure, but I like that part about “integrating a fun, cooperative spirit!” (Did I mention how much I enjoyed taking the water taxi and wallowing in crab and beer?) As we come up with some of our products, and as I complete my six Senior Executive Service interviews, my three day job shadowing and my 60-day developmental assignment, I’ll be posing what I think about it on my blog. It should be most interesting!
