Charter | Procedure Memorandum | 2006 Action Plan

Division Leadership Program

Federal Highway Administration
Ohio Division
Procedure Memorandum

1. PURPOSE

   To establish a voluntary Leadership Development Program that is open to all employees in the Ohio Division. The LDP will help prepare the future leaders of the Federal Highway Administration, as well as develop the necessary leadership skills for employees at the local and national level to help the Agency more effectively advance and accomplish its goals and objectives. The program will (1) introduce leadership competencies to employees, (2) create an environment which fosters learning, and (3) provide a forum to practice and demonstrate visionary leadership.

2. REFERENCES

   Leadership is Everyone’s Business, FHWA Final Report, February 2002

   Leadership Exchange, FHWA Knowledge Community of Practice, Staffnet

   Guide to Senior Executive Service (SES) Qualifications, Office of Personnel Management

3. DEFINITIONS

   Leadership: The ability to coordinate or move forward in a set direction in a professional or personal environment – “Leading people or having willing followers.”

   Management: A titled person with responsibilities to coordinate resources in a professional environment – “Managing assets, programs, or products.”

   Individual Expectations: How the individual expects to develop their leadership skills, and what he or she expects from the Agency (e.g. training, developmental assignments, career opportunities, etc).

   Organizational Expectations: What the Agency needs or expects from its leaders through the core competencies or Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ).

4. BACKGROUND

   Like many federal agencies, the Federal Highway Administration is an Agency in transition. According to FHWA FY05 statistics, 67.4% of the SES & GS-15s are eligible to retire during the next 5 years, 73.5% of the DAs are eligible to retire during the next 5 years, and 40.8% of the ADAs are eligible to retire during the next 5 years. FHWA recognizes this potential leadership and knowledge transfer gap and is taking action to address these critical issues in various ways.

   Regarding the leadership gap, HQ is making a concerted effort to continue funding employee involvement in long-term leadership development programs (e.g. USDA Executive Potential Program, USDA Executive Leadership Program, Excellence in Government Fellows Program, etc). Also, HQ continues to fund short-term training courses in leadership development (e.g. AASHTO National Transportation Leadership Institute, AASHTO National Transportation Management Conference, Building a Foundation of Visionary Leadership, etc). Concerning the knowledge transfer gap, actions taken includes creating a HQ position for Workforce & Succession Planning, establishing teams to focus on transferring institutional knowledge to newer employees, holding Workforce Planning workshops periodically, and having unit offices [HQ Offices, Resource Center (RC), Federal Lands, Divisions, etc] submit its Workforce Plan annually. These activities demonstrate FHWA’s commitment to develop its future leaders. Absent skilled leaders, FHWA will not be capable of leading the transportation community well into the millennium.

   The Ohio Division recognizes the importance of leadership development from an Agency standpoint and an employee standpoint. The Leadership Development Program will benefit the Agency and individuals in two ways. First, it will help prepare its employees to assume future leadership positions within the Agency, whether it is in a Division, HQ, RC, Administrative, or Federal Lands office. Second, it will assist employees in identifying their strengths and developmental areas for their own self improvement, as well as strengthening their ability to work with fellow Division employees and our partners and customers. Doing so will enable the Division to work more effectively with our partners to successfully accomplish our mutual goals and objectives.

5. PROGRAM INFORMATION AND COMPONENTS

   The Ohio Division recognizes that “Leadership is Everyone’s Business,” and understands that every employee is a leader in their field, no matter what position they hold. Therefore, the program is not restricted to employees at certain grade levels or position/program responsibility. The Leadership Development Program is open to all Division employees who have a sincere interest in developing or enhancing their leadership skills. The program is entirely voluntary; however, it does involve a commitment of time and willingness by the employee to develop the needed skills. After the program is initiated, program participation will continue to be open to interested new employees, as well as those employees who may wish to join at a later date.

   It should be noted that participation in the program does not guarantee that an employee will receive a promotion in the Division or outside the office. In addition, there is no requirement that an employee who participates in the program must apply to positions outside this office. Career advancement and a willingness to relocate is, largely in part, the employee’s decision. The Division Leadership Team strongly believes that participating in this program will enhance the employee’s career advancement opportunities and make the employee a more competitive candidate.

   The major program components are as follows:

   1. Division Leadership Council (DLC) – The program will be managed by a voluntary committee under the advisement of the Assistant Division Administrator. The DLC will decide what leadership activities to pursue, as well as manage a corresponding budget for those activities. In addition, the DLC will develop a general plan for the year outlining the major activities to be accomplished. The DLC members will serve for one year, or longer if the committee member wishes. It is anticipated that serving as an active member of the DLC will be an excellent leadership development opportunity for the employee.

   2. Budget – The DLC will manage an annual budget to secure materials needed for the leadership activities. Due to the importance of this program, the Division will commit GOE funds to support this program.

   3. Self-Assessment – Participants will complete a self-assessment to identify and evaluate their leadership attributes (i.e. strengths and developmental areas). In addition, participants may wish to assess their individual personality type by using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality inventory, DiSC, or other tool available. This information helps an individual better understand “who they are” and provides thoughtful introspection necessary for personal growth. A 360º evaluation may also be used to provide useful feedback to the participant.

   4. Leadership Development Plan (LDP) – The participants will use the results of the self-assessment in developing their LDP. The Senior Executive Service (SES) “Executive Core Qualifications” and “Leadership Competencies” will be used as the basis to guide the development of their plan (refer to SES link in References). It is suggested that the participants seek feedback and input from their supervisors, other members of the DLT, or their mentor (if applicable) for this activity.

   5. Monthly Meetings – Participation at monthly meetings will serve as a key requirement of this program. Each month, all participants will meet for approximately one hour to discuss various leadership concepts obtained through leadership books, videos, etc, and how it applies to our office and to each individual (both on a professional and personal level, if desired). For book reviews, a few chapters per month will be read and discussed. The DLC, with input from the DLT, will identify a list of recommended leadership books and videos to select from for this activity. A DLC member will develop an agenda and will serve as facilitator for each meeting, and these duties will be rotated among the members. Also, participants will be invited to share any leadership or management concepts learned at various conferences, workshops, or forums that may be of interest to the group. In addition, guest speakers, who are in executive positions, may also be invited to give a presentation on their leadership experiences, leadership styles, and other insight relevant to leadership development. Discussion topics may include lessons learned from the applicable materials, how to apply those materials in professional situations, etc. The DLT is encouraged to participate in the meetings.

   6. Leadership Training – The DLC, with assistance from the DLT, will research and identify leadership training needs for the LDP members, as well as those courses thought to be of benefit to all Division employees, as necessary. Training courses, seminars, or programs may be held in the Division or may be at other venues, depending on the availability, cost, and other parameters.

   7. Other Activities – In order to provide flexibility to the program, the DLC may wish to pursue other leadership activities such as conducting a Division leadership retreat, benchmarking other public/private facilities to bring back exemplary practices implemented at those organizations, participating in other external leadership events in the local area, etc.

   8. Leadership Development Program Assessment – Program evaluations will be conducted by the DLC periodically to ensure that it is achieving its intended results. Modifications to the program will be made as appropriate.

   As the program progresses, participants are encouraged to discuss their individual growth and development with their supervisors, mentors, or other professionals they can confide in.