Speaker 1: Developing Leadership Capability Using Assessments, a case study with AECOM and Profiles International. This is a summary of a case study that illustrates the use of Profiles International assessment tools in a leadership development initiative with AECOM. AECOM is a global provider of professional, technical, and management services to a broad range of key end markets, including transportation, facilities, environmental, energy, water, and government. In 2006, one of AECOM's original operating companies began working with Profiles International to help senior leadership understand its individual strengths and areas of development. This strategic initiative was so successful that today, the company is optimizing what it has learned at the senior levels and is pushing the application of the Checkpoint 360 and Checkpoint Skill Builder series strategically across parts of the workforce and the organization. AECOM utilizes a number of programs and services from Profiles International to help improve performance, build bench strength across the organization and its businesses, and enhance personal performance of its leaders. Three key tools include the Checkpoint 360, individual and group coaching, and Checkpoint Skill Builder series. AECOM uses Profiles Checkpoint 360 that includes a set of 18 standard competencies that are universal and which capture the fundamental skills for leadership. AECOM works in partnership with Profiles to implement the 360 tool. A number of steps are involved to make the process a success. Communication from a senior AECOM executive builds credibility and priority of the process. Webcasts are conducted by Profiles consultants to educate the leaders and their raters about the process. Profiles distributes the online surveys and develops the reports. AECOM analyzes the information and integrates data into its talent strategies. AECOM's training and development group has also built a solid understanding of Profiles and how to utilize the vendor's tools. As a result, the group is able to support the successful application and implementation based on individual leader needs. Further, the managers of the participating leaders receive coaching about how to conduct an effective leadership development discussion. A custom one-page guide or job aid was also created, which documents the process and also recommended discussion topics and tips for providing feedback and creating on-the-job actions that will ensure success. Completion of the Checkpoint 360 assessment results in a comprehensive, individualized report, which is provided to each leader and his or her manager. This report is used as the foundation for a discussion between the leaders and an assigned coach. An organizational management analysis is also completed. This is a high-level overview of all of the individual Checkpoint results and has the following four key deliverables. Number one, a detailed description of how AECOM leaders were rated individually as well as collectively. Number two, a detailed analysis of alignment between leaders and their managers regarding the competencies in the Checkpoint. Number three, an outline of the organization's skills gap. Where specifically does the organization need development? And number four, a personalized description of development for each leader. AECOM was able to deliver targeted training without any waste. The primary purpose of a coach is to ensure people get the correct message from the 360 assessment. Once the leader understands and accepts the feedback, then the coach works with the leader to create a development plan for achieving higher levels of effectiveness. The plan ideally forces some accountability onto the leader. At AECOM, the coaching relationship continues over the next 30 to 45 days, and in some cases up to six months. The coaching involved internal coaches and external profiles consultants. Both scenarios were successful. Depending on the leader, one was more desirable than the other. The Checkpoint skill builder series works in conjunction with the 360 assessments to help managers improve performance. AECOM takes advantage of this offering so that its leaders can improve their performance just in time. There's a skill builder designed for each of the 18 competencies measured by the Checkpoint. This is not a course per se, but rather tips and tools for improving a skill while on the job. The Checkpoint skill builder. For example, if delegation was identified as an area for improvement, a leader can use the skill builder to work through the process. It may include the following steps. The first activity may be to identify and list some tasks that can be delegated. The second activity would be to identify people to whom the tasks can be delegated. The third step may involve listing the pros and cons for delegating to each of these people. The skill builder series is highly interactive. By the time the leader is done, he or she will actually have things to delegate. Each skill builder comes with a custom coaching guide that includes tips for every activity and a coaching agenda for up to six critical coaching sessions. Upon completion, a plan is produced that includes lessons learned from all activities and a strategy to ensure skill changes are sustained. Best of all, the learner gets to learn on the job through using the internet and not have to take time off for classes. Since 2006, AECOM has been using profiles Checkpoint 360 and Checkpoint skill builders to uncover and develop the skills and capabilities of its leaders. The company began with its senior leadership team and is now with much success tapping into these resource tools for specific individual needs and business groups. Here's a quote from the senior VP of HR for North America. The concept is that you start small and then expand slowly when something works. Take best practices that work in various operating units and bring them into the fold of the broader organization. It says a lot more when you have a senior leader from the operational side saying that this is a valuable tool. It creates buy-in by the business which is absolutely critical to get to a win-win. So what's next? I hope you've enjoyed hearing some of the successes that AECOM had with this solution. The great strength of this solution is that it can work in an organization with 45,000 employees like AECOM or in a company with just 45 employees. No matter the size of your business, leadership is key and we'd like to help you build yours. If you'd like to take the next step and find out for sure if this program could solve your leadership concerns, just give us a call at 1-888-580-8835 or email us at info at empowergroup.ca and we'll schedule a no obligation 45 minute meeting. There's no risk except your time and we promise not to waste it. We are only interested in working with clients that we can deliver amazing results for. If you think that may be you, why not contact us today?