Getting the "Leadership Advantage"
Leadership Advantage Program Prepares CCA’s Emerging Leaders
If you have ever wanted to take the success of your corrections career into your own hands, CCA’s new Leadership Advantage program, an online leadership and management classroom, offers just that opportunity.
Selected participants will have the opportunity to study more than 40 different competency-based courses – building their overall leadership and management skills while increasing confidence and opening doors to the next step in their career.
“Leadership Advantage helps CCA develop and mature our talent pool, and identify emerging leaders,” says Lisa Cecil, CCA manager, Distance Learning.
Leadership Advantage is essentially a stepping stone for highly motivated employees who want to invest in themselves, now. And applications to enroll are currently being accepted.
“This new program is designed for those employees who want to take the initiative to study those competency areas where they may need work or to boost their competency skills required of the job they are striving for,” says Cecil.
Getting the Advantage
CCA’s launch of the Competency Center earlier this year offered leadership-level (chief of security and higher) for career development. Leadership Advantage is similar in terms of the scope and type of offerings, but will be available to employees at any level, no matter position title.
“Normally this type of high level training is reserved for facility management staff,” explains Brian Collins, CCA executive vice president and chief human resources officer. “With Leadership Advantage, we are inviting all CCA employees to apply for this program, providing them with an opportunity to develop leadership skills, regardless of their job title.”
But that’s not the only feature that makes the program notable.
Employees interested in participating in Leadership Advantage will need to apply and be chosen for one of only three seats available per facility. Selected employees will have their spot for six months.
During the six month cycle, Leadership Advantage students will access the training program online through CCA’s Learning Management System (LMS) and will have access to over 40 educational tracks. Each track addresses key leadership skills, such as critical thinking, goal setting and managing relationships. Employees participate at their own pace in independent study and may choose subjects in which they want to improve or learn more.
“A good place to start may be referring to the employee’s annual evaluation to identify opportunities for development,” says Cecil.
The Process
The application is simple and straightforward, offering employees the opportunity to explain why they want to participate in the new program.
A board consisting of the facility human resources manager, training manager and warden (or selected ADO staff) will review the applications and conduct interviews before selecting the employees.
During Interviews, employees can share their motivation for being interested in the program. Learning ability, emotional intelligence, willingness to embrace change and managing relationships are among the desirable traits being sought in program candidates.
Interested employees not selected for the first cycle will have additional opportunities to apply. Every six months, a new cycle begins with another selection process. The goal is to offer Leadership Advantage to 1,500 CCA employees through five cycles.
Start Taking Advantage. Apply.
Interested employees can apply through January 1, 2012 for the first Leadership Advantage cycle that begins February 1. Applications can be obtained from facility human resources and training managers.
CCA managing director Kevin Myers and several staff at CCA’s Hardeman County Correctional Facility in Tennessee have previewed the training materials with favorable results.
“I’m excited about the Leadership Advantage software,” Myers explains. “Our group has studied several courses, and we were all impressed. It’s good material.”
Earlier user, Rosie Kendrix, assistant warden at the Hardeman facility, explains why participating in Leadership Advantage is worth the time commitment.
“I thought I wouldn’t have the time to give, but once I got started, it motivated me so much I just wanted to know more to become a better leader and manager for my staff.”
Future opportunities to apply for the Leadership Advantage program are:
• May 15, 2012 – June 30, 2012
• November 15, 2011 – January 1, 2013
• May 15, 2013 – June 30, 2013
• November 15, 2013 – January 1, 2014
Published December 27, 2011
Sound Out
C/O J. Hill at WTDF:
I have just started the Leadership Advantage Program and chosen some of the courses that I want to study. I think this is a great tool to use in developing staff at every level in our company. I plan on using this opportunity to better myself as an individual, and hopefully become a sucessful leader in my CCA career.