The Postal Service is strongly committed to providing training opportunities to all employees who demonstrate an interest. The Postal Service has developed and deployed several web-based self-service learning opportunities that reduce cost and increase the availability of training. The Postal Service works collaboratively across organizations to provide training that delivers maximum impact on operational performance, establishes policies that ensure fair treatment, provides developmental opportunities, recruits needed skills, retains the existing talent base, and prepares for the loss of existing postal leadership. In essence — puts into place processes that connect the right people with the right job.
Leadership Development and Talent Management
The Postal Service continues to develop a highly motivated, competent group of managers to fill executive positions. There were 735 executives in 2009, including 42 officers and 83 newly-appointed executives. 65 executives participated in one or more of the course offerings for executives.
Redeveloped this year, the Executive Leadership Program is designed to equip executives with the knowledge and skills to handle the human aspects of organizational change and to lead others through large scale transformation. The program includes classroom training, one-on-one coaching, 360 degree assessments, and an Organizational Culture Inventory to assess the current and ideal states of the Postal Service. In addition to the formal training sessions, a follow-up six-month executive coaching program was added to help drive business results.
Future executives are identified through the Corporate Succession Planning (CSP) process. CSP generally operates on a 2-year cycle, during which employees request to be considered as potential successors. If selected, they develop and pursue personalized individual development plans to prepare them for the additional responsibilities of executive assignments. The most recent process for field CSP began in 2008 and was fully updated early in 2009. CSP for headquarters executives will occur in 2010.
The Advanced Leadership Program (ALP) is for non-executives who have been identified as potential successors to executives. ALP includes a blend of classroom, eLearning, and business simulation in a 3-week curriculum. Further developmental needs of participants who have completed ALP are customized by their executive sponsors using an individual development plan. A significant number of ALP graduates — 40 percent — have been promoted to executive positions since the program was redeveloped in 2007.
The two-week Managerial Leadership Program is designed to enhance the leadership skills and professional growth of high potential mid-level managers. It is based on the Managerial Competency Model that identifies essential management skills relevant to the postal workplace.
