Designing And Facilitating Development Centres for a Financial Services Organisation - Case Study

A major financial services organisation invited us to design and facilitate a series of one-day development centres, building on research we had undertaken into programme management competence, for a cadre of experienced programme managers. The aims were to determine the competence and potential of individual managers, and to inform their personal development.
 
The development centre comprised an in-depth phenomenographic interview and two business simulations set broadly within the organisation’s business context. The interview questions were devised to explore managers’ conceptions on 8 of the attributes in the competency framework. Some questions were deliberately vague, most questions invited participants to recall specific and meaningful instances from their experiences. The business simulations were designed to access conceptions on the other attributes and some also covered by the interview.

Thirty three managers participated in the development centres, and a detailed feedback document was prepared for each participants. At the debrief session, issues and questions were addressed and specific development actions were agreed with the participant. Given that the participating managers were at the same organisational grade, there was a surprising and unexpected variation in their abilities when mapped against the competence framework. Some perceived ‘high-flyers’ exhibited average competence levels, while some respected, but not high profile, programme managers exhibited very high levels of competence. The client senior managers facilitating at the development centres and the debrief sessions found the approach both robust and insightful. In many cases these senior managers had known the participants for many years, but had not fully recognised their potential or had not been able to articulate vaguely sensed shortcomings. For many participants the feedback reinforced their own perceptions of their competence. An overall analysis of the performance of all the participating managers highlighted what appeared to be a cultural bias within the organisation.