Personal Focus: Leader Development Profile

Today, we launched a pilot project involving 13 Buckner Staff in leadership development. We used conference call technology to introduce the LDP: Leader Development Profile as a tool to develop leaders for Bucker. Several members from Dallas, San Antonio, Midland, and Lubbock gathered on the phone for a training session on Leadership Development.

The main thrust of the LDP is to help individuals define who they are and what their life mission is. The tool works through vision, passion, mission, results and creative performance, life output, unique ability, purposeful relationships, assigned tasks, and a blended statement of mission. The end result is a razor sharp focus for the emerging leader. We hope that the LDP is a foundational tool that will become part of a comprehensive plan to develop Buckner staff for future leadership in our ministry. The next phase will be an inventory of skills, abilities, credentials, and experience followed by asset mapping and succession planning. I am very encouraged that we have taken the first step in a long journey to demonstrate how valuable each Buckner staff member is and how strategic they are in accomplishing our mission of serving children at risk, orphans, and families.

This week I have featured the idea of focus. I started talking about this on Monday, and then asked Kenton Keller to help us think about organizational focus by exploring the concept of core competencies. I am more and more convinced that a sharper focus and a sharper sense of who we are and what we do best will help us enhance our effectiveness and our value in the marketplace and the Kingdom of God.

Our plan for the LDP is to work through enhancements and improvements before we roll it out to all our management staff. My plan is to get this accomplished in 2008 so that we will be ready to move toward human resource inventories and asset mapping in 2009 and significant skills acquisition and succession planning in 2009-2010.

Light diffused is good. However, a laser is a powerful use of light that can cut steel and useful in surgical procedures. We want to move from good, to better, to the best use of our existing resources. That is what focus is all about.

Comments

[Michelle Heflin]

Buckner is the only job I have ever known. I continue to be amazed/appreciative of the investment Buckner has taken to grow me. Thank you.

[Albert Reyes]

Michelle, our staff is the most valuable asset we have to accomplish our mission. My commitment is to invest in the development of our staff as individuals and as accomplished team players. Thanks for your affirmation of this commitment and thanks for your contribution.