“The Emerging Leader ”“Transition From Academic to the Corporate World”

Cynthia Shelton, Northrop Grumman Corporation

Coolidge Hamlett Jr., Naval Air Systems Command

Joy Garcia, Boeing Corporation

Friday, November 4, 2011

Paradox of Preparation“Academic circles and Work are fundamentally different. The knowledge you acquired in college will be critical to your success, but the process of succeeding in school is very 

different from the process of succeeding at work”.

ACADEMICCIRCLES

1. YOU DETERMINE YOUR GRADES2. VERY STRUCTURED ENVIRONMENT3. YOU DETERMINE YOUR SCHEDULE

WORKPLACESETTINGS 

1. LESS STRUCTURE2. YOU ARE ON THE COMPANY’S TIME AND SCHEDULE3. HIGH EXPECTATIONS OF ACCOUNTABILITY

Graduates’ Perceptions between College & Work

College  Workplace Frequent, quick, and concrete feedback (grades and so on)  Infrequent and less precise feedback Highly structured curriculum and programs with lots of 

direction Highly unstructured environment and tasks with 

few directions Few significant changes  Frequent and unexpected changes 

Flexible schedule  Structured schedule Frequent breaks and time off  Limited time off 

Personal control over time, classes, and interests  Responding to others’ directions and interests Intellectual challenge  Organizational and people challenges 

Focus on your development and growth Focus on getting results and your development 

for the organization Create and explore knowledge  Get results with your knowledge 

Less initiative required  Lots of initiative required 

The “Skills’ YOU Need!

TECHNICALTEAMWORK

INTERPERSONALCOMMUNICATION

STRONG WORK ETHIC BALANCING WORK DEMANDS WITH

FAMILY/FRIENDS/PERSONAL LIFE

3 Elements of SuccessPerformance

Be heard through resultsDo your best the first time outAsk questions that you don’t understand

ImageDevelop your own personal brandShow you are a team playerBuild relationships with peers and upper managementStay positive 

ExposureDemonstrate courageAccept new challenges and opportunities

The Pieces of PIE How well you do your job has very little to do with how successful you are in your professional career.

• Performance counts for 10% of success• Image counts for 30% of success• Exposure counts for 60% of success

•Performance counts for 10% of success• Image counts for 30% of success• Exposure counts for 60% of success

What Employers Want You To KnowKnowledge and understanding of the organizational mission and goals.

Listening and oral communication skills.

Adaptability and creative responses to setbacks and obstacles.

Personal management, confidence, motivation to work toward goals, a

sense of wanting to develop ones career and take pride in

accomplishments.

Group and interpersonal effectiveness, cooperativeness and teamwork,

skills at negotiating disagreements.

Effectiveness in the organization, wanting to make a contribution,

leadership potential.

3 Leadership Questions To Think About

1. Are leaders born or made?

2. Do you believe leaders make a difference?

3. Do you believe you are leader?

Learning to Lead is Discovering: What you care about and value

What inspires you

What challenges you

What gives you power and competence

What encourages you

Characteristics to Build Working RelationshipsTrust:

People in trusting relationships seek input from one another and use it, and allow one another to do their jobs without necessary oversight.

Diversity:Broadens the number of potential solutions and enables people in the organization to learn from one another.

Mindfulness: People are open to new ideas. Avoids operating on autopilot, encourages everyone to express their ideas without fear of ridicule and looks for ways to continually learn and improve.

Interrelatedness: People are sensitive to the task at hand and understand how their work affects one another. This characteristic is better able to deal with unexpected events.

Respect : People who respect one another values each others opinions and willingly change their minds in response to what others say.

Effective Communication: 2 types- Rich Channels / Lean ChannelsRich Channels- are face- face interactions which are preferred for messages with potentially unclear meanings or emotional content.Lean Channels- are emails or memos that are preferred for routine messages.

Identifying A “Mentor”Some of things you can learn from a mentor

Gain in‐depth knowledge about the industry and the culture of the organization.Improve your leadership and communication skillsBuild a network of contacts within and outside the organizationGet a real world perspective and keep you sharp from becoming complacent, by creating new  challenges for you.

Qualities of a good mentorBe easy assessableBe a good listenerPossesses skills that you wish/need to developEncourage and motivate youBe able to suggest new/creative ways to approach a problemHave experience and foresightBe honest and open to feedbackBe ready to share his/her experiences

Making the most of a Mentor Relationship

What is Mentoring?Mentoring is a mutually beneficial relationship between a Mentor and a Protégé to share resources, time, experiences and expertise to help with personal and professional growth. Mentor RelationshipApproach mentor with trustworthiness and confidence. There should be openness and transparency between the two of you.Both of you must not hesitate to discuss a concern of issueIdentify your strengths and weaknesses , so you can focus on areas you need to develop or improve.Accept feedback constructively.Approach your mentor to develop contacts and references as and when you require them. 

Contact and Meet Potential Mentor(s)

Training

Complete Mentor / Protégé Profile

Preliminary Match

Receive List of Potential Mentors

to Contact

Agreed Partnership=

Official Match

Kick-Off Meeting

Meet 2-3 hrs/month

Optional Workshops

Complete Evaluations and Surveys

Need for mentoring identified

Review Mentoring Program Handbook

Questions

Cynthia Shelton Coolidge Hamlett Jr. Joy Garcia