Outstanding leadership is critical to the success of Microchip Technology Incorporated, a provider of microcontroller and analog semiconductors. The greatest challenge for a new leader at Microchip is transitioning from being technically proficient to being adept at managing business results and people. To help in this transition, the Microchip Learning Center (MLC) implemented the Professional Development for New Leaders Program in 2007.
The purpose of the New Leader Program is to increase the skills, knowledge, and competencies of new supervisors and managers and enable them to succeed in their new roles. The program is designed to offer each new leader a broad range of support and resources with a roadmap of suggested courses and development opportunities, plus the flexibility needed to meet each individual’s learning needs.
Program Details
The year-long program has four main components:
- A curriculum of training and activities offered using a combination of instructor-led training (ILT), virtual instructor-led training (VILT), and online formats
- Partnering with a coach or mentor
- Completing a self-assessment
- Completing a personal development plan
A key component of the program is the Coach Cadre. Senior managers and executives with extensive leadership experience and representing a wide variety of backgrounds and job functions volunteer to be part of the Coach Cadre. Each program participant can select a coach from the cadre as a mentor for the year. Participants meet with their coach on a monthly basis to review progress, ask questions, share experiences, receive feedback, and gain business acumen. Former program participants have shared that working with a coach was one of the most valuable parts of the program; they benefit from their coach’s experience and feedback while gaining a more global view of the company and their current projects.
New leaders complete the self-assessment early in the program to help them, their coaches, and their managers determine the skills, knowledge, and competencies needed to be successful in their new role. New leaders use the information to create a personal development plan. The self-assessment is completed again post-program.
Results
For the 2012-2013 program, participants reported that their overall skills increased by more than 18 percent as a result of completing the program. The most significant increases were in these competencies:
- Developing Employees (23 percent improvement)
- Delegating and Empowerment (26 percent)
- Change Management (31 percent)
- Communication (20 percent)
- Recognizing and Motivating Employees (26 percent)
The New Leader Program consistently communicates and models Microchip’s organizational values, culture, and vision to new leaders. It lays the framework for succession planning and organizational development. The program is having a positive impact on all employees. When asked if their manager is living the company’s core values (as measured by answering the question “Percentage of Time My Direct Supervisor Practices the Guiding Values” on the annual employee engagement survey), employees answer positively. This score increased with the New Leader Program introduction and has stayed steady at 86 percent.
