In response to a request from the CEO and COO to put Microchip Technology in a position to have strong bench strength in its leadership, the HR and Global Organizational Learning and Development teams collaborated to create The Leadership Passage Learning programs (PX). These programs focus on building Microchip’s leaders at their current and future career levels.
Passage 0 (P0) is the first lane and focuses on current non-managerial employees who seek to become people or project leaders.
Program Details
Open to all employees and all business units worldwide, the P0 program introduces emerging leaders to the core concepts that are required, starting with leading teams. The P0 Program primarily is designed for current or aspiring team leaders without direct reports, offering them proven strategies for team launching, development, motivation, collaboration, conflict resolution, and management of virtual teams.
Spanning seven weeks, the P0 program utilizes a blended learning approach that includes self-paced online training on weekly topics, supplemented by live Webinars for a deeper comprehension and practical application of ideas. The final session involves participants sharing their experiences and detailing how the program has aided their leadership development and the strategies they have implemented within their organization.
The program involves weekly reinforcement of previously covered material, linking it to new learning. Participants develop action plans to apply the learning to their work. Post-program, managerial support ensures continued coaching and development of these new skills. The program’s success is measured in part by participants’ promotion to managerial roles and their readiness for the subsequent program, P1.
This program not only provides training in leadership qualities to individual contributors, it also helps identify career pathways for future leaders and supports Microchip’s leadership pipeline.
Each of 11 senior vice presidents identifies potential candidates for the PX programs during annual nominations; they use the P0 program as an entry point for those who might have come into the program mid-year or missed entry into the start of a current P1 program. Completion of P0 can be the differentiator in prioritizing candidates for P1.
Results
Microchip conducted a study to assess the impact of the P0 Leading Teams Program on participants’ performance. This involved two electronic surveys, one before and one after the program, where managers rated participants’ abilities in six key areas related to the program topics. Ratings were given on a scale of 1 to 4, with 1 indicating a need for development and 4 indicating a strength. Post-program results showed improvements in all 24 categories measured, indicating the program’s positive impact on team leader performance.
Supervising managers of program participants evaluated behavior change. The P0 Leading Teams Program has been successful in enhancing the skills of direct reports, as observed by management. Key areas of development include fostering team communication and collaboration, defining goals and responsibilities, and effective feedback exchange. Managers noted specific improvements such as increased task focus, proactivity, ownership, and improved communication. There also has been a rise in self-confidence, cultural affinity, collaboration, initiative, understanding of management actions, and clarity in team goals.
To ensure the application of program learnings, managers shared action plans. These include leading tasks across teams, coordinating project teams, mentoring new joiners, maintaining open communication, organizing team meetings, creating weekly reports, applying learnings in the Scrum Master role, assisting team members with customer cases, and establishing roles during the performance design process.
These improvements have contributed to Microchip’s Guiding Values goal, with a record 91.6 percent of employees (far exceeding the goal of 80 percent) agreeing that their supervisors effectively led by example in fiscal year 2023. The CEO also attributed these outcomes to Microchip’s 130 consecutive quarters of profitability.
