PROPOSAL FOR A PROGRAM OF EXECUTIVE DEVELOPMENT FOR SELECTED GS-14S

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP87M00539R003205130004-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 22, 2009
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: August 15, 1985
• Content Type: MEMO

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/12/22 : CIA-RDP87M00539R003205130004-1
./0!1
T FROM:
STA
STA
T
ROUTING AND RECORD SHEET
SUBJECT: (Optional)
EXTENSION I NO
Director of Training and Edu a io1 DATE
1026 C of C 20 A
1
ugust
985
TO: (Officer designation, room number, and
building)
DA
TE
OFFICER'S
COMMENTS (Number each comment to show from whom
RECEIVED
FORWARDED
INITIALS
to whom. Draw a line across column after each comment.)
ER
7E12 HQS
~,.
1985
2.
EXDIR
Some ideas from an OTE Staff Member
4.
--
-
--I
on executive development for
5.
Mid-Careerists.
-----
------- -
8.
i
I
I
9.
10.
12.
I I
i
13.
-
14.
15.
FORM 61 O USE PREVIOUS
1-79 EDITIONS
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/12/22 : CIA-RDP87M00539R003205130004-1 /)
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/12/22 : CIA-RDP87M00539R003205130004-1
: l CJ i
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director, Training and Education
FROM:
SUBJECT:
PROPOSAL FOR A PROGRAM OF EXECUTIVE
The proposed Program for Executive Development for
selected GS-14s (ED/14) would run for 4 months, and include:
(1) Three weeks of fulltime seminars;
(2) Three months of special assignment to Agency executives
and managers (e.g., as DDI "gatekeeper," assistant to OTE's ADC,
working a project for the IG or for OP);
(3) Throughout the above period, a series of "Thursday"
luncheon seminars, with guest speakers or committee reports by
ED/14 participants.
(4) A post-program once-a-month ("Third Thursday")
luncheon seminar; again a mixture of guest speakers and reports
by participants
The purpose of the proposed ED/14 Program is to prepare
outstanding mid-level officers for impending management and
executive roles, by getting them to address systematically
the Agency's identifiable recurring Problems, Challenges, and
Opportunities (PCOs), with which they will soon be joined in
battle. For the Agency to strive toward Excellence, these
PCOs (e.g., Congressional relations; integrity; creativity
and risktaking; effective policy support; hiring, motivating,
and training for Excellence) need to be defined more clearly.
Moreover, the alternatives (both those now in and out of favor)
must be subject to cost-benefit analysis.
The central concept of the ED/14 Program is that the
participants collectively have more wisdom and experience to
bring to bear on these PCOs than any feasible collection of
instructors and guest speakers. ED/14 will be designed
to stimulate the participants to get at the roots of these
PCOs and to rank order alternatives for addressing them more
effectively.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/12/22 : CIA-RDP87M00539R003205130004-1
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/12/22 : CIA-RDP87M00539R003205130004-1
-2-
The payoff for the Agency (for this considerable invest-
ment of the time of its most promising GS-14s) will be a cadre
of future executives and managers ready to implement programs
for excellence -- rather than snicker at them. The Agency's
outstanding GS-14s will have been bonded with their peers
throughout the organization. They will have the confidence
borne of serious, open examination of the PCOs. They will
have had exposure to the real world of Agency leaders.
Both their desire and readiness to make CIA a more effective
organization will have been stimulated.
SPECIFIC ASSUMPTIONS AND PROPOSALS REGARDING ED/14
1. The ED/14 Program should be restricted to outstanding
officers with high potential for advancement to executive
positions. Each course should be restricted to 12-15 partici-
pants, with no more than 2 offerings per year. There should
soon be a "waiting list."
2. This will be a high-exposure program for OTE: Success
will substantially enhance the Office's reputation for making
a difference to the Agency's quest for Excellence; failure
will be painful.
3. High-exposure OTE programs should be:
(a) Unique. Programs not elsewhere available in terms
of sensitivity to the Agency's environment, values, and priori-
ties. Theories, generic skills, and useful information must
be harnessed to the Agency's PCOs -- not vice versa.
(b) High Impact. The sponsoring Offices and Direc
torates should see an immediate difference in the approach,
thoughtfulness, and purposefulness of ED/14 graduates. The
program must prepare them to "make a difference."
4. CIA's outstanding GS-14s do not need training in
the conventional sense. Instead, they must be stimulated to
apply their already considerable wisdom and experience to
the PCOs that regularly engage Agency executives and managers.
5. Put another way, outstanding GS-14s generally manage
to teach themselves what they need for short-term success.
What they need/\is exposure to the character and demands of
the PCOs not yet on their plates.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/12/22 : CIA-RDP87M00539R003205130004-1
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/12/22 : CIA-RDP87M00539R003205130004-1
-3-
1. 3 to 5 days on self, organizational values, power,
and leadership, making tough choices, implementing change.
This section should be conducted by in order to
challenge and change even those participants who already have
had POCM and similar exposures.
2. 3 to 5 days on identifying problems, setting up task
groups, outlining plans of attack. If you cannot fElnd anyone
better, I will conduct this segment.
3. 3-month special assignment ip a management or executive
environment. Placememt possibilities include: assistant to
Gates; assistant to Boatner for a planning, mnagement or resource
project; assignment to PES for a special review; ditto to SRG;
assignment to OTE to work on curriculum development or on a
special course; assignment to work with an IG team; placement
in OP to study recruitment; work with the Comptroller or with
Legislative Liaison; special project for the DDCI or the
Executive Director regarding one of the PCOs; assignment to
the NSC or a policy agency.
4. Thursday Seminars are for guest speakers (Agency
and non-CIP relating to PCOs, for committee reports by
participants; and for short versions of selected OTE courses
(e.g., P-C, ISF).
5. A final full-time one-week seminar should include
final preparation of reports on PCOs, discussion of reports
by all ED/14 participants, discussion of reports with Agency
leaders. D/TE should conduct this segment.
6. The post-program once-per-month Seminar luncheons
are to maintain the identity and purposefulness of the
graduates, to get them to table new insights, and to continue
to stimulate their thinking through high-power guest speakers.
15 August. 1985
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/12/22 : CIA-RDP87M00539R003205130004-1