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Research by Paul Tesluk and Joyce E. A. Russell
On-the-job experience can be a powerfully transformative tool for
professional growth—in fact, research indicates it may be the primary vehicle
for learning critical leadership skills. Many companies use job assignments to
groom high-potential managers, but what kinds of experiences are really valuable
for developing manager potential? And what kinds of managers benefit most from
these experiences?
Paul Tesluk, Ralph J. Tyser Professor of Organizational Behavior and Human
Resource
Management and chair of the department of management and organization, Joyce E.
A. Russell, Ralph J. Tyser Distinguished Teaching Fellow, with former Smith PhD
student Lisa Dragoni, now at Cornell University, and In-Sue Oh, University of
Iowa, examine the effectiveness of “stretch assignments”—experiences which
challenge and potentially broaden a person’s current capabilities—from the lens
of individual goal orientations. This approach, used by educational
psychologists to describe student behavior in the classroom, is now being used
to understand r which employees are most likely seek out and benefit from
stretch assignments.
Part-time MBA students who were in early-career managerial roles participated
in the study, as did their supervisors. The participants’ goal orientations were
assessed on the degree to which they demonstrated a learning orientation.
Learning-oriented people are motivated by a desire to demonstrate mastery of new
skills and behaviors. The participants completed a survey on their managerial
assignments and development, and the authors followed up with the participants’
supervisors to understand how managerial assignments relate to the development
of managerial competencies.
“Stretch assignments are those that require someone to manage and negotiate
change, exert influence over others, and build coalitions. These assignments are
highly developmental because they require new managers to learn new skills in
order to be successful in the assignment and they have significant challenge
which motivates new managers to work hard to improve their capabilities.,” says
Tesluk.
Tesluk and his co-authors found that those with a strong learning orientation
benefited most from stretch assignments. They enjoyed being challenged and
learning something new, and were more likely to seek out critical feedback.
Senior executives responsible for developing high-potential talent in their
organizations should identify those with a learning orientation in their groups,
and then create an environment where stretch assignments are valued and where
people are given access to them. The best stretch assignment opportunities are
often guarded, says Tesluk. Companies may not want to lose a person who is
already doing a fine job in a mission-critical position in order to give a
high-potential junior manager the opportunity to grow in that position. “It
requires some organizational discipline to have rotational programs and create
incentives for managers to take stretch assignments,” says Tesluk. “Yet, this
has become increasingly important for organizations since today’s employees are
much more likely to be looking for rotational opportunities in order to enhance
their own marketability” says Russell.
In an economy where many companies have had to lay off employees, stretch
assignments may be more a matter of necessity than of opportunity. Juggling
workloads and reassigning tasks can be framed as an opportunity for junior
managers to gain new skills. Managers should consider how they are developing
leadership for the next generation and use challenging on-the-job experiences,
in combination with active mentoring and review processes, to help
high-potential employees grow. “This is especially critical today,” says
Russell, “given the pending retirements of the baby boom generation and the
large number of Generation X and Y employees who will need to be developed to
assume those managerial positions.”
“Companies have cut back on leadership development activities because of
tight budgets, but firms will need that leadership to help them surmount the
challenges of a difficult economy,” says Tesluk. “Managers need to present
assignments by saying Here is what you’re going to learn through this process,
these are the things at which you will have to become highly proficient, I know
you’re going to struggle and here is how we’re going to help you through the
process. Then it becomes less about the end result and more about performing
through the process.”
“Understanding Managerial Development: Integrating Developmental Assignments,
Learning Orientation and Access to Developmental Opportunities in Predicting
Managerial Competencies,” was published in the August issue of the Academy
of Management Journal. For more information about this research, contact
ptesluk@rhsmith.umd.edu or
jrussell@rhsmith.umd.edu.
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