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Types of Experiences CVAs
Recommend for Preparing Future Leaders

To determine the feasibility of utilizing on-the-job experiences for the development of future leaders, interviewees were asked to recommend activities that might be used for such purposes:

  1. Recommended experiences for the development of future leaders are presented in Table 14. Of the 156 recommendations for experiences that should be provided for future leaders, 58% were recommended to occur on-the-job within a position. This is somewhat less than the 64% of the actual experiences that respondents reported occurred on the job and as being most helpful to them. Mentoring, counseling and advocate support, together with a variety of special assignments and internships were other popular recommendations for on-the-job experiences. Mentoring, counseling and advocate support was one of the types of actual experience that respondents had considered most helpful to them.


"I think it would be very beneficial to develop some kind of a mentor system, where up-and-coming leaders spend a certain amount of time with somebody who has already demonstrated the traits and abilities that you're looking for."

* * * * *

"I think a good intern program would be excellent--to identify key administrators throughout our state or system or whatever. Put that person with that individual for a certain period of time and allow them to function in that role along with that person."


  1. Of the 156 recommendations for activities that should be provided for future leaders, only 1% were recommended to occur as the result of moving to a new position, while 31% of the recommendations were for non-job, education-related experiences, such as formal training programs (e.g., leadership academies) and simulations/case studies. This is in contrast to the actual on-the-job experiences reported by respondents of moving to a new position and non-job, education-related experiences such as formal training programs and simulations/case studies, 13% and 9% respectively. The responding CVAs did not perceive planning for position changes to be a very practical means of leadership development, but did believe in the potential benefits of formal leadership development programs and simulations/case studies.

Table 14
Types of Recommended Experiences by All Respondents

Item No. Experience Total
#
% of 156

Job Experiences



Varied Positions


116
Across educational inst./org.
3

117
Across educational functions
3

118
Work in business/industry
4

119
Work in government
0

120
Other
0


Subtotal
10
6

New Positions


121
Change in context
0

122
New/increased responsibility
2


Subtotal
2
1

Within a Position


123
Internship
11

124
Spec. assignment: start-up
10

125
Spec. assignment: fix-its
3

126
Spec. assignment: other
12

127
Teaching/counseling
4

128
Personnel: hiring
1

129
Personnel: conflict/firing
1

130
Personnel: developing
5

131
Work on teams/committees
4

132
Mentors/counseling/advocate support
27

133
Work with supervisor
4

134
Other
9


Subtotal
91
58

Non-Job Activities



Education Related


135
Professional association/union
3

136
Formal training
22

137
Simulation/case study
14

138
Shadow/observation
3

139
Networking
6

140
Other
1


Subtotal
49
31

Noneducation-Related


141
Community service
4

142
Other
0


Subtotal
4
3

Total
156
99%


"As a matter of fact, the State Department is getting ready to do another one of these programs and I think that one would be relatively simple to replicate to continue to develop leadership programs for up-and-coming leaders in the state."

* * * * *

"You could create false scenarios and allow people to come in and say how would you do this? How would you handle this? What is the first step you'd take? And then guide them through it."


  1. Only 6% of CVAs recommended holding a variety of positions, and just 3% recommended non-job, noneducation-related experiences. These percentages may be compared with 10% and 4% of the effective actual experiences reported by respondents.
  2. As can be seen in Table 15, there were differences in the types of experiences recommended by men and women. For the experiences that were to occur on-the-job within a position, a higher proportion of women than men favored mentoring, counseling and advocate support and a variety of special assignments, while a higher proportion of men than women favored internships. For non-job, education-related types of experiences, a higher percentage of women than men recommended formal training programs and simulations/case studies. A higher proportion of men than women recommended networking.

Table 15
Types of Recommended Experiences by Gender


Item No.
Experience		 Gender
Female
Male
#
% of 26
#
% of 43

Job Experiences





Varied Positions




116
Across educational inst./org.
1
4
2
5
117
Across educational functions
0
0
3
7
118
Work in business/industry
0
0
4
9
119
Work in government
0
0
0
0
120
Other
0
0
0
0

New Positions




121
Change in context
0
0
0
0
122
New/increased responsibility
0
0
2
5

Within a Position




123
Internship
2
8
9
21
124
Spec. assignment: start-up
3
12
7
16
125
Spec. assignment: fix-its
2
8
1
2
126
Spec. assignment: other
6
23
6
14
127
Teaching/counseling
1
4
3
7
128
Personnel: hiring
1
4
0
0
129
Personnel: conflict/firing
0
0
1
2
130
Personnel: developing
2
8
3
7
131
Work on teams/committees
2
8
2
5
132 Mentors/counseling/advocate support 12 46 15 35
133 Work with supervisor 1
4
3
7
134
Other
3
12
6
14

Non-Job Activities





Education Related




135
Professional association/union
1
4
2
5
136
Formal training
10
38
12
28
137
Simulation/case study
7
27
7
16
138
Shadow/observation
2
8
1
2
139
Networking
1
4
5
12
140
Other
0
0
1
2

Noneducation-Related




141
Community service
1
4
3
7
142
Other
0
0
0
0

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