Topic 6:

Preparing to Move from Internal Consulting to Director/Senior Manager

Question: I am currently in a role as a consultant within a corporate leadership center designed to teach effective leadership and management. In this role I design and deliver workshops, provide performance coaching, and am involved in the creation of the strategic direction of our center. In a past role I have managed a small team and owned training initiatives for a global company. I'd like to be marketable for a Director/Senior Manager of a Training/Learning department role sometime in the next few years and hoped you could provide some insight as to what competencies, skills and experiences I need to develop in order to move into a management role like this.

--Edith, Los Angeles

Answer: It is important that you keep current regarding changing issues, practices, and trends by regularly reviewing the ASTD and SHRM Websites. Explore ASTD's Learning Communities and its Webinar offerings. Although you have some management experience, it has been limited and some time ago. In your role as a consultant within a leadership center you are most likely to be familiar with T&D/HRD's focus on learning and performance - in fact, increasingly the term "trainer" is being replace by learning and performance specialist. Increasingly, the basic two focuses in the workplace are knowledge management and organizational learning. Consider taking some professional development courses/seminars in human resource management, workplace learning and performance and/or change management. LA should have a number of learning activity options for you. If you have a somewhat hectic schedule, review online offerings by Linking to Information Resources' Education and Continuing Professional Development Resources.

Being part of a team to set the strategic direction of your center provides a wonderful opportunity to obtain needed experience in OD and project work. Take on as much responsibility as possible. Look for other opportunities to gain more experience in team management, and if you are aware of a need, submit a project proposal which you would implement. Since you teach effective management and leadership seminars, conduct a self-assessment and evaluate your general management/leadership skills and competencies for gaps and needed improvement. Management/leadership skills are similar no matter where in an organization; it is the specific technical content and knowledge of the product/services that differs (in this case, human capital management).

Begin to establish your network now by joining the local chapters of ASTD and SHRM. In addition, you may be able to come up to speed in filling in some of your skills/competency gaps through their professional development events. As your background information indicates that your training experience is within the financial services industry, set up informational interviews to become more knowledgeable about opportunities for HRM positions within this arena.

--AR