LeadershipResourcesGuide

THE PURPOSE OF COHORT GROUPS Cohort Groups were initiated as a means of maintaining ongoing contact with leaders at BL once they have participated in the Leadership Development training sessions. We believe that although the training sessions are important in introducing skills so that people understand and have some introductory practice with them, these skills need to be developed and deepened through ongoing attention, reinforcement, practice, application, discussion and support. The results of an evaluation of our leadership development efforts showed that BL leaders found leadership development to be most successful if they were members of active cohort groups run by leaders who believed in the importance of leadership development at BL.

cohort noun | co · hort A group of people supporting the same thing or person.

For Cohort Group Members + + Development of a supportive network of peers from around the company + + A group of people who can be resources for enhancing their leadership skills and knowledge + + An opportunity to get to know and build a relationship with two of the more senior leaders at BL + + Some “gentle” external accountability for implementing their SMART plans + + Opportunities to discuss leadership challenges each person may be facing and to get suggestions for addressing them + + A venue for examining and discussing BL’s Leadership Competencies and how having leaders skilled in all of the competencies will make BL a stronger and more successful company + + Opportunities to discuss leadership issues and behaviors beyond BL’s Leadership Competencies + + Opportunities to discuss company-wide issues as they arise at BL Cohort Groups have many purposes including, but not necessarily limited to, the following:

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