Government Programs For Management Training
One of the errors made by many people is to think that management leadership training and all the different styles of leadership can just be transferred anywhere, and will be equally applicable in every situation. But approaches designed for a corporation in a very competitive business setting simply may not apply in the setting of government departments. Contrary to popular belief, the purposes and function of a government are not the same as a business. So it stands to reason that leadership skill training for government work may need to be somewhat different.
That’s where the Leadership Development and Training program of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) comes into the picture. This office has developed what it calls its Core Leadership Curriculum (CLC). Seminars are taken throughout an individual’s entire career, from pre-supervisory right through preparation to become a senior executive.
The OPM also offers courses that address specific types of issues faced by specific managers. It has set up a series of Policy and Initiatives leadership seminars to teach leaders how to navigate changes in government policy or implement new initiatives. The emphasis is on the fact that the agencies these leaders manage are there to serve the citizens, so management leadership training is necessary to help the managers learn how to implement and assess changes with the public good in mind.
Another management leadership training opportunity offered by the OPM is the Presidential Management Fellows program. It allows outstanding students in a variety of academic disciplines to take a two-year leadership program that includes interning in government offices, as well as other specialized training. The goal of this and all of the leadership training efforts of the OPM is to attract the best possible minds into government roles. These programs not only try to draw in quality people, but they then try to ensure that they go on to be properly trained as leaders, so government functions at its best.
Government work has a different purpose; not to make money, but to serve the citizens of the country. So management leadership training for government leaders, while there will be some overlap with corporate approaches, needs to concentrate on the leadership skills needed explicitly in a government situation.
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