| Recent
and anticipated developments have begun to exert
noticeable pressure on the dearly held values of
this $2 billion newspaper/media company. The
organization is diversifying and pursuing a
strategy of growth through acquisition.
Throughout the industry there is increasing
consolidation and growing sensitivity to the
influence of Wall Street. In this atmosphere, the
editorial excellence that has produced numerous
Pulitzer prizes is still highly desirable but no
longer sufficient. Profitability commands more
attention than ever. One response to these demands on
the organization is recognition of the need to
accelerate the development of high potential
managers—those who will lead the
organization in the increasingly complex future.
University programs have traditionally been used
to further individual development among this
group, and with great success. The broadening of
horizons offered by the content and people in the
Harvard and Stanford programs, for example, is
held in high regard.
By their nature,
however, university programs do not deal with
company-specific issues. And at this point in
time, the human resource professionals are
beginning to identify the need for organizational
as well as individual development—a way for
the company as a whole to grapple with the
changes by which it is surrounded.
The challenge to
meet both needs results in a decision to combine
the broadening benefits of university programs
with the specificity possible in a custom-built
corporate program. The first step in the design
of the program is identification of an overall
theme or focus. The strong traditions of the
company and the profession of journalism have
always provided the values to guide
organizational actions. Now these values are a
source of potential conflict, both within the
company and between the company and the society
of which it is a part. This growing tension is at
the heart of future challenges facing the
organization.
The dual goals of
organizational and individual development are
reflected in program design. Participants have
ample opportunity to process program content from
the perspectives of both the individual
professional and the overall organization. Two
questions are asked about each topic covered in
the program: What are the implications for the
organization, and what role do values play?
At the same time,
the intent to broaden participants’ horizons
is apparent in the lack of prescriptions or
recipes for success. The program raises as many
questions as it answers, challenging participants
to test and refine their own perspectives.
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