4 Stages Workshop

Preworkshop Questionnaire
Before you do any of the prework, please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with
each statement. The instructor will ask you for this page at the start of the workshop.
Strongly Undecided/ Strongly

Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Agree
1. I understand the factors that influence my career
opportunities. 1 2 3 4 5
2. I understand how the careers of people develop

in organizations. 1 2 3 4 5
3. I feel confident about the role I take in managing

my own career. 1 2 3 4 5
4. I feel confident that I can initiate and lead

effective development discussions with my
manager. 1 2 3 4 5
5. I know how to deal with the issue of career

plateauing. 1 2 3 4 5
6. I know how to increase my value and

contribution in my present job. 1 2 3 4 5
7. I know how to help people grow in their jobs,

even without opportunities for promotions. 1 2 3 4 5
8. I know how to participate in development

discussions with others without raising
unrealistic expectations. 1 2 3 4 5
9. I feel confident about my role as a coach in

development discussions with others. 1 2 3 4 5
10. I believe that developing people effectively will

have a direct and significant impact on the
organization’s ability to achieve its goals. 1 2 3 4 5
Novations Group, Inc. 1

NGI 3627 5/25/00
2 Discovering Your Genius
NGI 3627 5/25/00
Prework Instructions
This workbook represents essential preparation for Novations’ Develop-

ment Planning Workshop. In order for you to derive maximum personal
benefit from the workshop, you need to carefully complete the enclosed
readings and exercises. • The benefit you
derive from this
During the workshop, the instructor will build upon the prework and also workbook will be
ask you to turn in the results from the various exercises. Therefore, it is proportional to the
important that you: amount of time
you spend.
1. Take the time to thoughtfully complete all the readings and

exercises in this workbook.
2. Give yourself a few days to complete the assignments. (It will take
you at least 2 to 3 hours to complete, so don’t leave it to the night
before.)
3. Remember to bring this completed workbook to the workshop.
We look forward to spending time with you in the workshop.

NGI 3627 5/25/00
Why the Workshop? The people development systems
of today are often guided by the
following principles:
Why the Workshop?
• The primary responsibility
The purpose of this workshop is to for career development falls
equip each individual within CRD on the individual, but is
to develop his/her abilities and supported by the
interests in a way that optimizes supervisor/manager. The
both the company’s performance responsibility of the
and the individual’s needs and company is to create a
desires. This process supports and favorable climate, share
complements other changes and information and provide
initiatives within GE, such as: specific tools to empower
individuals to reach their
• Using every mind in the potential.
company and involving
everyone in building the • Development processes
company’s future. focus on personal growth
• Enabling people to realize a in the individual’s current
free and unimpeded flow of job, not just lateral or
ideas through out the vertical movement.
organization.
• Continuing to build a • Development is important
learning company. for all employees, and not
• Supporting and driving the just a few “high potentials.”
GE values.
• Providing a road map for • Development encourages
achieving such goals as and recognizes the
globalization, product employee’s individual
services, Six Sigma quality, talents and contributions
and e-business. and promotes self-esteem
and personal dignity.
Career Development
Expected Outcomes
Principles
The primary purpose of the

In response to these changes, workshop is to help you think
more companies are recognizing about your career development in
the need for development systems a more meaningful way, and to
that help individuals use their stimulate ideas, discussions, and
talents and skills in ways that are: actions. This workshop will not,
1) more personally satisfying, and however, include specific
2) of maximum value to the information about career paths or
company. job openings.

NGI 3627 5/25/00
CAREER DEVELOPMENT IS: CAREER DEVELOPMENT IS NOT:
• A necessity to cope with a • Developing only through

rapidly changing global promotions
environment
• Just a training program
• A shared responsibility
• Primarily management’s
• Talking with your responsibility
supervisor/manager about
your career direction and • Your supervisor/manager
your development plan telling you what to do about
your career
• A way of getting what you
want, and the experiences • What someone else plans for
and training you need to you
develop your career
• A mysterious process
• A means of increasing your
value to the company
• A way to manage your

work so that it remains
meaningful and motivating
• A way of aligning your

development with the
strategic direction of your
work group

NGI 3627 5/25/00
Self-Exploration
One of the keys to good development is understanding what assignments

and roles are right for you. The following questions will help you
systematically assess this question.
1. Think of two or three events or experiences in your lifetime (on-

or off-the-job) that you remember as being especially rewarding.
What were you doing at the time, and what made these good
experiences?
2. Think of two or three events or experiences in your lifetime (on- or

off-the-job) that were frustrating or unpleasant. What were you
doing at the time, and what made the experiences frustrating?

NGI 3627 5/25/00
3. Ask a few people who know you well (peers, supervisor, spouse or
partner, friends, parents, etc.) what they have found you enjoy
most, what you enjoy least, and what your particular strengths and
abilities are. Summarize their comments here:
4. Analyze the responses to these three questions, looking for

uniformities or patterns. What does this tell you about what
activities you should seek? What you do best?
What type of work should you avoid?

NGI 3627 5/25/00
Career Orientations Assessment
Basic talents, values, and motives have an impact when decisions are
made about careers. The following survey is designed to help you
understand your career orientation. You can’t fail this test; there are no
right or wrong answers.
Each item contains two statements. Choose the one you feel most
accurately describes you or is more true of you. You must choose one of
the statements, even though you may not like either or you may like both
of them. Do not skip any pair of statements or circle both alternatives in
one set. Circle the letter corresponding to the one sentence you select as
the most reflective of you. Do not spend a lot of time weighing your
answers.
Circle one letter in each pair:
1. I like to organize myself and others to win. V
I like to do my own thing in an organization. X
2. Work must be balanced with time for leisure and the

development of significant relationships. Y
Personal needs must be subordinated for me to get ahead. V
3. I would like to work in an organization which rewards hard

work, loyalty, and dedication. W
I like setting my own goals and accomplishing them at my

own pace and in my own way. X
4. I am aggressive and have good analytical and people skills. V
I am able to keep a good perspective between the needs of

my work and the needs of my family. Y
5. I want to work independently. X
I like being a company person. W
6. I enjoy working as a consultant or “trouble shooter” and

getting turned on by an exciting project. Z
I enjoy working in a situation where I am the leader and am

responsible for achieving certain objectives. V

NGI 3627 5/25/00
7. My spouse/partner is as important to me as my career. Y
My spouse/partner takes a back seat to my work when I am

in the middle of a very exciting project. Z
8. The most important thing to me is:
Freedom. X
Maintaining work/life perspective. Y
9. I am competent, loyal, trustworthy, and hard working. W
I am politically skillful, a good leader, and a good

administrator. V
I can be described as:
10. Self-reliant. X
Balanced. Y
11. One who gets “turned on” by exciting projects. Z
One who likes to be his/her own boss. X
12. In equilibrium but divided. Y
Adventurous and competitive. Z
13. Self-reliant, self-sufficient. X
Imaginative, enthused. Z
14. Stable and tenacious. W
Independent and self-directed. X
15. One who plans and organizes extremely well. V
One who analyzes situations and develops creative, new

solutions. Z
16. An expert in my field. Z
A solid citizen. W

NGI 3627 5/25/00
17. Able to modify my own goals to accommodate to
organizational goals and leaders. W
Intent on finding a way to make the organization’s goals and

my own “personal” goals converge. Y
A personal goal is to:
18. Control my own destiny. X
Not let my work interfere with the needs of my personal life. Y
It is important to:
19. Have a job where there is security and a sense of belonging. W
Be able to devote time to family and other personal activities. Y
I prefer:
20. A career with potential for promotions. V
The opportunity to tackle challenging problems or tasks. Z
21. I like being at the center of influence. V
I value long-term employment, acceptance, and being

valued by the organization. W
22. I view knowing the right people and making the right friends
as important to career advancement. V
I view being able to develop my career along my own areas of

interest as the critical factor. X
23. The bottom line for me is gaining a sense of balance between

work and private life. Y
The bottom line for me is stability, appreciation, and having

a secure place in the organization. W
24. I would like a position with maximum self-control and

autonomy. X
I would like to be in the inner circle. V

NGI 3627 5/25/00
25. The bottom line for me is stability, appreciation, and a secure
place in the organization. W
The bottom line for me is advancing up the organization. V
26. I view financial success and increased power and prestige

as important measures of career success. V
I view success in my career as having equal time for work,

family, and self-development. Y
I would rather:
27. Excel in my field. Z
Be considered dependable and loyal. W
I prefer:
28. Working with a team on a long-term and steady basis. W
Working with a task force or project group on a fast-paced

and short-term basis. Z
29. Professional development and continued training are

important for their own sake. Z
Professional development is important as a means to the end

of becoming an expert and gaining more flexibility and indepen-
dence. X
30. The bottom line for me is to seek an equilibrium between

personal and professional life. Y
The bottom line for me is excitement and stimulation. Z

NGI 3627 5/25/00
Once you have completed the questionnaire, go back through it, and add
up the number of times you circled the letter “V.” Then do the same with
each of the other letters, writing the number in the space provided below.
If you have completed the test accurately up to this point, the grand total
will be 30 (V + W + X + Y + Z = 30).
Ahead Secure Free Balanced High
SCORE: V=____ W=____ X=____ Y=____ Z=____
Finally, plot your score:
INTENSITY 12 * * * * *
11 * * * * *
Strong 10 * * * * *
9 * * * * *
8 * * * * *
7 * * * * *
Average 6 * * * * *
5 * * * * *
4 * * * * *
3 * * * * *
Weak 2 * * * * *
1 * * * * *
0 * * * * *
Ahead Secure Free Balanced High

NGI 3627 5/25/00
Career Orientations: Group Diversity Profile
In the spaces provided below, please write down the name of your domi-
nant career orientation (i.e., the orientation that received the highest
score) as well as the name of your least preferred orientation (lowest
score). If you have a tie, write down both orientations. During the work-
shop the instructor will ask you to remove this page and hand it in.
Dominant Orientation:
Getting __________
Least Preferred Orientation:
Getting __________

NGI 3627 5/25/00
NGI 3627 5/25/00
Description of Orientations
Getting Ahead. This upwardly mobile career orientation is usually

associated with advancing up a hierarchy of positions or a status system.
More influence, prestige, and financial remuneration are usually bestowed
with each upward move. Individuals pursuing such a strategy are most
often found in large organizations or professional associations. Many
highly competitive and achievement-oriented people follow this career
orientation.
Getting Secure. Some people are driven by the need for job security,
organizational identity, and the desire for a sense of order. In return for
loyal, dedicated, hard-working service, they seek long-term employment,
benefits, recognition, and appreciation from their employer. In the best
situations—mutual respect, reciprocity, and loyalty—characterize the
relationship. These people often seek steady promotions and advances as
a symbol of their value and worth.
Getting Free. Instead of moving upward in career direction, the careerist

following this strategy seeks to move out towards the margin. The
emphasis is on gaining personal autonomy, “space,” loose supervision,
and responsibility for outcomes rather than being bound by another’s
process, norms, and rules. Individuals are willing to work very hard,
often as professionals or small business owners, for conditions assuring
more independence and self-control. Interesting and exciting work is
important and usually accompanies such an orientation, but individual
freedom is the ultimate objective.
Getting High. Some careerists are driven by the need for excitement,
challenge, and the engaging process of work. In such a career one seeks
to move, often laterally, to the centers of action, adventure, and creativity.
The organizational setting may be large or small but bureaucracy tends to
be a constraint. These craftpersons, technical specialists, entrepreneurs,
and artists—like those opting for a getting ahead and getting free
orientation—find it difficult to separate themselves from their work.
While autonomy may be an important component of getting high, the
bottom line is exciting work.
Getting Balanced. Some people seek a balance between their work,

relationships, and self-development. For these individuals, work is just
one important dimension of a total lifestyle orientation, even though such
careerists may emphasize different dimensions at different seasons and
given different pressures. Like the getting free strategy, this career
orientation requires considerable flexibility. Unlike getting free, it seeks
balance and these careerists try to separate themselves from their work.
Many talented two-career couples, geographically bound persons, and
personal growth-oriented individuals fall into this category.

NGI 3627 5/25/00
Perceived Constraints Assessment
The Perceived Constraints Assessment is a way to gauge the most com-

monly mentioned constraints that, once perceived and accepted, can
cause you to change your career goals. The inventory should provide you
with information about the cumulative impact of various personal con-
straints on your career direction. If you are somewhat or greatly con-
strained, you may not be able to see yourself pursuing a highly absorbing
career path, such as getting ahead, getting high, or getting free. The score
sheet and work sheet at the end of the inventory will help you interpret
the impact of these constraints on your overall Individual Development
Goals.
Your Immediate Constraints
Assign a value to the personal but work-related factors listed below.

Think of your personal situation only in relationship to your career.
Arrange your ratings of the various items on a scale from one to five,
where five represents a constraint that is very typical of your situation and
that you must take into account and 1 represents a constraint that does
not apply to your case. Assign a value of 5 (very typical), 4, 3, 2, or 1
(doesn’t apply) to each personal constraint listed below.
1. Unsupportive spouse/partner ______

2. Need to accommodate to your spouse’s career ______
3. Very demanding responsibilities as a parent ______
4. Other encumbering relationships, such as caring for
aging family members ______
5. Poor physical health ______
6. Unresolved psychological/emotional problems ______
7. Lack of financial resources ______
8. Lack of geographical mobility ______
9. Lack of experience in your desired area ______
10. Starting your career late ______
11. Lack of mentors or sponsors ______
12. Lack of influential peer group and connections ______
13. Lack of friendship and support network ______
14. Lack of academic credentials ______
TOTAL POINTS ______

NGI 3627 5/25/00
Score Category Your Score
14-25 Free to Choose
26-44 Somewhat Constrained
45-70 Constrained
Instructions
Write your total score in the appropriate space above. If you are not
particularly constrained, you can feel free to follow your internal career
orientation and development goals. If you are constrained, you may need
to modify your development goals accordingly or remove some of the
personal constraints so that you can better follow your internal
inclinations. Proceed with the following questions.
1. List any of the constraints that can and should be removed.
2. What can you do to remove them?
3. What constraints cannot be removed but need to be accommo-

dated in your career planning?
4. What can you do to adjust to these constraints in a way that will

allow you to meet your personal career goals?
5. If you cannot remove or accommodate some constraints that will

clearly prevent you from achieving your goals, how might you
revise your goals?

NGI 3627 5/25/00
Understanding the Organizations Expectations
and Values
Balancing Your Needs with Reading:
Those of the Organization The Four Stages

® of
Career Growth
Up to this point, we have explored
your personal career interests and The brief, 12-page article that
needs. None of us works in a follows is a concise explanation of
vacuum, however. To achieve our Novations’ Four Stages® Model for
personal definitions of career Career Development.
success, we must find ways to
simultaneously meet the needs and You will need to master this
expectations of the organization. information before you come to the
This may appear self-evident, but workshop, because we will not
many people have had their spend much time reviewing the
careers derailed because of a failure model in class.
to understand what the
organization expects of them. The
Four Stages® Model helps to
articulate these expectations in a
way that will allow you to manage
your own career more effectively.

NGI 3627 5/25/00
The Four Stages
® of Career Growth
First the bad news: Sometime between the ages of 35 and 45, the average
corporate employee tops out. His (or her) perceived value added hits its
high-water mark, then slowly ebbs until retirement.
Now for the good news: Things could be worse. If you were a gymnast, you’d
be past your prime by age 19.
In all seriousness, the real good news is this: You can beat the averages. Many
people remain highly valued throughout their working lives. How? By
understanding organizational expectations, those unwritten rules of the game
that define what high performance looks like over the course of a career.
For more than 25 years, we’ve been studying the relationship between
organizational expectations and individual performance. Our findings are
unequivocal: If you want to remain a top contributor, you’ve got to change the
way you contribute. The same skills and approaches that make you a star
early in your career will all but guarantee you the “deadwood” label later on.
This was true in 1977, when Novations’ founders Gene Dalton and Paul
Thompson first published their research in Harvard Business Review. It
remains true today. (See Figure 1)
In fact, the Four Stages® Model is the product of systematic study,

documenting the behaviors and characteristics of those who “beat the
curve”—the lifelong high contributors. Novations’ research has consistently
found that the “one-size-fits-all” definition of high performance is a myth.
Instead, the organization’s expectations of you—the templates against which
70 70
65 65
Mean Performance Contribution (percentile)
Mean Performance Contribution (percentile)
60 60
55 55
50 50
45 45
40 40
35 35
30 30
25 25
20
20
21 to 25 26 to 30 31 to 35 36 to 40 41 to 45 46 to 50 51 to 55 Over 55 21 to 25 26 to 30 31 to 35 36 to 40 41 to 45 46 to 50 51 to 55 Over 55
Age Group Age Group
2ULJLQDO5HVHDUFK &XUUHQW5HVHDUFK

Figure 1: Contribution by Age Group: Managers Evaluation of Employees, 1977 and 1998 Research

NGI 3627 5/25/00
Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4
Central Activity Performing Establishing Guiding, Shaping organization

sub-tasks under distinctive developing, direction
supervision competence interfacing
Individual Coach/Mentor Idea Innovator

Primary Roles Helper Contributor; Idea Leader Internal Entrepreneur
Learner Technical Internal Consultant Sponsor
Specialist Project Leader Pathfinder
Major Relationship Dependence Independence Assuming Assuming

Issues responsibility for responsibility for the
others organization
Figure 2: Central activities, roles, and relationship issues in the Four Stages
®
your contributions are compared—change over time. And these changes

are most succinctly described by the Four Stages®. (See Figure 2.)
Let’s examine each of these Four Stages® in greater detail.
Stage 1The Apprentice (Learning)
Picture yourself as a new graduate, fresh out of school and entering the
work force full of energy and big ideas. All that enthusiasm is great—and
you need to channel it into learning the ropes, showing your stuff,
absorbing the company culture. Your skills are strong but untested; your
intelligence has been sharpened, but not applied. You need to take the
raw materials you’ve got and start building a foundation.
Learning how to follow comes before learning how to lead. That’s the
essence of Stage 1. Characteristics at this stage include:
• the work is never entirely your own.
• your assignment is part of a larger effort or activity.
• you are expected to do much of the detailed and routine work on
your part of the combined effort.
In Stage 1, you are expected to accept supervision and direction willingly

and to exercise initiative and creativity within a well-defined area. Ideally,
you’ll work with a mentor to learn the approaches, the organizational
savvy, and the judgment not found in textbooks. If you learn quickly and
well, you will be given increasing responsibility.
One of the major problems in Stage 1 is adjusting to the idea of “taking

orders.” Like it or not, you’re the new kid on the block. You don’t know
the ins and outs of the job yet. You need to earn the trust of others. A new
employee described his feelings during his first year on the job:

NGI 3627 5/25/00
My first year here was hell. I was ready to go to work and make a
contribution. But for a year, no one paid much attention to my
suggestions. I almost left. It took me a year to realize that I didn’t yet
understand the complexity of the problems we were working on. Now I
try to take enough time with new people to help them understand the
dilemma of those early years.
While it is important to stay in Stage 1 long enough to build a solid

foundation and to earn the trust of others, people who stay in Stage 1
indefinitely will, over time, become less valued in the organization. You
can’t spend an entire career in Stage 1. You’d go crazy—if you weren’t
fired first.
Stage 2The Independent Contributor (Doing)
Most individuals look forward to having their own projects or areas of

responsibility. Earning this opportunity and taking advantage of it moves
you into Stage 2. People functioning in this stage:
• assume responsibility for a definable portion of a work effort or
process.
• work independently and produce results that are recognized as
their own.
• develop credibility and a reputation for competent work.
• manage more of their own time and are more accountable for
outcomes.
Think of Stage 2 as your solid technical foundation—essential for building

a long-term career. In this stage, your peer relationships take on greater
importance, especially in a team context. People in Stage 2 are true team
players, pulling their weight without the need for a lot of guidance, and
willingly sharing information with their fellow team members.
Stage 2 individuals rely less on their supervisor or mentor for direction,

and more on their fellow team members. In fact, they begin to resent
being “micromanaged.” For example:
My first people leader taught me a lot, but after a while I didn’t need all
the hand-holding and direction. So I was happy to be transferred to a
new area. The new project leader was a better manager. He helped me
to expand my influence. He encouraged me to develop contacts with
people in my field, both inside and outside the company. He showed me
how to interact with these people as well as how to make presentations
to management and to customers.
To move into Stage 2, individuals need to develop their own ideas and
judgment. They need to cultivate their own standards of performance.

NGI 3627 5/25/00
Developing confidence in one’s own judgment is a difficult but necessary
process. One person’s experience with this process may illustrate the
point:
I had been working with my mentor on several projects for three years
before I developed the necessary confidence to submit a proposal on my
own. But I found that my confidence was short lived. I had been used to
making decisions, but I had always checked them with my mentor. Now
that I had my own project, I lacked the confidence to make any of the
important decisions. He was unavailable for about six months, and I was
almost paralyzed during that period. I made very little progress on the
project. Eventually I discovered that I could get the opinions of other
people in the department and then make a decision.
Stage 2 is an extremely important step in one’s development. Resist the

temptation to rush through Stage 2. If you move too fast into a
management or leadership role, you’ll never have the credibility necessary
to make broader contributions. Pay your dues—make sure you first
establish yourself as a competent professional specialist.
Stage 2 is a key decision point in your career, however. Many people find
that they prefer a “leave me alone and let me do my work” type of role.
Indeed, the most readily identifiable role in most organizations is the
independent contributor—the expert or specialist working as a member of
a team.
This “lone wolf” philosophy is fraught with peril, however. Continued

recognition and reward requires (1) staying at the “cutting edge” of your
discipline, and (2) the continued strategic importance of that discipline to
the organization. You may be able to control the former, but the latter is
beyond your influence. You probably know someone who was extremely
good at what he did—and who’s now in a completely different career
because the world leap-frogged his chosen area of Stage 2 depth.
So if you decide to stay in Stage 2, don’t sit back and expect to be valued
forever. In any stage, you need to actively expand your skills and build
your contribution.
Stage 3The Coach or Idea Leader (Guiding)
The key to Stage 3 is the ability to “contribute through others.” This

doesn’t necessarily mean managing or supervising other people. Research
conducted in 1998 at 10 large corporations shows that non-supervisors
outnumber supervisors five to one in Stage 3. In other words, there are a
lot of people out there who’ve discovered how to have broader impact and
influence without making the move into management.

NGI 3627 5/25/00
The roles most often played by people in Stage 3 are:
1. Coach. A coach is someone that equips others with the tools,

knowledge and opportunities they need to develop themselves and
become more effective. Coaches don’t develop people—they equip
people to develop themselves.
2. Informal mentor. A mentor is an experienced, well-established

employee who takes a personal interest in the careers of others and
facilitates their development. He or she does this by providing
crucial information, making important introductions, serving as a
role model, providing support and guidance, encouraging the
participation of younger people in making decisions, or in any
other way makes a significant contribution to their development.
3. Project or team leader. This is the person who heads up multi-

person projects, teams, or task forces, but isn’t assigned people
responsibility. This role may often be “formalized”—that is, it’s a
specific job assignment given to a person by management. It
requires broad perspective and the ability to accomplish tasks that
are greater in scope than one person could accomplish alone.
Good project leaders are always good coaches who know how to
plan and organize the efforts of others.
4. Idea leader. Idea leaders are those to whom others look for help in
solving problems and dealing with unexpected situations. Often
very creative thinkers who are well networked, idea leaders bring
crucial information into the work group and make sure that the
information is broadly shared. They are often seen as wise, savvy
“gurus” in their function or discipline.
5. Internal consultant. This is a common Stage 3 role. Internal

consultants are people who are widely known and sought out for
help on numerous projects. They know how to get resources,
influence management, and make change happen. Not just sitting
in their cubicles waiting for the phone to ring, they take a
proactive approach to their work. They look for areas where their
expertise and background will be helpful, then find ways to
contribute.
There are several shifts in activities that must take place if an individual is
to move into Stage 3. He or she must:
• develop a greater breadth of technical skills and apply those skills
in several areas.
• build a network of people outside his or her own work group and
use that network to help the group get its work done.
• become involved in the development of people and the stimulation
of others through ideas and information.
NGI 3627 5/25/00
A pharmaceutical products team leader describes her expectations of her
people in clear Stage 3 terms:
If someone has developed expertise in one area, I want him to be taking

that expertise to others. Not waiting for someone to come knocking at his
door, but going around and looking into other groups where he can have
an impact. I want him to be looking at ways he can form some kind of
alliance with a customer.
Some employees are exceptionally innovative. Often this kind of

individual becomes an idea person or consultant for a group. Jonas
Jensen, a 59-year-old idea leader, described his work in this way:
I sell ideas. When I work on a problem, it starts to bug me. At some

time, I will read or discover something and apply it back to solve the
original problem. I then share my learnings with others so they don’t
need to reinvent the wheel. Others often come to me with problems they
cannot solve. Generally I can pull some information from my experience
or reading and give them a direction to follow in solving the problem.
Probably the most central shift that occurs as individuals move into Stage
3 is the nature of their relationships. In Stage 2, you had to learn to take
care of yourself. In Stage 3, you have to learn to be interdependent, to
assume some form of responsibility for work other than your own. A
marketing person who had been doing a lot of independent work
described the process:
I sold my manager on a new project. Now there are three other people
working on the project. We are putting in long hours and having a lot of
fun. But there are new challenges. I have always asked my bosses to give
me independence, and I gave them loyalty in return. Now I have to
learn to do that with the people on my team.
Stage 3 requires strong interpersonal skills—agreeing on objectives,

delegating, coaching, and coordinating. You need to be able to build the
confidence of co-workers, not tear it down. In fact, your effectiveness in
Stage 3 is limited by the number of people with whom you have strong,
reciprocal relationships. If you’re threatened by the success of others, you
won’t be able to provide them the guidance and freedom to explore and
test their skills.
One dilemma for technical Stage 3’s is that they find themselves venturing
out into areas far afield from their specialized training and experience. The
question is: How far? Some make a great effort to stay close to their roots:

NGI 3627 5/25/00
I assumed when I came here that being a good engineer was all that was
necessary. Later I found that engineering was more than just doing
equations. You have to conceive, sell, and direct a program. I began to
do all those things and found myself in management, mainly because I
didn’t want to work for the other people they were considering. I want to
stay close to technical work and maybe move back into it. Because I
know it is difficult to move out of management into technical work, I
have stayed close to my field, written papers, and still consider myself an
engineer.
Keeping a foot in each camp is hard to do long-term. Eventually, you’ll

probably have to let go of some of the technical work in order to be
successful in a broader Stage 3 role—if for no other reason than this: It’s
almost impossible to coach someone else unless you invite that person
into your project and get him or her doing some of the hands-on work.
Stage 4The Organizational Leader (Shaping)
Not many people progress beyond Stage 3—and that’s all right. Moving
through the stages isn’t a race, with the prize going to the one who gets to
Stage 4 first. But your employer does need some people to provide the
high-level leadership that will define the future. If you have the interest,
here’s what it takes. Stage 4 people:
• exercise significant influence over critical decisions in the
organization.
• help to shape the future direction of a major part of the
organization.
• represent the organization in wide and varied interactions both
outside and inside the organization.
• sponsor promising people who might fill future key roles in the
organization.
Believe it or not, many technical contributors find ways to play a Stage 4

role without moving into management. Here are some examples:
1. The idea innovator. These people influence the future of the

organization through original concepts that often lead the
organization to change the way it does its work. They champion
new systems, processes, and operating principles that improve the
productive capacity of the organization. Their influence is based
on a reputation for achievement and a keen sense of what builds
the organization’s ability to compete in the marketplace.
Such individuals may work quite closely with a manager or peer to

help sell their ideas. Donna Jones is an example of the idea
innovator. Her department manager described her as follows:

NGI 3627 5/25/00
Donna is one of the brightest people I know. Her knowledge of the field is
outstanding. She is talented, hard-working, and disciplined. She sets
goals for herself on a technical project and achieves them. Every two or
three years she has a new direction she wants the company to follow,
and she is almost always right. She is not a saleswoman; she gets people
like me to sell her ideas.
2. Internal entrepreneur. These high-energy people are adept at seeing

new business opportunities, then assembling the buy-in, money,
and staff to pursue new product ideas and other business
objectives. Often, these people head large programs but directly
supervise very few people. Art Fry, the inventor of 3M’s original
Post-It Note, is a classic example of an internal entrepreneur.
Another less-famous individual who seemed clearly in Stage 4
described his work this way:
I had an idea for a new product area and was getting very little support
through the formal channels. So I talked to a couple of people on my
level and convinced them it was a good idea. We went ahead and did it,
on the premise that when you’re successful, it’s easier to get forgiveness
than permission. Today that new product is bringing in a significant part
of our sales.
3. Sponsor. Sponsors influence the direction of the organization

through the selection and development of key people. A sponsor
keeps an eye out for competent people, then gets them placed in
key positions where they will be tested, challenged, and have the
opportunity to prove themselves capable of making decisions
affecting the organization’s future. A sponsor makes sure key
individuals are not pigeonholed or left to stagnate in unchallenging
assignments by a rigid seniority-type promotion system or by less
competent, insecure supervisors.
In comparison to the mentor role in Stage 3, the sponsor role

requires less frequent contact with the “sponsorees” and is
probably a more distant relationship. Often, individual
contributors who are in Stage 4 have a reputation outside the
organization through their achievements and/or publications. This
enhances their credibility inside the organization and enables them
to play an important role in recruiting key talent.
Another characteristic of people in Stage 4 is their extensive network of

relationships outside the organization. One of our Stage 4 interviewees
described himself as “multi-organizational” because he worked on so
many external boards, committees, and associations. Maintaining these
outside contacts is critical because it brings current information about
events and trends in the environment into the organization.

NGI 3627 5/25/00
A critical shift for those moving into Stage 4 is a broadening of perspective
and a lengthening of time horizons. These individuals consider the
organization as a whole and act in accordance with that framework. They
think less about next month or next year and more about the next five to
ten years–and beyond.
This shift in scope is difficult for many people. Stage 4 contributors spend
far less time doing “one-on-one” coaching and mentoring than do their
Stage 3 counterparts. Indeed, the “rate limiting factor” for a Stage 4 person
is the ability to make things happen through people—hundreds or
thousands of them—with whom you have no direct, personal
relationship.
Value of Contributions
As we noted earlier, the original research found a strong relationship

between development stage and value placed on an individual’s
contribution. In general, a person’s perceived value increases as she or he
moves through the Four Stages®. The Stage 3 contributor, for example,
not only does her own work well, she builds the productive capability of
those around her. Likewise, the Stage 4 contributor influences the
corporation to allocate its talents and resources to increase its productive
capacity and competitive standing.
Growth Within the Job
All of our research indicates that what you do with your job assignment is
the single most important variable in developing your career. This does
NOT mean that your ability to contribute is dictated by your formal job
description. Quite to the contrary, the scope and impact of the “job” often
is largely determined by the person occupying it. We’ve all known people
in identical job assignments, one of whom is growing the job while the
other is merely treading water.
Don’t let your job description limit what you can contribute. The highest
performers in any organization are always testing the boundaries of their
roles. They often discover a lot of room for development. The truth is, if it
fits your talents and the organization’s needs, you can grow from Stage 1
to Stage 2 to Stage 3 in practically any job. And even when the scope of
the job does limit your ability to move to the next stage, this does not
mean the end of growth. High performance in that assignment will
invariably influence your ability to get new and more challenging
assignments that have fewer limits on growth and potential contribution.

NGI 3627 5/25/00
Making a Novation
Most people find it easy to understand the Four Stages®. Somewhat less
clear is the process by which you move from one stage to another. Such
transitions are by no means automatic. Moving from one development
stage to another requires taking a new approach to one’s job—in effect,
renegotiating one’s role in the organization. Such role renegotiations
require a change in your relationships, tasks, perspective, knowledge,
skills, and abilities.
We call this transition process a “novation.” It has to be driven by you, the

individual. The organization can promote, demote, hire, fire, transfer,
reassign, or outsource you. But it cannot “novate” you. You have to do
that yourself, by taking a different approach to the way you accomplish
work in the organization.
Common Questions about the Four Stages

®
Q. The Four Stages® Model implies that even if an individual’s performance does
not decline over time, his/her perceived value to the organization could decline.
Why?
A. Maintaining a specific level of performance over time is not sufficient to
sustain high ratings. The reason for this is the “Law of Increasing
Expectations.” In an era when continuous improvement is essential to the
survival of business organizations, employers require people to grow,
develop and add more value over time. The company expects that as
individuals gain more experience, their capacity to make things happen in
the organization should increase. And “making things happen” rarely
means doing exactly what you’ve always done.
Q . Does the Four Stages® Model imply that the only successful people are those
who have progressed to Stage 4?
A. Not at all. In fact, of all the numerous successful people, very few will
progress to Stage 4. Research shows that less than five percent of the
organization’s work force functions in Stage 4. Fortunately, people in all
four development stages add tremendous value to the organization. Most
people—as much as 60 percent of the work force at any given time—are
in Stage 2, and are making very valuable contributions. Also, we must
remember that the Four Stages® Model does not pretend to measure
anything as comprehensive, multifaceted, and personal as “success.”
Success in life is measured on many dimensions beyond mere perceived
value to one’s employer.
Q . Do people only move forward in these stages? If they do return to an earlier

stage, what is the likelihood of their being able to make the eventual transition to
one of the later stages?
A. As organizations rely more on lateral moves to develop their people, we
are seeing more and more individuals having to return to an earlier stage.

NGI 3627 5/25/00
However, if the lateral move is well planned, most of these individuals
quickly move back into the stage they were in prior to the move. Making
a temporary transition to an earlier development stage often is essential to
one’s long-term growth.
Q. Are stages just another way to describe the management hierarchy?

A. No! Stage 3 and Stage 4 are not limited to people in formal
management positions. Figure 3 shows the percentage of managers and

individual contributors (non-managers) in each stage, both in the original
Novations research (1979) and in the recent study sponsored by the IRI
(1998).
6WDJH, 6WDJH,, 6WDJH,,, 6WDJH,9
2ULJLQDO

5HVHDUFK
&XUUHQW
5HVHDUFK

= Non Managers = Managers
Figure 3: The original Novations research (1979) and the recent 10-company study (1998) show a
striking growth in the percentage of Stage 3 and Stage 4 non-managers.
Granted, these percentages may be somewhat different in your

organization. But remember, Novations has found that in almost all
functions and roles, many solo performers are described as doing Stage 3
work, and some as doing Stage 4 work.
Implications
As organizations flatten and opportunities to move up become
increasingly scarce, individuals need to think of new ways to grow and
expand their contributions. If we think of growth in terms of promotions,
we place our future in someone else’s hands. If we think about growth in
terms of development stages, we enable ourselves to control our future.
To reiterate, the Four Stages® Model does not imply that everyone can or
should try to move to Stage 3 or Stage 4 as quickly as possible. We all

NGI 3627 5/25/00
have different talents and interests that will influence our level of success in
different roles. Some people get frustrated by trying to be something they’re
not. Others short-change themselves because they are so intent on
assuming broader roles that they don’t take the time to establish the
technical base and credibility they need in order to effectively lead and
direct others. For those who have both a talent and passion for technical
work, focusing on building their contributions in Stage 2 may be more
effective than trying to become a Stage 3 or Stage 4 contributor.
However, in order to remain competitive, today’s flatter organizations

desperately need more people with the ability and desire to perform Stage
3 and Stage 4 functions, regardless of job title or position. This does not
mean organizations should try to force everyone to assume Stage 3 or Stage
4 roles. But if you’re interested, your organization may desperately need
you to “step up.”
To summarize the implications of the Four Stages® research for individuals

and the people who manage them:
• The organization’s definition of valued performance is not static; it
keeps changing.
• The Four Stages® describe these changes; the stages lay out the rules
of the game in today’s flattened, non-hierarchical organizations.
• You need to take charge of your learning and growth, thinking in
terms of contribution, not position.
• Resist the temptation to “fast-track” your way through your career.
Build a solid foundation in Stage 1 and Stage 2 to have credibility
and influence (if desired) in Stage 3 and/or Stage 4.
• Coaching and mentoring are crucial to you at all stages of your
career—not only when you’re just getting started. In fact, the move
from Stage 2 to Stage 3 is much more complex than the Stage 1-to-
Stage 2 transition. Seek out the help that you need.
• Job changes and career moves may require you to return to an
earlier development stage for a while. Usually, it’s worth it. You gain
greater breadth and exposure, which help you remake the
transition to your previous stage.
• Don’t get trapped in the old “pyramid” way of thinking. In other
words, don’t sit around waiting for the phone to ring with your next
promotion. Rather, grow your contribution and impact by
advancing through the stages, and the recognition will follow.
About the Author

Kurt Sandholtz is a director in the Provo, Utah office of Novations Group,
Inc. Kurt has helped design and implement career development systems
based on the Four Stages® Model at DuPont, Dow Chemical, SmithKline
Beecham, Sandia National Laboratories, Hewlett Packard, and similar
organizations. He holds a Master of Organizational Behavior from Brigham
Young University. Kurt’s e-mail address is [email protected].

NGI 3627 5/25/00
The Four Stages
® Quiz
Identify the following statements as true or false.
____ 1. Your perceived value to the organization is unlikely to decline as long as your
performance doesn’t decline.
____ 2. The job assignment and what you make of it are the most important variables
in career development.
____ 3. To have long-term satisfying careers, the vast majority of people need to move
beyond Stage I.
____ 4. The primary way to remain highly valued over time is to make a novation to
Stage III or Stage IV.
____ 5. If you are in Stage I and have the required talents and interests, you should try
to jump to Stage III (i.e., skip Stage II) as quickly as possible.
____ 6. Moving from Stage II to III is an additive process—you keep all of your hands-
on Stage II work, but take on additional Stage III roles at the same time.
____ 7. It is possible (though not desirable) for a supervisor or manager to be in Stage

II.
____ 8. You do not have to mentor someone in order to be an effective Stage III
contributor.
____ 9. The flattening of organizations usually increases the opportunities for

individual contributors to make the novation into Stage III and/or Stage IV.
____ 10. Making a novation is primarily dependent on the systems and structures of the
organization.
____ 11. It’s not likely that a company could have more Stage III contributors than it
can use.
____ 12. Not everybody has the interest and/or ability to make the novation to Stage IV.
____ 13. You can progress through all four career stages in any job.
____ 14. Once an individual is functioning in Stage III or IV, it is not likely that she or
he will ever return to an earlier career stage.

NGI 3627 5/25/00
NGI 3627 5/25/00
What Stage Are You In?
that best captures the way you • Before completing

Instructions
contribute or behave. Make your this exercise,
judgment based on what you please read the
The instrument you are about to
typically do now, rather than what article “The Four
complete is based on a
you think you are capable of in the Stages® of Careers
combination of the Four Stages®
future or what might be expected in Organizations.”
and the GE CRD Competencies.
The CRD competencies have been because of your position.
identified as the key skills,
knowledge, and behaviors that It’s crucial that you select the one
everyone in the company needs to list of statements that, overall,
have in order to move the most accurately describes the
company forward. behaviors you consistently
demonstrate. If you have difficulty
The self-assessment consists of choosing, think of specific
eleven sets of Four Stages® examples of behavior and select
behaviors—one set for each the response that best fits those
competency. You’ll find a list of examples.
bullet points for each competency,
Youre now ready to begin the
each list describing a different
self-assessment.
stage of development. Check the
box next to the list of statements

NGI 3627 5/25/00
Technical Excellence
q Learn q Do q Guide q Shape
• Demonstrates basic • Independently • Leads the technical • Drives the technical

analytical ability; identifies current direction of the team vision for the lab and
formulates solution problems and or group; builds for the company that
to problems; formulates solutions; broad technical proactively propels
demonstrates takes an innovative understanding of business success and
“guided” innovation approach to problem CRD’s work; drives changes the game.
and creativity. solving. technology into the • Ensures that the
• Rapidly assimilates • Shares his/her business. organization has
technical information technical knowledge • Uses his/her access to technical
and practices; with others in the experience to resources that allow
quickly masters the group, team and maximize the employees to stay on
technical aspects of across the business impact of the leading edge.
his/her job. organization; acts as the group’s technical • Regularly publishes
Willingly applies new an expert resource to contributions. or presents on
technical tools and others. • Makes effective leading edge issues.
concepts under the • Establishes a decisions on the • Leads in-depth and
direction of others. reputation as a technical direction of leading-edge
Actively looks to his/ technical expert; the team or group research that has
her supervisor, keeps his/her (developing patent organization-wide
peers, etc. for knowledge current strategy, knowing impact.
technical coaching. by reading journals, when to patent or • Is recognized as a
learning about the procure, leveraging technical leader in
needs of businesses, technology, etc.). the industry.
attending • Represents the team • Leads the
conferences, etc. or group to its organization in
• Identifies and customers; effectively capitalizing on
develops new and markets the work of technical changes or
important technical the group and developments and
ideas; generates secures funding from sourcing the world’s
proposals and the businesses for the technology.
secures funding for group.
ideas from the • Provides technical
business. coaching to the
group or team.

NGI 3627 5/25/00
Technical Project Execution
• Learns quality tools • Accepts independent • Builds and leads • Drives or influences
(DFSS). responsibility for effective project the strategic
• Completes assigned compliance (EHS, teams. allocation of
tasks on time and import/export, • Effectively delegates resources.
on budget. safety, etc.) project work to • Identifies and
• Prioritizes and plans • Works with others. champions best
tasks with guidance customers to plan • Makes effective practice project
from others. and track projects; resource decisions, management tools
• Learns about identifies and including when to and ideas from
available resources, addresses show invent and when to inside and outside
e.g., people, shops, stoppers and acquire; anticipates the organization.
infrastructure, etc. bottlenecks. and addresses • Sets direction for the
• Learns about project • Effectively prioritizes resource needs. organization’s future
constraints (EHS, tasks; completes • Identifies and resource needs.
union rules, import/ critical tasks first. removes project • Fosters an
export, etc.) • Executes his/her own obstacles or barriers environment that
projects on time and on behalf of the accepts reasonable
within budget. team. risk taking.
• Stops projects when • Keeps people in the • Create a climate/
they are sufficiently work group focused convey a sense of
completed or when on the most critical urgency and need
they are no longer tasks. for speed.
viable. • Identifies and • Communicate the
• Minimizes the responds to “big picture” to
project’s risk. changing situations enable others to
• Maintains an and opportunities; align plans/priorities
effective balance determines how with the long-term
between long term changes in project needs of the
and short term demands will affect company.
projects. others and alerts
them to potential
problems.
• Be willing to make
difficult decisions.

NGI 3627 5/25/00
Communication
• Listens and • Persuasively • Create open dialogue • Fosters a climate or

responds promptly articulates his/her within the team and champions processes
and effectively to position. between teams or that demands clear,
others. • Maintains an groups. Simplifies, fast, open and
• Formulates and asks appropriate balance focuses, sifts others accurate
effective questions. between talking and work communications—up,
• Demonstrates clear listening. • Breaks down down and across the
and concise writing • Communicates communications organization.
and speaking skills. effectively up, down barriers between • Communicates on
• Documents and across the others—teams, behalf of the
effectively. organization; knows departments and organization to
• Seeks and utilizes how, when and with functions. customers and the
guidance regarding whom to • Does not dismiss the business.
content and style. communicate issues; ideas of others before • Makes a point to
articulates the they are given a fair physically move
business impact of hearing. throughout the
his/her ideas. • Gives clear, organization in an
• Can disagree with understandable effort to encourage
others without instructions and open and cross-
shutting down the coaching to others in functional
dialogue. the group or team. communications.
• Proactively keeps • Encourages people to • Openly and candidly
others informed say what they think. discusses major
about developments organizational
or issues that affect initiatives.
their work.

NGI 3627 5/25/00
Customer Focus
• Learns to view his/ • Independently • Uses his/her broad • Creates/fosters a

her own work in anticipates and meets technical knowledge partnership
terms of how it customer needs. and cross-functional environment within
relates to customers. • Works with networks to GE; builds trust &
• Seeks to understand customers to anticipate and mutual respect
customer needs and translate complex address customer between CRD and
how to satisfy them. CTQs; negotiates needs (CTQs); the businesses.
• Works with guidance concrete deliverables. accelerate the pace • Fosters long-term
to respond to • Acts as a resource to of change to meet relationships with
customer needs in a customers; uses his/ business objectives. CRD’s customers;
timely manner. her technical • Analyzes secures long-term
• Is beginning to experience to build competitors and funding for the
develop appropriate credibility and shares insights and organization.
contact relationships recognize trends in information with • Promotes CRD’s
in the customer’s customers’ current the group or team. missionvalue outside
organization. technology. • Helps clients the organization.
• Learns tools for • Communicates to identify the best • Translates first-hand
customer interaction customers the solution; influences knowledge of
e.g. NPI, CTQ business impact of customers to customers into
flowdown. technical solutions. change their strategy, goals and
• Transitions technical approach when the direction for CRD.
solutions to the best solution is • Focuses on key
customers business different from the customers and
in the right way and customer’s request. influences their
at the right time. • Creates business and
opportunities to technical decisions.
leverage/transfer • Create an
technology. environment that
• Uses his/her drives technology
technical transfer and
perspective and customer best
knowledge to build practices across the
capability in business.
customers; coaches
customers on
technical issues.

NGI 3627 5/25/00
Organizational Citizenship
• Learns the • Expands his/her role • Promotes changes • Sets policies and
organization’s values in the Buddy and and improvements establishes systems
and complies with Recruiting regarding GE values that ensure
established protocols programs, campus and protocols; compliance
(safety, TIM, chem. interviews, etc. ensures team/group regarding GE values
Hygiene, HAZ/MAT, • Accepts new are current with and protocols.
20-10, Tosca, Export initiatives and takes organizational/ • Establishes
control, etc.) the initiative to do environmental recruiting and
• Learns about and his/her part in them. changes staffing vision based
participates in the • Participates in the • Identifies and on a clear
Buddy and CRD community. communicates understanding of
Recruiting programs • Lives the GE values. resource needs on GE’s long-term
• Actively learns about behalf of the group/ needs; provides the
and participates in team; participate in resources to allow
the CRD community the Buddy and others to implement
(United Way, Recruiting programs that vision.
Diversity Council, • Leads the group/ • Creates an
lab meetings, etc.) team in participation environment where
• Learns and lives GE in the lab people willingly
values and initiatives “community.” participate in
(e.g., the 4 E’s, • Lives, promotes and initiatives, programs
boundarylessness, models the GE and the CRD
etc.) values community.
• Complies with and • Communicates the • Establishes and
keeps current on GE need for/ importance models the GE
values and of new initiatives; values
established helps the group / • Champions
protocols. team understand the organizational
importance and changes and
value of changes. effectively drives
appropriate
initiatives.

NGI 3627 5/25/00
Technical and Professional Development
• Demonstrates self • Takes the initiative to • Coaches and • Creates a culture that
awareness and deepen his/her mentors others on fosters learning and
makes self professional and their professional development; values
development a technical abilities and technical and rewards
priority. (e.g. publish, read development. technical excellence
• Embraces new articles). • Gives constructive • Supports a pipeline
learning • Independently and timely feedback. of the technical
opportunities. establishes and • Develops practices expertise that will be
• Accepts feedback on implements that allows his/her required to meet
development needs individual group to long-term business
and responds development plans. consistently attract goals.
appropriately; • Seeks developmental the best candidates; • Champions
willingly accepts opportunities (e.g., establishes a processes or values
coaching. conferences, course reputation for that stretch and
• Seeks to understand work, reading developing others in nurture the growth
the CRD competency publications, bridge/ the team or group. of others.
model. challenging • Promotes or • Creates
assignments, etc.) celebrates the opportunities for
• Takes the initiative to achievement of synergy between
develop coaching or others; provides people and groups.
mentoring visibility for others
relationships with in the group or team
others. • Encourages diversity
• Develops technical of styles within the
networks inside and team or group.
outside the
company.

NGI 3627 5/25/00
Teamwork
• Learns to adapt to a • Works well with • Creates a climate • Drives an

team approach or team members who that nurtures and organizational climate
climate. have different protects the team. that energizes,
• Actively supports backgrounds, points • Champions the motivates and
other team members. of view, or work team’s work and facilitates teamwork.
• Learns his/her role. styles. accomplishments to • Encourages cross-
• Follows through on • Independently others in the team integration and
his/her part of team contributes his/her organization. cooperation across
projects. share; takes the • Creates or the organization.
• Recognizes and initiative to excel in encourages team • Establishes or
shares credit with his/her part of the structures and encourages systems
those who help him/ work. policies; ensures that and processes that
her succeed. • Establishes a unique effective team reward and
area of competence members are encourage teamwork.
within the team. recognized and • Removes
• Shares recognition rewarded. organizational
with his/her peers. • Empowers team barriers to teamwork
• Share ideas and members to and cooperation.
information with accomplish their
others and part of the work.
encourage them to • Identify and address
do the same. underlying tensions,
conflict or
disagreements
between individuals
and teams.

NGI 3627 5/25/00
Overall Stage Assessment
Plot your responses on the chart below:
Learn Do Guide Shape
Technical Excellence
Technical Project Execution
Communication
Customer Focus
Organizational Citizenship
Technical and Professional

Development
Teamwork

NGI 3627 5/25/00
Questions
1. Does your profile show a “center of gravity” (six or more

responses) in a single stage? If so, which stage? If not, which two
stages are you currently “between”?
2. Which of the competencies do you consider to be strengths of

yours? (Select two or three.)
3. Which two or three competencies could you bolster in order to

achieve greater impact in the organization?

NGI 3627 5/25/00
Interpreting Your Results
Thoughts to keep in mind when analyzing your Stage Profile.
1. People in all stages add value. High performers are found in each
of the Four Stages®. The key is to realize where you are and where
you want to be—then formulate a plan to get there.
2. Moving through the stages is NOT a race. It is simply not the case
that the first one to Stage 4 wins. Figure out which stage
represents the best platform for your unique skills. Make a
conscious choice about where you think you can find the greatest
satisfaction and make the largest contribution.
PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU

BRING THIS WORKBOOK WITH YOU
TO THE WORKSHOP. THE INFORMATION
IT CONTAINS WILL BE ESSENTIAL TO
YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THE WORKSHOP.
Copyright © 1999 by Novations Group, Incorporated. All rights reserved.
Version 1.0

NGI 3627 5/25/00
DISCOVERING
YOUR GENIUS
PREWORKSHOP EXERCISES
AND READINGS
Novations Group, Inc.

NGI 3627 5/25/00

4 Stages Workshop

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

4 Stages Workshop

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

4 Stages Workshop

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Preworkshop Questionnaire

Strongly Undecided/ Strongly

2. I understand how the careers of people develop

3. I feel confident about the role I take in managing

4. I feel confident that I can initiate and lead

5. I know how to deal with the issue of career

6. I know how to increase my value and

7. I know how to help people grow in their jobs,

8. I know how to participate in development

9. I feel confident about my role as a coach in

10. I believe that developing people effectively will

Novations Group, Inc. 1

This workbook represents essential preparation for Novations’ Develop-

derive from this

important that you: amount of time

1. Take the time to thoughtfully complete all the readings and

3. Remember to bring this completed workbook to the workshop.

We look forward to spending time with you in the workshop.

Novations Group, Inc. 3

The primary purpose of the

4 Discovering Your Genius

• A necessity to cope with a • Developing only through

• A way to manage your

• A way of aligning your

Novations Group, Inc. 5

One of the keys to good development is understanding what assignments

1. Think of two or three events or experiences in your lifetime (on-

2. Think of two or three events or experiences in your lifetime (on- or

6 Discovering Your Genius

4. Analyze the responses to these three questions, looking for

What type of work should you avoid?

Novations Group, Inc. 7

Circle one letter in each pair:

1. I like to organize myself and others to win. V

I like to do my own thing in an organization. X

2. Work must be balanced with time for leisure and the

Personal needs must be subordinated for me to get ahead. V

3. I would like to work in an organization which rewards hard

I like setting my own goals and accomplishing them at my

4. I am aggressive and have good analytical and people skills. V

I am able to keep a good perspective between the needs of

5. I want to work independently. X

I like being a company person. W

6. I enjoy working as a consultant or “trouble shooter” and

I enjoy working in a situation where I am the leader and am

8 Discovering Your Genius

My spouse/partner takes a back seat to my work when I am

8. The most important thing to me is:

Maintaining work/life perspective. Y

9. I am competent, loyal, trustworthy, and hard working. W

I am politically skillful, a good leader, and a good

I can be described as:

11. One who gets “turned on” by exciting projects. Z

One who likes to be his/her own boss. X

12. In equilibrium but divided. Y

Adventurous and competitive. Z

13. Self-reliant, self-sufficient. X

14. Stable and tenacious. W

Independent and self-directed. X

15. One who plans and organizes extremely well. V

SCORE: V= W= X= Y= Z=

Stage 1The Apprentice (Learning)