1. Developmental Activities
A number of activities can be used to facilitate of relevant skills for experience on the job. These
developmental activities can be used to supplement informal coaching by the boss or coworkers,
and most of them can be used in conjunction with formal training programs. For example,
multisource feedback from the workplace is provided to participants is some leadership training
programs. Each type of activities of technique will be reviewed ad evaluated briefly.
Multisource Feedback
Providing behavioral feedback from multiple sources has become a popular method for
management development, and it is widely used in large organizations (London &Smither,
1995). This approach is called by various names, including 360-degree feed-back and multirater
feedback. Multisource feedback programs can be used for a variety of purposes, but the primary
purpose is to assess the strengths and developmental needs for individual managers. The design
and use of 360-degree feedback programs is described in several books.
In a feedback program, managers receive information about their skills or behavior from
standardized questionnaires filled out by other such as subordinates, peers, superiors, and
sometimes outside
Feedback is likely to be more accurate when the rating questionnaire tracks behaviors
that arc meaningful and easy to observe. Accurate feedback also depends on gaining the
cooperation of a representative set of respondents who interacted frequently with the manager
over a period of time and had adequate opportunity to observe the behaviors in the questionnaire.
Respondents are more likely to provideaccurate ratings if they understand the purpose of the
survey, how the results willbe used, and the procedures to ensure confidentiality of answers.
Ratings are more likely to be accurate if the feedback is used only for developmental purposes
and is not part of the formal performance appraisal process.
Behavioral feedback can be presented in a number of different ways, and the formatof the
feedback report helps to determine how clear and useful the feedback is to the recipients.
Providing feedback separately for each direction makes it more informative and easier to
interpret. It is a common practice to highlight large discrepancies between what others say about
a manager's behavior and self-ratings by the manager. Self-ratings that are much higher than
ratings by others indicate a possible developmental need. Interpretation of feedback is facilitated
by norms based on a large sample of managers.

2. Developmental Assessment Centers
Compared to feedback workshops, developmental assessment centers use more intensive
measurement procedures and a more comprehensive set of measures to increase self-
understanding, identify strength and weakness, and assess developmental needs. Information
about manager behavior may be obtained from people who interact with the manager regularly
and from observation for the manager’s simulations and exercises. The facilitators also collect
information about the manager’s prior experience, motives, personality traits, skills, interests,
and aspirations.
Information about behavior and skills is integrated with information about motives,
background, experience, and career aspirations to provide a more complete picture of the
person’s strength, weakness, and potential. The rationale is that behavioral feedback alone is
insufficient to change ineffective behavior supported by strong motives, value, and self-
understanding increases the likelihood for behavior change. Participants also receive counseling
about developmental needs and career choices. To avoid the inherent dangers in this enhanced
feedback, Kaplan and Palus (1994) emphasize the need for careful selection of participants to
screen out people who would not benefit from it (or who may not be able to handle the stress).
Developmental Assignments
Developmental assignments can be carried out concurrently with regular job
responsibilities, whereas other require taking a temporary leave from one’s regular job for
example of these assignment include managing a new project or start-up operation, serving as the
department representative on a cross-functional team, chairing a special task force to plan a
major change or deal with a serious operational problem, developing and conducting a training
program for the organizational unit, and assuming responsibility for some administrative
activities previously handled by the boss. Another example for developmental assignments away
from one’s regular job an exceptional leader in another organization, and serving in a visiting
assignment to another organization to a government agency to help implement a major change.
Systematic example use of developmental assignments is provided by Citibank in the
1990s. The developmental of interpersonal and strategic skills was considered important to
prepare managers for advancement to senior executive positions. High potential managers were
given two types of special assignment, each lasting from 3 to 4 years. One assignment involved a
major strategic challenge and the other involved difficult people-management challenges.
The effectiveness of developmental assignments is reduced when bias and discrimination
are widespread in the organization, A variety of studies suggest that women are less likely than
men to be given challenging, high-visibility assignments, Despite the existence of laws

3. prohibiting it, discrimination based on gender, race, or age still occurs in making assignments
and awarding promotions.
Job Rotation Programs
Most job rotation programs, managers are assigned to work in a variety of different
functional subunits of the organization for periods of time varying from six months to three
years. Individuals change jobs for developmental reasons, not as the result of a promotion
decision. Individuals change jobs for developmental reason, not as the result of a promotion
decision. In most formal job rotation programs, the pattern of assignment is similar for each
participant and is not based on an analysis of each individual’s current skills or deficiencies. Job
rotation program with substantive assignments in different subunits or an organization offer a
number of development opportunities. Managers face the challenge of quickly learning how to
establish cooperative relationship and deal with new types of technical problems for which they
lack adequate preparation. Managers can learn about the unique problems and processes in
different subunits and the interdependencies among different parts of the organization.
In the absence of more information about the cost and benefits of job rotation, it is
difficult to determinate how much rotation is desirable or how long managers should remain in
each position. Little known about how long it takes for the desired learning to occur, or about the
necessary facilitating conditions.
The feasibility of job rotation programs may limit by some of the current trends in
organizations. For example, downsizing leaves fewer available positions to support job rotation
programs. Furthermore, managers in a downsized organization will be more reluctant to lose an
experienced subordinate in exchange for an inexperienced, temporary substitute. A question that
deserves more attention is whether the benefits of job rotation can be achieved with other types
of special assignments that are less costly.