Corrections_Today_September_October_2023_Vol.85_No.5

NIC Update

three of us see the importance of developing senior level leaders for the future.” Today, LeMaster is the program manager for CLD and coordinates the selection of participating agen cies and their subsequent training schedule. She is also responsible for shepherding CLD from an in-person program to a virtual environment. “Who says soft skills training cannot be done in virtual!” LeMaster says. “Not us!” Soft skills, like communication, teamwork and critical thinking, are essential to the success of CLD, but they can be difficult to teach online because it’s easy to miss physical and emotional cues when receiving feedback through a computer screen. That is why coaching and teamwork are integral to CLD. The full CLD online program consists of two phases of eight three hour classes held via WebEx. In the three to six months between phases one and two, program participants participate in leadership activities and receive coaching. “The coaching aspect of this program has given me the most satis faction,” Wiseman says. “My passion has always been ensuring that staff have the knowledge and skills neces sary to be safe and successful in their workplaces.” Participants also complete an agency-specific action learning plan (ALP). The ALP is a unique feature of CLD that involves participation from agency leadership to have stu dents work in teams to address real issues that an agency faces. “If participants attend training and then don’t apply what they have learned, then the training has been

executive-level sponsors in the success of ALP teams and members – Target high-performing staff for further leadership roles and development within the department While not attributed directly to CLD, several participants from the West Virginia cohort received pro motions within the department while participating in the program. Among the many words that par ticipants used to describe their CLD experience, descriptors such as “en lightening,” “informative,” “busy,” and “useful” were common. Related NIC Leadership Programs The National Institute of Correc tions offers a collection of training in addition to CLD that addresses organizational leadership capac ity. Frontline supervisors, mid-level managers, and executives each have dedicated programs targeted to the roles and responsibilities of their position. Like the CLD series, some courses are available both in person and virtually. Interested agencies and depart ments of correction are encouraged to visit NIC’s webpage on leader ship development in corrections to find the program best suited for their agency and to learn how to apply. 1 END NOTES 1 Visit https://nicic.gov/resources/resources topics-and-roles/topics/leadership-development corrections Donna Ledbetter is the technical writer/ editor for the National Institute of Corrections, a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Justice.

a waste of time. With CLD we can observe how participants applied the knowledge and skills they received during the CLD process,” says Wiseman. Sample ALPs might include developing a field training officer program that leverages the expertise of experienced deputies, creating a professional development program to assist employees in attaining specific competencies for promotion and suc cession or proposing a staff wellness program that addresses identified retention issues. Among the criteria for ALPs is that they are unique to the partici pating agency, must be tied to the agency’s mission, address long-range issues and create a lasting benefit to the organization. CLD in Action The West Virginia Department of Corrections is one of the latest graduating classes of the CLD series. At the time of their participation, the agency was involved in a major restructuring project, had significant staffing issues and was receiving out side help to assist with some of the department’s operations. Being de liberate about the ALP projects and teams that were part of the program helped the department use the CLD to address its organizational needs. All project teams represented a mix of correctional disciplines. West Virginia’s participation helped them to: – Collapse silos among affected agencies to facilitate the depart ment’s restructuring – Enhance their ability to imple ment succession plans thanks to the active involvement of

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