Developmental Assignments: Creating Learning Experiences without Changing Jobs

This fieldbook is modeled after Eighty-Eight Assignments for Development in Place, one of CCL’s most popular publications. In the years since that report was published, we have learned more about development in place—from research, from working with managers and organizations that are making use of developmental assignments, and from our colleagues in the field. We believe it is time once again to consolidate our knowledge into one tool to help leaders add developmental assignments to their own jobs and help others do the same. The tables inside this book are full of assignments. You’ll also find cross-references to CCL’s assessment tools: 360 by Design, Executive Dimensions, Benchmarks, Prospector, and Skillscope. If you want to target the development of specific competencies as a result of receiving feedback from any of these, the cross-references will direct you to appropriate assignments.

About the Author

Cynthia D. McCauley is a Senior Fellow at the Center for Creative Leadership and formerly the Vice President for Leadership Development. She is a coeditor of both the first and second editions of The Center for Creative Leadership Handbook of Leadership Development. She codeveloped Benchmarks and the Job Challenge Profile, two of CCL’s management feedback instruments. Cynthia has a Ph.D. in industrial and organizational psychology from the University of Georgia.