Leadership at 3M
Leadership Development at 3M:
New Process, New Techniques, New Growth
Margaret Alldredge, Cindy Johnson, Jack Stoltzfus, 3M;Al Vicere, Smeal College of Business,The Pennsylvania State University; and the 3M ALDP Design Team
F
rom the moment she first shook his hand in a receiving line after his arrival at 3M, Margaret
Alldredge, staff vice president,
Leadership Development and
Learning, knew Jim McNerney was passionate about developing leaders. McNerney was fresh from an enormously successful career at GE. He talked of implementing Six Sigma (a rigorous process designed to improve productivity, increase profits, and enhance customer service) and shared his view that
Six Sigma was not only about process improvement but also a way to develop leaders rapidly.
He also suggested that 3M might be ripe for the establishment of its own “Crotonville,” GE’s vaunted center for cultivating leadership talent. That first meeting set into motion the creation of a new, intense, and exciting approach to developing
3M’s leaders.
HUMAN RESOURCE PLANNING
45
One of Jim McNerney’s first questions after arriving at 3M Company as its new CEO was,
“What are we doing here to develop leaders?”
The response from the 3M leadership development team convinced him the company could do more to develop high-potential talent. Almost immediately, he challenged the team to craft an intensive leadership development strategy that would rival that of his prior employer, GE. This article chronicles our team’s progress to date, showing how hard work, intense commitment, and creative thinking can lead to powerful results.
Setting the Stage
Within a month of Jim’s arrival, we met with him to review our existing approach to leadership development. In 3M’s traditionally egalitarian culture, we had always focused on developing all of our people. The only special opportunities we offered to our high-potential leaders were a series of self-directed
New Process, New Techniques, New Growth
Margaret Alldredge, Cindy Johnson, Jack Stoltzfus, 3M;Al Vicere, Smeal College of Business,The Pennsylvania State University; and the 3M ALDP Design Team
F
rom the moment she first shook his hand in a receiving line after his arrival at 3M, Margaret
Alldredge, staff vice president,
Leadership Development and
Learning, knew Jim McNerney was passionate about developing leaders. McNerney was fresh from an enormously successful career at GE. He talked of implementing Six Sigma (a rigorous process designed to improve productivity, increase profits, and enhance customer service) and shared his view that
Six Sigma was not only about process improvement but also a way to develop leaders rapidly.
He also suggested that 3M might be ripe for the establishment of its own “Crotonville,” GE’s vaunted center for cultivating leadership talent. That first meeting set into motion the creation of a new, intense, and exciting approach to developing
3M’s leaders.
HUMAN RESOURCE PLANNING
45
One of Jim McNerney’s first questions after arriving at 3M Company as its new CEO was,
“What are we doing here to develop leaders?”
The response from the 3M leadership development team convinced him the company could do more to develop high-potential talent. Almost immediately, he challenged the team to craft an intensive leadership development strategy that would rival that of his prior employer, GE. This article chronicles our team’s progress to date, showing how hard work, intense commitment, and creative thinking can lead to powerful results.
Setting the Stage
Within a month of Jim’s arrival, we met with him to review our existing approach to leadership development. In 3M’s traditionally egalitarian culture, we had always focused on developing all of our people. The only special opportunities we offered to our high-potential leaders were a series of self-directed