NISTIR 7776
 

Providing NIST Supervisors with a 

Continuous Learning Program 

David Griffith 

Susan Heller-Zeisler 

Joy Herman 

Andrew Jackson 

Janine Kerns 

Donna Kimball 

William E. Wallace 

Brian A. Weiss 

This publication is available free of charge from: 

http://dx.doi.org/10.6028/NIST.IR.7776 

 
 

 

 

NISTIR 7776 

Providing NIST Supervisors with a 

Continuous Learning Program 

David Griffith 

Information Technology Laboratory 

Susan Heller-Zeisler 

Office of the Director 

Joy Herman 

Office of Workforce Management 

Andrew Jackson 

Center for Neutron Research 

Janine Kerns 

Office of the Financial Resource Management 

Donna Kimball 

Material Measurement Laboratory 

William E. Wallace 

Material Measurement Laboratory 

Brian A. Weiss 

Engineering Laboratory 

This publication is available free of charge from: 

http://dx.doi.org/10.6028/NIST.IR.7776 

April 2011 

U.S. Department of Commerce 

Gary Locke, Secretary 

National Institute of Standards and Technology 

Patrick D. Gallagher, Director 

 

 


 

Providing NIST Supervisors with a 


Continuous Learning Program
 

Building the Next Generation 7 

Special Study Group Project 

March 2010 – October 2010 

Final Report 

November 1, 2010 
Any mention of commercial products within this report is for information only; it does not imply 

recommendation or endorsement by NIST. 
 

 

 


 

Acknowledgments

The Building the Next Generation Class 7 (BTNG7) Special Study Group members would like to 

thank the Chief Human Capital Officer, Michael Culpepper, and the NIST Leadership and Employee 

Development Group (LED), in particular Debora Clough, for entrusting this assignment to us. Their 

guidance and encouragement was essential to obtaining and processing the data reported here. 

We also would like to thank William Ott and David Seiler of the Physical Measurement Laboratory 

(PML) for their valuable information and advice regarding the 1998 report, “Survey of Leadership 

and Managerial Development Needs at NIST.” 

We kindly thank all of the participants for their valuable input and thoughtful commentary, which, 

through the survey results and conversations, provided the foundation for this report. 

Finally, the Special Study Group would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our guide and mentor 

through this project, Michael Martin of the LED Group. We sincerely wish Mike and the LED group 

continued success and growth for the outstanding NIST New Leader Program and the NIST Building 

the Next Generation Program. 

Table of Contents 

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Executive Summary

As a result of new Office of Personnel Management (OPM) regulations, the Chief Human Capital 

Office, through its Leadership and Employee Development (LED) Group, charged the Building the 

Next Generation (BTNG) Class 7 Special Study Group (SSG) with developing a continuous learning 

program for experienced supervisors and managers at NIST. 

In the first of the two phases of the project, the SSG: briefed the NIST Leadership Board on our 

project; conducted face-to-face interviews with NIST executives and their designates; conducted an 

on-line survey with NIST executives, managers, and supervisors; and followed up with additional 

face-to-face interviews with respondents, where requested. 

In the second phase of the project, we extended our data gathering to NIST-comparable 

organizations. Questions were asked as to whether they require refresher training for their 

managers/supervisors, the topics that were included, and how the training was delivered. The survey 

was sent out via emails and followed up where appropriate with personal contact. A number of 

federal agencies, private sector companies, and counterpart National Metrology Institutes (NMI) 

were contacted and asked to complete the survey. In order to complete the second phase of the 

project, the group also surveyed training providers currently used by NIST and those identified by 

the external organizations surveyed. These, along with resources identified during the various NIST 

interviews, provide a base from which to build a training program. 

Our primary observation was that NIST is not alone in lacking mandatory refresher training 

for managers and supervisors; most of the outside organizations that we also surveyed do not have 

such training, or like us, are just starting to plan such a program. What we did find, however, is that 

some of the organizations we surveyed have a wide variety of possible training areas and delivery 

methods available to their managers and supervisors, most of which are currently taken by choice. 

In terms of training topics three clear themes emerged: 

People skills are paramount for great leadership. 

These skills include often-mentioned topics such as communication (oral and written; up, down, and 

lateral), conflict management, change management, and team building. 

Knowledge of NIST operational functions and organizational development skills are vital. 

Operational functions include acquisitions/contracts, employee relations/resources, finance/budget, 

and workforce management. Organizational development skills include strategic long-term planning, 

understanding NIST’s role in the political environment, and understanding NIST’s history and 

mission, particularly with respect to US industry and peer NMIs. 

Handling of uncommon, high-impact events is required. 

Examples of high-impact events include: media interviews, presentations to visiting Congressional 

staff or visiting dignitaries, responding to administrative policy changes, or describing the NIST 

mission to a technical organization. “Just-in-time” training that could be delivered as necessary to 

NIST staff immediately prior to their participation in a high-impact event can address this need. 

As to training delivery methods, on the basis of the responses, no one method of delivery would 

have an exact fit to all situations, suggesting that a variety of delivery methods for the refresher 

BTNG 7 SSG Final Report 1 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

training should be made available. In terms of the NIST surveys, there was a preference given to inhouse training and seminars/lectures. However, there was support for other types of delivery, so 

these should not be overlooked in structuring a robust, diverse refresher training program that can 

appeal to and be useful to managers and supervisors. NIST and its employees would benefit from 

having a private internal social network site that would foster teamwork and communication NISTwide. 

Based on the information that the Special Study Group has gathered, we make the following 

recommendations: 

1.	 There should be choices built into the mandatory refresher training for managers and 

supervisors. We suggest a tiered approach. The first tier (Tier I) consists of training that 

emphasizes people skills that all of the surveyed managers agree are important. Tier I 

training also covers NIST operational functions and organizational aspects. The Tier II 

training includes just-in-time training to prepare managers for an imminent event, the 

outcome of which has the potential to impact NIST in a significant way. The Tier III training 

includes more courses and areas of study directly relating to the needs of individual 

managers. Tier III training courses may be taken as “electives,” but still count towards the 

mandatory refresher training. 

2.	 The Operating Units (OUs) within each Directorate should have a common Tier I 

training curriculum. Tier II and Tier III training schedules and requirements could be left to 

the discretion of the individual OUs. This would give OUs a degree of independence and the 

ability to tailor training to their own needs while ensuring that all NIST managers have a 

common basic skill set. It would also allow managers from different OUs to train together to 

gain exposure to people from other areas of NIST, as was suggested in the OU Director 

interviews. We encourage the NIST Director’s office to assist and encourage the OUs within 

each of these three areas to devise a common Tier I program while allowing them the 

freedom to add what Tier II and Tier III training they desire, even if they decide that this 

amount should be zero. 

3.	 The Leadership and Employee Development Group should coordinate the refresher 

training. 

4.	 No one method of delivery would have an exact fit to all situations, so providing a 

variety of delivery methods for the refresher training is suggested. 

5.	 To plan what type of refresher training is most appropriate for each 

manager/supervisor, we recommend that an Individual Development Plan (IDP) be 

considered. 

6.	 NIST Office of Workforce Management (OWM) should annually review the training 

requirements and curricula and make any modifications or additions that they deem 

necessary. 

2 Providing NIST Supervisors with a Continuous Learning Program 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

1 Special Study Group Assignment 

The Chief Human Capital Office (CHCO), through its Leadership and Employee Development 

(LED) Group, charged the Building the Next Generation (BTNG) Class 7 (See Appendix A) with 

developing a continuous learning program for experienced supervisors and managers at NIST. 

A subset of NIST’s current BTNG7 class volunteered to serve as a Special Study Group (SSG). The 

purpose of a SSG is to study a NIST-wide, high-level issue and to recommend a course of action for 

senior leadership. The BTNG7 SSG has been specifically tasked by the Chief Human Capital 

Officer, with support from LED, with recommending to CHCO how NIST should address the new 

Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Federal regulations (See Appendix B) that mandate 

refresher training for supervisors and managers at least every three years. The current NIST training 

program was designed prior to the new regulations and needs to be updated to comply with them. 

In an effort to provide NIST leaders with current leadership best practices and satisfy the new federal 

training regulations, the BTNG7 SSG has organized its activities into two phases to accomplish its 

goals. In the first phase the group will perform an assessment of the training needs at NIST and 

recommend a suite of options that address those needs. In the second phase resources will be 

identified that can fulfill the requirements. 

NIST and the Department of Commerce (DOC) provide some mandatory general training on an 

annual basis, such as, Ethics, IT Security, and Safety Training. At NIST, new managers are required 

to take a mandatory training session entitled “Managerial Survival Skills,” within the first year of 

their managerial appointment. 

NIST and DOC currently have a wide range of training offerings for leaders, but there is no mandate 

or time frequency requirement for continuous learning. These current activities are described later in 

this report. 

NIST has an opportunity to respond proactively and effectively to these new requirements that have 

been mandated by OPM and DOC (See Appendix C). 

BTNG 7 SSG Final Report 3 
4 Providing NIST Supervisors with a Continuous Learning Program 
1 Project Chronology 

BTNG 7 SSG Final Report 5 
6 Providing NIST Supervisors with a Continuous Learning Program 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 Internal Data Gathering 

In the first phase of the project, the SSG briefed the NIST Leadership Board on our project; 

conducted face-to-face interviews with NIST Executives and their designates; conducted an on-line 

survey with NIST Executives, Managers, and Supervisors, and followed up with additional face-toface interviews with respondents, where requested. 

2.1 NIST Executive Interviews 

Following the introduction of the BTNG 7 Special Study Group Project at the OU Directors’ Lunch 

on April 26, 2010 and at the Management Council meeting on May 3, 2010, most of the OU 

Directors offered to assist the group. Specifically, this would be done by allowing SSG members to 

conduct individual interviews with them to gain insights into their needs, and to get suggestions for 

training from the unique viewpoints of each Operating Unit. The SSG gained a wealth of 

information through these interviews, which is summarized below. 

The goal of the first stage of our project was to gather information on training needs and current 

practice and, on the basis of that, to suggest a continuous learning program for experienced (nonSES) managers. We received much useful information towards this goal. 

There were three questions that provided the starting point for the discussions: 

1. What management/leadership training is your OU currently doing? 

2. What do you need? How much time/effort is appropriate for this type of training? 

3. How do you manage succession? How do you prepare people for succession? 

The discussions went in different directions, depending on the emphasis of the individual OU 

Director. The interviewees made many excellent suggestions during the interviews; their comments 

gave us a good picture of the unique views of each OU, with their different structures, missions, and 

sizes. Two SSG members typically conducted the interviews, and each interview lasted 

approximately 45 to 60 minutes. 

2.1.1 Current Training 

Responding to the question on what their OU is currently doing for management/leadership training, 

almost all of the interviewees mentioned that they support the LED programs, especially NLP and 

BTNG. We learned that there were a variety of additional ways that OUs are currently carrying out 

management/leadership training. These include the following: 

1. Coaching/Mentoring 

2. Presentation skills course, suggested as mandatory 

3. Encouraging outside training/education 

• University degree program reimbursement 

• OPM Eastern Management Development Center 

• Federal Executive Institute (FEI) - Leadership for a Democratic Society course 

• Partnership with Johns Hopkins University for Graduate Certificate Programs 

BTNG 7 SSG Final Report 7 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

•	 California Institute of Technology 

•	 Brookings Institute 

4.	 Opportunities for staff rotation/detail assignments, including NIST Program Office or outside 

NIST 

5.	 “On-the-job” training or “Acting” manager status 

6.	 NIST People Council 

7.	 Encouraging external committee leadership roles 

8.	 OU-Sponsored and/or organized training 

9.	 Library of books on management and leadership 

10. Baldrige National Quality Program (BNQP) Quest Conference 

11. Technology Innovation Program (TIP) - specific training, dependent on individual’s position 

and management role 

12. Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) 

•	 On the job – team/project leaders 

•	 In-House Developed Webinars (TS) 

•	 NIST/LED library resources on leadership 

•	 MEP University 

•	 MEP Emerging Leader Programs for Center Staff 

•	 Share Best Practices among Centers 

13. Baldrige Performance Excellence Program (BPEP) 

•	 Assessment of a case study using the Baldrige Categories (modified version of the 

examiner training) 

•	 Attendance at the annual Quest for Excellence Conference 

Both MEP and BNQP noted that they have team leaders, who are not formal supervisors, but still act 

in a leadership capacity. BNQP uses teams that are groups of eight to nine people that are mostly 

self-managed to accomplish their work; team leaders are assigned a one- or two-year term. In this 

way more people develop leadership and management skills and are also more sensitive to the issues 

associated with a team environment after their “tenure.” 

2.1.2 Training Needs 

There were many different responses to the question on what management and leadership skills need 

to be strengthened or developed at NIST. There were quite a few interviewees who believe that 

interpersonal skills need to be emphasized. Most often mentioned were effective communication 

(both oral and written), conflict management, dealing with difficult people, change management, 

customer service skills, and team building. Some interviewees termed these “soft skills.” A need for 

providing effective training in these types of skills came up in 13 out of 18 interviews. 

In addition, several of the interviewees mentioned the need for training in NIST history, NIST 

culture, or the NIST mission as applied to all its laboratories and programs, not just the sub-section 

where the manager is working. A more specific suggestion was to provide training on NIST’s unique 

mission and history, to develop an attitude of leadership as stewardship for the organization, and not 

as competition against other parts of the organization. A number of the interviewees recommended 

training outside one’s normal working environment, not only to network, but to develop an 

awareness of other NIST operating units, their particular missions, and staff requirements. 

8 Providing NIST Supervisors with a Continuous Learning Program 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not coming up often in the interviews, but significant nevertheless, was the suggestion for training 

on how to effectively manage projects and creative problem-solving, and also a desire for more 

emphasis on strategic sourcing and planning. 

Another idea that emerged was to provide updates on NIST “protocols,” the nuts and bolts of what a 

manager needs to deal with, as DOC and USG guidance on important topics such as procurement 

acquisitions, contracts, and personnel issues changes with time. 

An unusual suggestion came for the need for training in “hot” management topics, almost 

impromptu, but pertinent areas for training, covering e.g., changing regulations in Human Resources, 

or in Procurement. A variation on this was a suggestion for “just-in-time” training. The suggestion 

was to have a catalog of inexpensive recorded video presentations, such as “training on press 

relations before an important press event.” 

An idea that came up a few times in different guises was the need to make management jobs more 

appealing in general (although this is not strictly a training need). There is a need to reduce the 

amount of administrative burden on managers, and give more tools and support so they can actually 

“manage.” 

Related to needs, and also connected to “how to deliver training,” was the idea of having managers 

use Individual Development Plans whether related to the performance plan or not. This was 

emphasized by several of the interviewees, and was related to providing more structure to the 

required training. 

2.1.3 Delivery of Training 

There were diverse, and sometimes quite strong, thoughts from the OU Directors on how to deliver 

the training. There seemed to be a consensus that there needs to be a variety of training opportunities 

available. Not only do people learn differently, but there are different training needs for different 

OUs and there is not “one size that will fit all.” For example, a manager working in a laboratory may 

have different needs than one working in one of the extramural programs. 

Some of the suggestions included: 

1.	 An annual one-week off-site training course for managers, e.g., at Federal Executive Institute 

(FEI) or a similar location, to allow participants to concentrate on training. 

2.	 Just-in-time-delivery courses (e.g., sets of videos for different scenarios a manager may 

encounter). 

3.	 Training should be conducted across OUs to allow interaction between employees from different 

areas of expertise. 

4.	 That there be no absolute time requirement; instead, define the objectives of training, and allow 

sufficient time to meet those objectives. 

5.	 Development of training around individual development plans and/or an assessment tool such as 

360° assessments. 

6.	 On-line training using internal and external resources. 

7.	 Increased use of participatory learning versus static courses. 

8.	 As there is much training already required, management/leadership training should be targeted 

and useful. 

9.	 Mandatory customer service training when a manager works in this area. 

BTNG 7 SSG Final Report 9 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.1.4 Interviewees 

A list of the interviewees is shown below:1 

OU Director or Designate Interviewed Operating Unit 

Shyam Sunder EL (formerly BFRL)
 

Harry Hertz BPEP (formerly BNQP)
 

Michael Culpepper OWM (formerly CHCO)
 

Robert Celotta, Lloyd Whitman, and Donna Lauren CNST
 

Willie May MML (formerly CSTL)
 

Kent Rochford EL (formerly EEEL)
 

James St. Pierre ITL
 

Howard Harary EL (formerly MEL)
 

Roger Kilmer MEP
 

Richard Cavanagh MML (formerly MSEL)
 

Robert Dimeo, Michael Moore NCNR
 

Howard Hochman OFPM (formerly CFMO)
 

Stephen Kunze OFRM (formerly CFO)
 

Susannah Schiller OISM (formerly OCIO)
 

Kevin Kimball OD
 

William Ott PML (formerly PL)
 

Lorel Wisnewski TIP
 

Belinda Collins (formerly TS)
 

1 At the time of this report’s printing, NIST had completed an Agency-Wide Reorganization. The 

Operating Unit name identified in parentheses was the name of the Operating Unit at the time the 

interview was conducted. 

10 Providing NIST Supervisors with a Continuous Learning Program 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.2 NIST Leadership Survey 

Using information gathered from the interviews with NIST executives, we developed an electronic 

survey consisting of nine questions. The survey was intentionally brief to maximize the response rate 

(See Appendix D). 

During the period of June 7 to June 14, 2010, the group surveyed 373 supervisors, managers, and 

executives. Of those 373, 167 replied (a 46 % response rate) with 10 respondents requesting followup face-to-face interviews. 

2.2.1 Summary of the Respondents 

The respondents spanned the full range of responsibility and experience, with 20 being executives 

(e.g., OU Directors), 34 being managers (e.g., Division Chiefs) and 113 being supervisors (e.g., 

Group and Team Leaders). Figure 1 shows the breakdown of the NIST leaders who responded to the 

survey based upon their current leadership position and their time as a leader. 

Experience as a supervisor varied from less than 5 years to over 30 years, although the majority of 

respondents had fewer than five years of experience in their position. There is an interesting contrast 

between the leadership tenure distributions of the supervisors and those of the managers and 

executives. About half of the respondents from each of the latter groups had from 11 to 20 years of 

experience; people with 0 to 5 years experience accounted for less than 10 % of managers and 20 % 

of executives (see Figure 1). As expected, the managers and executives who responded tend to be the 

more experienced “veterans,” while the typical responding supervisors are relatively new to 

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BTNG 7 SSG Final Report 11 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.2.2 Results and Findings 

The figures presented here show values as calculated directly from the survey data. Where possible 

error analysis has been performed and the analysis, along with survey results with confidence 

intervals are given in Appendix I. 

Figure 2 is based upon the same data shown in Figure 1, but presents the data versus time in a 

supervisory role. This perspective provides a clear view of the leadership levels of those leaders with 

minimal time in experience compared to those leaders with significant time in experience. As is 

shown in Figure 1, Figure 2 clearly demonstrates that a majority of the new leaders are supervisors 

as compared to executives and managers. The distribution changes with increasing experience, so 

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12 Providing NIST Supervisors with a Continuous Learning Program 
 

 

 

 

The next series of figures address the responses to the third survey question: 

NIST provides leadership and management training that meets the needs of my position 

a) Strongly Agree 

b) Agree 

c) Neutral 

d) Disagree 

e) Strongly Disagree 

Figure 3 presents the overall responses to this third survey question regarding the leaders’ 

perceptions of how NIST provides the appropriate leadership and management training. It is evident 

that a majority of respondents (>64 %) are in agreement, at minimum, that NIST is meeting their 

needs in this training area. What is most noteworthy about this data is that ~14 % of the respondents 

disagreed or strongly disagreed that NIST was meeting their needs. 

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Figure 3: Overall Responses to the Third Survey Question 

BTNG 7 SSG Final Report 13 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 4 takes a deeper look at the data captured from the third survey question by breaking it out 

from a leadership perspective. This figure features three bars from 0 % to 100 % and details the 

percentages of each leadership group with respect to their level of agreement. For example, 0 % of 

executives strongly disagreed with the statement that NIST was meeting their training needs as 

stated in question 3, 16 % of executives disagreed, 37 % of executives were neutral in response, 47 

% of executives agreed, and 0 % of executives strongly agree. The manager and supervisor bars can 

be understood in a similar manner. Some interesting notes regarding this part of the data analysis 

are: 

•	 0 % of executives strongly agree that NIST is meeting their leadership and management 

training needs and nearly 16 % of executives disagreed that NIST was meeting their 

leadership and management training needs. 

•	 2 % of supervisors strongly disagreed that NIST is meeting their leadership and management 

training needs. This is surprising given that this group is composed of some of the most 

inexperienced personnel who are required to take specific managerial training classes. Of 

course, these managerial training classes are fresh in these supervisor’s minds and could have 

been insufficient to answer their incoming leadership questions. 

•	 More supervisors than managers and executives agreed or strongly agreed that NIST was 

meeting their leadership and management training needs. One way to explain this is that most 

supervisors are new leaders who have attended mandated training while managers and 

executives are typically experienced leaders who are not required to attend refresher training 

(as of the time of this study). Another way this could be explained is that since supervisors 

usually have less leadership experience than executives and managers, they are unaware of 

all of the necessary leadership skills they should possess in order to be effective. 

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Figure 4: Responses to the Third Survey Question Based Upon Leadership Position 

14 Providing NIST Supervisors with a Continuous Learning Program 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

Figure 5 takes the data collected from survey question three and now examines it from the 

perspective of a leader’s time in experience from which some trends emerge. 

•	 All of the respondents that strongly agree that NIST is meeting their training needs have less 

than 20 years experience as supervisors. 

•	 None of the leaders who have more than 20 years of experience either strongly agree or 

strongly disagree that NIST is meeting their training needs. 

•	 Over 72 % of those leaders with less than 5 years experience either agree or strongly agree 

that NIST is meeting their training needs. Note this percentage is the greatest as compared to 

other experience ranges. 

•	 As a leader’s experience increases, their agreement (or strong agreement) that NIST is 

meeting their training needs decreases, from 72 % with 0 to 5 years experience, to 40 % with 

30+ years experience. 

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BTNG 7 SSG Final Report 15 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The fourth question of the survey focuses on the core competencies that leaders feel they should 

possess in interacting with their direct reports and their peers (other managers): 

Please select UP TO FIVE (5) NIST Leadership Core Competencies below, that are most important 

for your effectiveness in working with your direct reports AND those most important for your 

effectiveness in working with other managers at NIST. 

a)	 Communication 

b)	 Conflict Management 

c)	 Delegation/Empowerment 

d)	 Flexibility/Adaptability 

e)	 Integrity/Honesty 

f)	 Leading Change 

g)	 Motivating Others 

h)	 Organizational Skills 

i)	 Problem Solving 

j)	 Service Motivation 

k)	 Strategic Development/Thinking 

Figure 6 presents the overall data captured from the responses to this fourth survey questions. Some 

interesting points of notes are: 

•	 Communication and Integrity/Honesty were viewed as important core competencies for 

interacting with both other managers and direct reports. 

•	 Leading Change and Problem Solving are viewed as equivalent (critically-speaking) 

competencies to possess for interacting with both other managers and direct reports yet they 

are not viewed as important as Communication and Integrity/Honesty. 

•	 Conflict Management was viewed as more important to possess when dealing with direct 

reports as compared to other managers. This makes sense considering that leaders are more 

often required to resolve conflicts occurring among their direct reports and are less likely to 

experience conflict among their peers. 

•	 Delegation/Empowerment and Motivating Others are more important when interacting with 

direct reports as compared to other managers. This also makes sense since a leader’s 

responsibilities may include tasking their direct reports. Leaders are unlikely to delegate to or 

motivate their fellow leaders, especially if they are on an equal playing field. Tasking could 

be done by the leaders above them or on their own. 

•	 Flexibility/Adaptability is viewed as more important to possess when interacting with other 

managers as compared to direct reports. One way to explain this difference is that leaders 

may feel less inclined to be flexible with their direct reports considering they are overseeing 

their work and assigning them responsibility whereas other managers are on more equal 

footing so compromise must exist at this level in order to accomplish mutual goals. 

•	 Strategic Development/Thinking is significantly viewed as more important for interacting 

with other managers as compared to direct reports. This makes sense given that strategic 

planning activities are more likely to occur with other leaders as compared to direct reports. 

16 Providing NIST Supervisors with a Continuous Learning Program 

 

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Figure 6: Overall Responses to the Fourth Survey Question 

BTNG 7 SSG Final Report 17 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 7 represents the data captured from the responses to the fifth survey question: 

Please select the leadership/management skills that you would like to develop...
 

a) Building Relationships
 

b) Change Management
 

c) Coaching/Mentoring
 

d) Communication
 

e) Conflict Management
 

f) Creating a Safe/Fear-Free Environment
 

g) Decision Making
 

h) Delegation/Empowerment
 

i) Managing Diverse Groups of People
 

j) Program Management
 

k) Strategic Planning/Development Thinking
 

l) Teambuilding
 

m) Time Management
 

Figure 7 shows which skills leaders would like to develop and which they would not. Those skills 

they feel do not need to be developed can be attributed either to the leader thinking they are not 

important or believing they are already competent in these areas. Specifically: 

•	 Strategic Planning and Developmental Thinking was the skill most leaders stated they would 

like to develop. This is a logical selection considering that leaders are faced with more 

strategic development assignments as they continue to climb the leadership ladder. 

•	 Conflict Management, Change Management, Time Management and Teambuilding were all 

seen as important skills (second to Strategic Planning) that leaders would like to be 

developed. 

•	 Surprisingly, Creating a Safe/Fear-Free Environment was not viewed as an important skill to 

develop. Either leaders felt they were already sustaining this type of work environment and 

thus they did not need any training with respect to this skill, or the other skills were far more 

important. It is also possible that the definition of this skill was unclear. 

18 Providing NIST Supervisors with a Continuous Learning Program 

 

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Figure 7: Overall Responses to the Fifth Survey Question 

BTNG 7 SSG Final Report 19 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 8 presents the data from the fifth survey question broken out by leadership position at NIST. 

Some results that stand out include: 

•	 Strategic Planning/Development Thinking is viewed as the greatest skill that is desired for 

development across executives, managers, and supervisors. 

•	 Managers and supervisors would like to spend more time developing their time management 

skills as compared to executives. 

•	 Teambuilding and Conflict Management are seen by executives as the most important 

(second to Strategic Planning) skills to develop. 

•	 Executives, managers, and supervisors all place low priority in Creating a Safe/Fear-Free 

Environment. 

•	 Aside from Strategic Planning, Communication is a skill that supervisors would most like to 

develop. 

•	 Executives do not highly rank Managing Diverse Groups of People as one of the skills they 

would like to develop. This is quite surprising considering executives lead at broader levels 

as compared to managers and supervisors. However, this could be countered by the notion 

that executives tend to have more leadership experience than managers and supervisors and 

may already feel they have a handle on this skill. 

20 Providing NIST Supervisors with a Continuous Learning Program 

 

Figure 8: Responses to the Fifth Survey Question based upon Leadership Position 

BTNG 7 SSG Final Report 

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21 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sixth survey question is listed below and attempts to ascertain those types of training that are 

preferred by NIST leaders: 

Please select all the types of training you prefer...
 

a) Classroom (Accredited Institute)
 

b) Coaching/Mentoring (Internal/External)
 

c) External Training (Conferences, Industry Visits, Academic)
 

d) In-House Training (NIST-Sponsored/Organized)
 

e) Off-Set Workshops/Sessions
 

f) On-the-Job/Acting Positions
 

g) Peer Groups (Discussions, Task Groups)
 

h) Rotational/Detail Assignments
 

i) Self-Study (Books, Web, Podcasts, CLC)
 

j) Seminars/Lectures (Internal/External)
 

Figure 9 presents the training type preferences of the NIST leaders based upon their responses to 

question six. Some insights that can be seen from the data include: 

•	 NIST leaders have a strong preference for In-House Training. One explanation for this 

preference is that this option may be viewed as time-efficient and/or cost-effective 

considering that the participants would not have to travel outside of campus. 

•	 Seminars/Lectures are another strongly preferred training type whether they are conducted 

internally or externally. A plausible explanation for the preference of internal seminars is that 

they are usually time-efficient and/or cost effective. However, a similar statement may not be 

applicable in explaining the preference of external seminars. Unfortunately, the captured 

survey data did not differentiate between internal vs. external so this preference type cannot 

be fully and reasonably explained. 

•	 Classroom and External Training were in the next tier of preferred training types. Both of 

these types are usually not cost-effective considering an attendance/participation fee must be 

paid and are seldom time-efficient since the attendee must travel to this activity (local or 

otherwise). One common benefit of these activities is that the off-site offering usually allows 

the attendee to break away from their NIST responsibilities for the time they are participating 

allowing them to focus on their training. Also, it can be reasonably stated that most personnel 

like to attend conferences, visit industrial sites, or participate in academic offerings because it 

is something of interest to them technically and/or professionally. 

•	 On-the-Job/Acting Positions and Rotational/Detail Assignments were least preferred. One 

way to explain this is that these positions by definition are temporary so it may be hard to get 

entirely comfortable considering the individual will have to return to their previous position 

or go somewhere else. 

22 Providing NIST Supervisors with a Continuous Learning Program 

 

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Figure 9: Overall Responses to the Sixth Survey Question 

BTNG 7 SSG Final Report 23 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 10 presents the data from the sixth survey question regarding preferred training types from 

the perspective of leadership position at NIST. The most interesting insights to be gleaned from the 

data include: 

•	 Managers and supervisors indicated a greater preference for In-House Training than 

executives. 

•	 Executives, managers, and supervisors equally (approximation) preferred Seminars/Lectures. 

•	 Executives saw greater value in Rotational/Detail Assignments than managers and 

supervisors. One plausible explanation is that most of the executives have probably had this 

type of training experience whereas the supervisors and managers may not have. 

•	 Executives saw more value in External Training than did managers and supervisors. This 

may also be a function of available expertise within NIST. Few organizations are large 

enough to have executive level training expertise within. In addition, there are opportunities 

to see how other organizations work and broaden one’s perspective by going outside to FEI 

or some other executive development program. Further, internal politics and possible 

embarrassment may make some executives reluctant to go through training with high level 

peers. 

24 Providing NIST Supervisors with a Continuous Learning Program 

 

Figure 10: Responses to the Sixth Survey Question Based Upon Leadership Position 

BTNG 7 SSG Final Report 

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25 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The last survey question discussed in this section asks the respondents which NIST functions to 

which they would like more exposure. Specifically, they were asked to: 

Please select all the NIST functions you would like to learn more about or receive training on... 

a) Acquisitions/Contracts 

b) Baldrige Program (BNQP) 

c) Employee Relations/Resources 

d) Facilities 

e) Finance/Budget 

f) Grants/Agreements 

g) Honorary and NIST Awards 

h) IT Security/Services 

i) Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) 

j) NIST Associates Program 

k) NIST's History and Mission 

l) NIST Role in the Political Environment 

m) NIST User Facilities (CNST, NCNR) 

n) Promotions 

o) Public Affairs and Media Relations 

p) Safety, Health, and Environment 

q) Standards Services 

r) Technical Operating Units/Laboratories 

s) Technology Partnerships 

t) Technology Innovation Program (TIP) 

u) Travel 

v) Workforce Management 

Figure 11 presents the overall results from this survey question. Note that this data was not broken 

out further by leadership level or time as a leader because the represented data would lose statistical 

significance due to the low number of responses. 

Some results that stand out include: 

•	 Acquisitions/Contracts, Employee Relations/Resources, Finance/Budget, NIST Role in the 

Political Environment, and Workforce Management stood out as being the NIST functions 

that a great of leaders would like to better understand. One plausible explanation is that the 

number of policies, rules, placement, and/or regulations within these areas are updated so 

frequently that it is hard for leaders to keep pace. 

•	 Programs and Centers, such as Baldrige, MEP, CNST, NCNR, and TIP were all seen as 

NIST functions that did not need to be explored further. 

•	 Safety, Health, and Environment was in the “middle of the pack” and did not rise to the top 

tier. This is probably because these topics are well served already. 

26 Providing NIST Supervisors with a Continuous Learning Program 
 


 

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Figure 11: Overall Responses to the Seventh Survey Question 

BTNG 7 SSG Final Report 27 
28 Providing NIST Supervisors with a Continuous Learning Program 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.2.3 Respondent Follow-Up Interviews 

In response to the final request at the end of the SSG survey, a few NIST leaders indicated that they 

would like to meet directly with representatives from the SSG. There were ten follow up interviews 

with nine supervisors and one manager from both technical and administrative backgrounds. 

The discussions focused on different topics, depending on the individual being interviewed and the 

training issues that were of greatest interest to them. In general the interviewees were very 

forthcoming and shared a lot of information with us during the interviews. A summary of those 

discussions is below. 

Again, a majority of the follow-up interviewees emphasized their support for LED programs, and 

many had direct experience with NLP, in particular. There were several comments by interviewees 

regarding their positive experiences in the program with people across NIST who were also in the 

program, allowing them to network and develop connections that they still use today. In addition to 

the LED program experiences for current management training, several interviewees mentioned the 

value of a having a diverse management structure, with rotating team leads. It was pointed out that 

this allows staff to experience some level of leadership in an informal setting, and gives a chance to 

develop an interest in developing more formal management skills. 

Specific training needs that were mentioned included the following: 

•	 Effective communication, especially to support improved customer service 

•	 Conflict management 

•	 Change management 

•	 Finance/budget, especially how to submit initiatives and how to obtain additional funding 

•	 Performance plans 

•	 Strategic planning, especially to counteract NIST’s tendency to be reactive rather than 

proactive 

Two of the interviewees mentioned the disconnection between the technical and administrative staff, 

and the need to bridge the two environments in a positive way. 

There were several recommendations for training delivery and other specific suggestions to support 

managers and supervisors. A common theme during the interviews was the need for NIST to offer 

diverse tools to provide refresher training to meet the needs of different operating units, including 

CLC, seminars, discussion groups, self learning, and traditional courses. The interviewees 

emphasized that the training must be relevant to the OU leaders’ needs to obtain buy-in from NIST 

managers. As a result, it is important to have various options so that the individual would be able to 

choose what relates to them. 

An interesting add-on suggestion to the traditional courses was to follow up a traditional classroomtype course with a discussion group, preferably led by a subject matter expert who could answer 

questions and allow follow-on discussion of the material after some time has passed since the class 

(to let the material “sink in”). 

BTNG 7 SSG Final Report 29 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In addition to the more traditional training delivery, there were suggestions provided on 

“continuous” training, based on the experiences of those who had participated in the NLP. These 

included: 

•	 Establishing peer groups, discussion groups, or buddy systems (i.e., pairing experienced 

managers with new managers) with the idea of creating a support system for dealing with 

common issues from different perspectives 

•	 Expanding the NLP Capstone project using a Share Site that includes sections for a book 

club, discussions, “leadership-pedia,” and best practices. 

2.3 Current NIST and DOC Training Activities 

NIST Leadership and Employee Development and other NIST offices provide various training 

sessions. Some of these sessions are required annual training while for others, employees volunteer 

to participate or are nominated by their supervisors. 

The current available NIST Leadership Development Training Opportunities at NIST are as follows: 

Managerial Survival Skills 

All supervisors/managers new to NIST or new to the Leadership Role are required to attend this 

week-long training. The workshop is conducted by external and internal trainers and covers the 

following topics to assimilate new managers/supervisors into their roles: 

•	 Leadership Skills for New Supervisors 

o	 External Training – Mac Bogert, Benchmark Training 

•	 Classification, Staffing, Pay and Leave Administration, Employee Relations, Employee 

Assistance Program (EAP) 

o	 Internal Training – NIST HR staff and EAP staff 

•	 Safety, Acquisitions, Leadership/Employee Development 

o	 Internal Training – NIST Safety Office, HR/LED, Acquisitions Roadshow given by 

senior Acquisition Management Division staff 

•	 NIST Budget Process, Legal Do’s and Don’ts, Freedom of Information Act, 

Records/Paperwork Reduction 

o	 Internal Training – NIST Budget Office, Legal Office, Management and Organization 

Office 

•	 Civil Rights Program 

o	 Internal Training – NIST Civil Rights and Diversity Office Staff 

•	 Equal Employment Opportunities/Sexual Harassment/Diversity 

o External Training – Mauricio Velásquez, The Diversity Training Group 

Division Chief Round Table Discussion 

This continuous learning opportunity is currently in development and will consist of facilitated 

conversations on topics of practical interest to Division Chiefs. Monthly topics will be selected 

based on Division Chief input. The target audience is those whose official position is Division Chief. 

30 Providing NIST Supervisors with a Continuous Learning Program 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

The discussions will be held the first Tuesday of each month from 11:30 am – 1 pm EST. Meetings 

will usually be held in the NIST Heritage Room in Building 101/Gaithersburg. Initially, participation 

will be on-site in Gaithersburg only. VTC/audio capability will be provided in the near future once 

meeting logistics are worked out. Boulder Division Chiefs are urged to participate in Gaithersburg if 

plans and travel schedules permit. 

Many NIST-specific, Department of Commerce, and other various on-line courses are available in 

the Commerce Learning Center (http://learning.doc.gov). 

Annual Mandatory Training 

This training include requirements such as IT Security, Annual Ethics Training for Managers, 

Security Clearance Training, and annual Safety Training based on an employee’s job requirements. 

These sessions are arranged and conducted by the various NIST offices involved. 

In addition to the mandated training sessions, NIST Leadership and Employee Development Office 

offers a New Leader Program (NLP) and a Building the Next Generation Program (BTNG) – 

thourhg which this report originated. Table 1 provides a description and comparison of the two 

programs. 

In addition, through the Department of Commerce, there are other programs: 

1.	 Aspiring Leaders Development Program (ALDP) – designed to provide a series of 

experiences that will develop leadership competencies. 

2.	 Careers in Motion – improves skills and increase the mobility of employees for potential 

advancement to higher levels 

3.	 Executive Leadership Development Program (ELDP) – designed for high-potential 

employees at the GS-13 and GS-14 levels or equivalent whose career plans include moving 

into upper management positions. 

4.	 Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) Certificate Program – a 

comprehensive management succession program for developing future managers and agency 

leadership. 

5.	 Commerce Mentoring Program – offering mentoring informally as well as formally 

Mentees observe, question, and explore. Mentors demonstrate, explain, and model. 

6.	 Administrative Professional Certificate Program (APCP) Building Bridges – provides 

the opportunity to assess developmental strengths and needs of administrative and technical 

support staff at the GS-2 through GS-8 levels or equivalent, provides the opportunity to 

assess developmental strengths and needs in relation to the outlined program curriculum; and 

is designed to build a cadre of highly skilled and knowledgeable support staff posed to 

provide administrative and technical expertise in the accomplishment of the work performed 

throughout the organization. 

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Program 

Feature 

Building the Next Generation 

(BTNG) New Leader Program (NLP) 

Purpose 

Develop the skills to support 

transition from individual contributor 

to leadership role 

Provide managers with necessary 

support and skills to be effective 

NIST leaders 

Target Audience 

NIST employees who have not held a 

formal leadership position but would 

like to develop skills to lead others 

NIST leaders who have been 

formally supervising others (e.g., 

group leaders) for three years or 

less and would benefit from 

training in leadership 

Program Length One year One year 

Competency/ 

Preference 

Assessments 

360 ̊ leadership competency 

assessment (self, boss, peers, 

customers if relevant) at start and 

end of program; self awareness 

assessments throughout year 

360 ̊ leadership competency 

assessment also includes direct 

reports; also complete other self 

assessments throughout year 

Initial 

Leadership 

Training Course 

(5 days) 

Focuses on identifying current 

leadership strengths and 

improvement areas, understanding 

one’s impact on others, leadership 

theory and practice, group/team 

dynamics, conflict resolution, and 

communication skills. 

Currently conducted in Gaithersburg, 

MD 

In addition to identifying strengths 

and improvement areas: 

• focuses on creating a 

flexible leadership style 

• identifying personal styles/ 

preferences 

• the benefits of differences 

• leveraging groups to solve 

problems and accomplish 

work 

• strategic planning. 

Currently conducted in 

Gettysburg, PA 

32 Providing NIST Supervisors with a Continuous Learning Program 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

Program 

Feature 

Building the Next Generation 

(BTNG) New Leader Program (NLP) 

Core 

Components 

• Monthly 3-hour leadership 

seminars; specific topics 

tailored to needs of the class 

• One-day leadership training 

and graduation 

• Design and execution of a 

leadership development plan 

based on 360 ̊ assessment, 

career interests, and elective 

components of BTNG 

• Monthly 3-hour cohort 

sessions; half the time is 

spent discussing a 

leadership topic tailored to 

needs of class. Second 

half is open discussion on 

leadership successes, 

challenges, tips, etc. 

• Leadership coaching 

• Capstone project: work 

with NLP colleagues to 

accomplish task 

• Two-day leadership 

training and graduation 

• Design and execution of a 

leadership development 

plan based on 

360 ̊assessment 

Elective 

Components 

Identify at least one learning 

opportunity, typically two: 

• Special Study group: work 

with BTNG colleagues on 

important, NIST-wide issue 

with executive sponsor 

• Mentoring 

• Developmental assignment(s) 

• “In lieu of” leadership training 

Based on leadership 

development plan, on-the-job 

activities, and other learning 

opportunities identified in 

development plan; competencyspecific. 

Table 1: NIST New Leader Program (NLP) and Building the Next Generation (BTNG) 

BTNG 7 SSG Final Report 33 
34 Providing NIST Supervisors with a Continuous Learning Program 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3 External Data Gathering 

In the second and final phase of the project, we extended our data gathering to NIST-comparable 

organizations. Questions were asked as to whether they require refresher training for their 

managers/supervisors, and the topics that this training included (See Appendix E). The survey was 

sent out via emails and followed up where appropriate with personal contact. 

3.1 Survey of NIST-comparable Organizations 

This survey included government organizations, our counterpart national metrology institutes 

(NMIs), and some private sector companies. By and large, the private sector companies were not 

willing to volunteer information on their training methods, presumably because they consider them 

proprietary. However, we did obtain a number of responses from our counterpart NMIs and other 

government agencies, and three responses from private sector companies. This information, which is 

summarized below, is supplemented by information taken from a 2007 report from the Annenberg 

Leadership Institute2 (Appendices F and G). 

3.1.1 Summaries of Organizations Surveyed 

3.1.1.1 Counterpart National Metrology Institutes and International Organizations 

Five NMIs and an International Organization responded to the request for information: 

• Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) 

• Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) 

• National Research Council Canada (NRC Canada) 

• National Metrology Institute – Australia (NMI-Australia) 

• Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) 

• Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM) 

All of the NMIs apart from BIPM (which takes its staff on detail from elsewhere) require some kind 

of leadership or management training for new managers. None of the NMIs currently require 

continuous learning or training on leadership or management, though two require needs-based 

training (which may be leadership development) centered on an individual’s performance plan. Of 

those two, one requires at least 50 hours of training annually. One NMI used to have a 

comprehensive multi-year training program for managers; however, since most managers have now 

taken the program it has been suspended. 

2 Thompson, D. J. (2007). Training Supervisors to be Leaders - A Missing Element in Efforts to 

Improve Federal Performance. University of Illinois at Chicago: Annenberg Leadership Institute. 

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3.1.1.2 US Federal Agencies 

Five US federal agencies responded to the request for information: 

• Internal Revenue Service (IRS) 

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 

• Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) 

• US Marshals Service 

• US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) 

In summary, only one of the federal agencies that responded currently has any mandated continuous 

learning requirement for manager or supervisors. However, three have well-developed leadership 

and management training provisions which are either optional or apply to new managers and 

supervisors. 

At NRL, refresher training is required, however there is no exact requirement, and it appears that the 

topics can be chosen by the supervisor/manager. 

USPTO has no mandatory refresher training. However, a large selection of courses are available, 

drawn from their Supervisory Resource Center (SRC), the CLC, and instructor-led courses. 

IRS has an extensive leadership curriculum, from a front-line leader readiness program to their 

executive curriculum. However, it does not appear to require current managers to take refresher 

training, as long as they are remaining in the same position. 

The US Marshals Service has no formal refresher training requirement for managers/supervisors at 

this time. As supervisors are promoted to Chiefs, there is mandatory requirement of attendance at 

Chiefs Development, which is not considered refresher. 

NASA has an extensive leader and management development program, with detailed descriptions of 

competencies required at each level of managerial responsibility. 

3.1.1.3 Private Sector Companies 

Three private sector companies responded to the request for information: 

• Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. 

• Lonza 

• Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory 

All of the private sector companies that responded have only a requirement for initial training of 

supervisors and managers. All three companies offer the possibility of additional management 

training; however, it is not required training. None require refresher training or continuous learning 

other than for compliance with agency-mandated training, such as for safety, prevention of sexual 

harassment, etc. 

36 Providing NIST Supervisors with a Continuous Learning Program 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.1.2 Training Delivery 

3.1.2.1 Counterpart National Metrology Institutes (NMIs) 

All of the NMIs used multiple methods of training, including: 

• Classroom (Accredited Institute) 

• Coaching/Mentoring (Internal/External) 

• External Training (Conferences, Industry Visits, Academic Courses), 

• In-House Training 

• Off-Site Workshops/Sessions 

• On-the-Job/Acting Positions 

• Peer Groups (Discussions, Task Groups) 

• Rotational/Detail Assignments 

• Self-Study (Books, Web, PodCasts) 

• Seminars/Lectures (Internal/External) 

Three of the NMIs do not use rotational/detail assignments; one does not use self-study as a formal 

part of their training; one noted that they use 360° assessments to support development of a learning 

plan; one noted that they do the bulk of their training in-house; and one does not use 

coaching/mentoring or off-site workshops. 

3.1.2.2 US Federal Agencies 

As with the NMIs, the federal agencies employ multiple methods to deliver training, whether 

mandatory or optional. 

NRL noted that they deliver a majority of their refresher training on-line. They also use most of the 

other methods that we listed with the exception of on the job/acting positions, rotational/detail 

assignments, and peer groups. 

USPTO does not appear to utilize peer groups or seminars/lectures, but does use the remainder of the 

methods in the survey. They note that they have an on-line tool for their refresher training, 

Supervisory Center, and also employ courses through the Commerce Learning Center, and use 

voluntary instructor-led courses. 

IRS has continual learning and development through on-line courses through a tool called SkillPort. 

In addition, their preparatory management programs (not to be confused with any refresher courses) 

include classroom, shadowing, and acting assignments, and often a peer coach. 

NASA’s Leadership and Management Development Program courses have been developed in-house. 

They are for the most part five-day courses held at NASA's Management Education Center, Wallops 

Island, Virginia. The courses included instructional activities, feedback from peers and subordinates, 

small group activities, lectures, and videotaped discussions. In addition to the formal courses, NASA 

provides a web-based resource center with a database for developing leadership skills. The database 

includes both NASA and non-NASA training courses, books and articles, and experiences such as 

leading a specific type of group. 

BTNG 7 SSG Final Report 37 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other US Federal Agencies provide on-line training resources, such as the US Department of 

Agriculture (USDA) Graduate School (http://www.graduateschool.edu), Health and Human Services 

(HHS) University (http://learning.hss.gov), and the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) 

(http://www.leadership.opm.gov). These on-line resources are available for all levels of management 

and supervisors. 

3.1.2.3 Private Sector Companies 

In the private sector companies that responded, emphasis was on on-line tools and in-house training. 

One of the companies additionally employs teleconferences and one has external certification of 

their in-house program. 

3.1.3 Training Topics 

For most respondents, the training topics mentioned were similar to the example list we provided: 

• Building Relationships 

• Change Management 

• Coaching/Mentoring 

• Communication 

• Conflict Management 

• Creating a Safe/Fear-Free Environment 

• Decision Making 

• Delegation/Empowerment 

• Managing Diverse Groups of People 

• Program Management 

• Strategic Planning/Development/Thinking 

• Teambuilding 

• Time Management 

3.1.3.1 Counterpart National Metrology Institutes (NMIs) 

Of the listed training topics, the least represented in the NMIs were delegation/empowerment, 

creating a safe environment, and change management. One of the respondents noted that in addition 

to all the topics listed, that NMI provides training in personnel legal matters (employment rules, 

performance evaluation, etc.) as well as on internal management procedures. 

3.1.3.2 US Federal Agencies 

USPTO includes all of the mentioned topics in their optional training. 

The US Marshals Service did not specifically mention any topics; they only have a course “Chiefs 

Development” when supervisors are promoted to Chiefs. 

38 Providing NIST Supervisors with a Continuous Learning Program 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

IRS appears to cover most of the above topics in their varied curricula; however, none is mandatory 

for current managers staying in position. 

In addition to the topics listed above, NRL also offers drug-free workplace training, basic injury 

compensation training, Lean Six Sigma, and Privacy Act information. 

The NASA Leadership and Management Development Program courses have been developed inhouse, and include: Business Education Program; Leading Through Influence; Leadership 

Alignment for Managers; Practical HR Solutions for Supervisors; and Leading through Effective 

Communication. 

In addition to the five respondents, the table of information given in Appendix H has one line 

surveying for “Experienced Supervisors.” The only agencies identified as having mandatory 

continuous learning requirements were Drug Enforcement Agency, Homeland Security, Defense 

Logistics Agency, National Security Agency and US Department of State. Optional training was 

listed for Coast Guard (civilian), Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, 

US Government Accountability Office, Internal Revenue Service, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 

and US Marshals Service. 

There were numerous interesting quotes from the Annenberg Leadership Institute report even though 

the topic was on training for new managers. In a 2003 report3

, the National Academy of Public 

Administration (NAPA) summarized comments by focus group participants on the “perceived 

environment and current skill base” of federal managers and supervisors. This research found that 

first-line supervisors too often: 

• Lack communications skills, both written and oral 

• Lack team-building skills 

• Have general technical knowledge 

• Are not chosen for their people skills 

• Are not well trained in supervision 

• Do not know how to deal with people issues and lack sensitivity 

• Lack listening skills 

• Receive minimal and dated supervisory training 

• Lack the resources and time for development. 

The Annenberg report notes that one reason for these apparent problems is the tendency of agencies 

to select supervisors based on their technical expertise rather than leadership skills. The report also 

identifies six agencies that do a good job providing leadership/soft skills training to first-line 

supervisors: Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, the Internal Revenue 

Service, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Government Accountability Office, and the 

Defense Logistics Agency. 

3 National Academy of Public Administration (2003) First Line Supervisors in Federal Service: 

Selection, Development, and Management. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. 

BTNG 7 SSG Final Report 39 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.1.3.3 Private Sector Companies 

The private companies that responded all include the listed topics, with the exception of program 

management and strategic planning. 

3.2 Survey of Training Providers 

In addition to surveying NIST-comparable organizations, the group surveyed training providers 

currently used by NIST as well as those identified by the external organizations and companies 

surveyed. These are examples of the types of training resources available to build a leadership and 

management refresher training program. 

3.2.1 Summaries of Training Providers Surveyed 

The following is a sampling of information compiled by the Special Study Group . These providers 

each have experience with training Federal employees; some have experience training NIST 

employees. This listing is intended to indicate the range of provider options available (and currently 

being used by NIST) and is not a recommendation of these providers, nor is it a comprehensive list. 

OPM - FEI - The Leadership Journey: How Great Leaders are Made 

The US Office of Personnel Management provides a leadership resource for Federal Government 

known as the Federal Executive Institute (FEI). FEI is a Federal Government organization that is 

staffed with program directors, seminar leaders, and facilitators from external training professionals. 

FEI courses are delivered at their Management Development Centers (MDC) located in Virginia, 

West Virginia, and Colorado. FEI can provide sessions at either the MDCs or on-site. 

OPM’s FEI provides programs for first line supervisors through the Senior Executive Service (SES). 

They provide a program called “Core Leadership Curriculum” specifically designed for a leader in 

the various stages of his/her career; such as, individual leader, team leader, supervisor, manager, and 

executive. The curriculum offers classes that build on each other throughout the various stages. 

Additionally, FEI offers continuing education for federal leaders through a variety of degree and 

certificate programs, such as, the Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) Certificate, 

Executive Masters in Public Administration, and individual academic credits. 

PAF Consulting - Paula Anderson-Findley 

Paula Anderson-Findley has worked as an executive member of a leading international company, 

overseen the implementation of company-wide, team-based strategic plans, developed and managed 

training programs, and taught undergraduate studies in business. 

She is the co-author of a book on quality service and executive coaching, “Changing Behavior, 

Creating New Habits.” She received her M.B.A. from the University of Miami, is a certified NeuroLinguistic Programming (NLP) Master Practitioner and Trainer, and is a qualified administrator of 

the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. 

40 Providing NIST Supervisors with a Continuous Learning Program 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She is the facilitator of the NIST BTNG Fundamental Leadership Course which is a week-long offsite introduction for every new BTNG class and she has also contributed to the NIST NLP. Thus, 

she has a thorough knowledge of the NIST culture and can tailor her instruction to that culture. 

Berney Associates - Dr. Liz Berney 

Dr. Berney is President of Berney Associates, a training and organization development firm. Dr. 

Berney is a consultant, trainer, public speaker, and coach in the areas of: change management, 

conflict management, interests-based negotiation, customer service, team development, leadership 

development, stress and time management, organizational learning, managing challenging 

personalities and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. 

Dr. Berney’s methodology for training sessions are highly interactive -- using skill practices, cases 

tailored to NIST, self assessments, film clips, small and large group activities, and discussions. She 

has taught conflict management at NIST for at least 10 years, worked with an internal committee to 

develop a Mentoring Program, designed and delivered over eight skill-based trainings for the 

Mentoring Program, worked with senior team on negotiation, conflict and Myers-Briggs, and 

worked with the Baldrige Program on conflict and teams. 

Benchmark Training – John Gorman 

Benchmark focuses on helping government agencies and corporations meet their executive and 

employee development needs through state-of-the-art training and executive coaching programs. Mr. 

Gorman specializes in training programs such as: building relationships; change management; 

coaching/mentoring; communication; conflict management; decision making; 

delegation/empowerment; managing diverse groups of people; teambuilding; strategic 

planning/development/thinking; and time management. Mr. Gorman offers a variety of training 

delivery methods such as: coaching/mentoring (Internal/External); external training (Conferences, 

Industry Visits, Academic); In-house Training (NIST-Sponsored/Organized); Off-site 

Workshops/Sessions; Self-study (Books, Web, PodCasts, CLC); Seminars/Lectures 

(Internal/External); and Business Simulations. 

Benchmark Training has taught leadership skills for new supervisors at the Managerial Survival 

Skills Sessions for new leaders at NIST. 

Zeisler Associates, Inc. - A Program for High Potential Managers - Steven Zeisler 

Steven Zeisler is founder and Director of Zeisler Associates, Inc. an international consulting and 

development firm that helps enterprises innovate. Mr. Zeisler has advised leading Fortune 500 

corporations, private firms, public institutions, city councils, and universities throughout the world. 

Additionally, Mr. Zeisler has successfully served in consulting capacities, executive coaching roles, 

has facilitated the transformation of senior teams, and conducted a variety of training and 

development workshops. 

Mr. Zeisler’s efforts have helped clients to rethink the ways their business systems and organizations 

operate, and have triggered breakthrough developments in virtually all corporate functions worth 

hundreds of millions of dollars. Zeisler's consulting expertise includes creativity and innovation, 

BTNG 7 SSG Final Report 41 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

organizational climate, entrepreneurship, individual, team and leadership development, change, and 

customer focus. 

Mr. Zeisler is a frequent instructor at NIST. 

Fancine Lanar & Associates, Inc. 

Fancine Lanar & Associates specialize in provide meeting facilitation, conduct leadership and 

communication training, assist with organizational consulting services, and facilitating teambuilding 

exercises.Ms. Lanar’s team actively involve participants in workshops and retreats, that results in 

attendees receiving new acquired skills, knowledge, and insights that are later applied in their 

individual positions. 

The group has worked with private industry, government agencies, military units, and with nonprofit groups. 

Donald Swenholt & Associates, Inc. 

Mr. Swenholt delivers seminars for Government and industry nationwide and abroad. He provides 

facilitation services for meetings and retreats. He provides executive coaching for leaders in the 

public and private sectors. He also tackles special communications projects for his customers, from 

creating global web-based training programs to leading team retreats. In addition, Mr. Swenholt 

serves as a guest instructor at The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and is a 

frequent instructor at NIST on effective communication. 

Management Concepts, Inc. 

Management Concepts, Inc. (MCI) is a private consulting and training firm that focuses on an 

individual approach to organizational achievement through training courses, custom learning and 

development, and professional services and publications. MCI has worked with every major agency 

in the Federal Government. 

MCI offers training courses, certificate programs, college and continuing education credits, 

professional certifications, custom learning and development, and professional consulting services in 

the following areas: 

• Acquisition & Contracting 

• Analytics 

• Business Analysis 

• Federal Financial Management and Federal Managers Practicum 

• Grants & Assistance 

• Leadership 

• Management 

• Professional Skills 

• Project Management. 

42 Providing NIST Supervisors with a Continuous Learning Program 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MCI is a provider of training and services to NIST. NIST Acquisition Management Division 

currently contracts and collaborates with MCI to offer individual training courses required for their 

acquisition staff to be Federal Acquisition Contracting – Civilian (FAC-C) Certified up to Level 3 

and associated continuing educations credits for them to maintain their FAC-C certifications. NIST 

technical staff in operating units across NIST, have also utilized MCI to provide them with the 

courses and credits necessary to receive and maintain the FAC-C Contracting Officer’s Technical 

Representative (COTR) certifications that are required for them to be appointed COTRs on contracts 

critical to NIST’s mission and core values. 

3.2.2 Training Provider Conclusions 

The provider statements show that, because of NIST’s proximity to Washington, D.C. there exists a 

broad set of training resources focused on the Federal Government from which NIST can draw to 

implement refresher training. These resources range in size from single-person consulting firms to 

large entities such as OPM. Some suppliers provide coaching and seminars only, while others offer 

more extensive programs that allow students to be accredited or receive college credit. Some do 

purely on-site work, while others facilitate retreats or other off-site training. 

The statements show that the training providers profiled are experienced at providing training within 

the context of the unique environment of a Federal agency. It is also important to note that NIST has 

access to an “in-house” resource in the form of OPM itself, which may also be useful in devising and 

implementing a refresher training curriculum. 

The Special Study Group finds that instructors with knowledge of the Federal government 

environment, and of the NIST culture in particular, are critical for effective training. Off-the-shelf 

training may contain elements that are not appropriate for NIST staff, for example, in the areas of 

sales or lobbying. Instructors that have not worked with NIST before should be made fully aware of 

the NIST culture, history, and mission so that they can tailor their coursework to our needs. 

BTNG 7 SSG Final Report 43 
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4 Observations and Recommendations 

The BTNG7 special study group has documented the results of surveys of NIST management and 

supervisors, interviews with OU Directors, and collected data on existing programs, both at NIST 

and DOC, at other agencies in the Federal Government, at counterpart national metrology institutes, 

and private industry. This presented us with a diversity of information upon which to make our 

recommendations to start to structure a program of manager/supervisor refresher training sufficient 

to meet the new OPM mandate. 

4.1 Observations

NIST is not alone in lacking mandatory refresher training for managers and supervisors; most of the 

outside organizations that we surveyed also do not have such training, or like us, are just starting to 

plan such a program. What we found, however, is that some of the organizations we surveyed have a 

wide variety of possible training areas and delivery methods available to their managers and 

supervisors, most of which are currently taken by choice. We focused on these organizations in 

developing our recommendations. 

Within NIST, there was some variation of views of the NIST Managers and Supervisors who were 

surveyed, but the survey found that a subset of areas were identified as both being key to job 

performance and areas that should be emphasized in training. These areas are usually considered to 

be soft skills or “people skills” such as communication, conflict management, change management, 

and team building. This need for training/support in development of “people skills” also came out in 

the interviews with the OU Directors. This view is supported by the recent NAPA report [NAPA, 

2003], which notes that federal managers are often not chosen for people skills, but for their 

technical knowledge. Our interviews showed that there is a perception that this is true at NIST, with 

technical skills being valued over “soft skills”. 

There are general topics on NIST operational functions that managers and supervisors would like to 

have included so that managers have better understanding of the procedures they need to follow to 

allow their subordinates to do their work effectively, especially since these administrative 

procedures routinely change. These courses ideally would include information on the following 

topics: acquisitions/contracts; employee relations/resources; finance/budget; NIST’s role in the 

political environment; and workforce management. Another important topic for training was 

strategic planning/developmental thinking and NIST’s mission and history. 

Some of the OU Director interviews revealed a desire for “just-in-time” training that could be 

delivered to NIST staff immediately prior to their participation in an uncommon but high-impact 

event. Examples of such an event include: changes to administrative policy; an interview with 

journalists; making a presentation to visiting Congressional staff; and appearing before a House or 

Senate committee to give testimony. 

Most of the outside organizations that we surveyed indicated that they offer training in similar topic 

areas as we listed in our surveys, with some interesting additions. Two topics mentioned in one of 

the private sector organizations’ responses, but missing from the topics in our NIST survey 

responses, was “effective recruitment and interviewing,” as well as “entrance-on-duty and training.” 

These are two topics that one might expect would involve only NIST’s Office of Workforce 

Management; however, since existing managers and supervisors will be increasingly called upon to 

BTNG 7 SSG Final Report 45 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

assist with recruitment and interviewing, development of these skills would be useful. In addition, 

since proper orientation and training of new employees is also increasingly stressed (from the 

orientation point of view, as well as safety aspects), having training on expectation/requirements 

from managers to new employees would also be useful. 

In summary, there needs to be a choice and variety of topics and methods of delivery to meet the 

mandatory refresher training requirement in order to satisfy individual operating units and individual 

manager/supervisor needs. 

It would make sense to have these courses and/or training sessions in the NIST LED, and be 

connected, if not directly with a self-assessment or 360° assessment, at least with an open discussion 

between manager/supervisor and their direct supervisor on what topic/training would be beneficial. 

On training delivery methods, on the basis of the responses, no one method of delivery would be an 

exact fit to all situations, suggesting that a variety of delivery methods for the refresher should be 

made available. In terms of the NIST surveys, there was a preference given to in-house training and 

seminars/lectures. However, there was support for other types of delivery, so these should not be 

overlooked in structuring a robust, diverse refresher training program that can appeal to and be 

useful to managers and supervisors. 

It should be noted again that DOC already has a number of programs that support leadership 

development, although not targeting refresher training. Many of the existing leadership education 

and development courses already contain the topics that existing managers and supervisors have 

identified as skills to be developed. It would seem possible to use similar delivery 

sources/vendors/topic leaders for some of the development and refresher topics, so not as to start 

from scratch. Examples of some of the overlap topics are new pathways/aspiring leaders program 

with communication; conflict management customer service, problem solving and team building; 

executive leadership development program, leading change, leading people, building coalitions 

(team-building), and communications. 

NIST has used the New Leaders Program (NLP) to help new managers become acclimated to their 

new duties and help them to build the skills that they need to lead technical teams. NIST has 

extended this training to non-supervisors with the Building the Next Generation (BTNG) program. 

The BTNG program is designed to improve the participants’ abilities to work effectively in teams 

and to assume leadership roles within NIST, either as supervisors or more informally as team 

leaders. These courses can form the nucleus of a refresher training curriculum. 

NIST has a mechanism for managing the training programs of individual supervisors. The use of 

Individual Development Plans (IDPs) was instituted at NIST after the 1998 report on leader 

development, but IDPs no longer appear to be in much use. Since this is an existing, albeit little-used 

resource, it may be valuable to reintroduce it as a tool for coordinating refresher training. 

Through our on-line searching, we found three very different approaches to manager training at 

USPTO, through their on-line tool, Supervisory Center; at NASA’s Leadership and Management 

Development Courses held at the NASA Management Education Center at Wallops Island, Virginia; 

and at the Manager Excellence Resource Center (MERC), which is a site maintained by the Learning 

and Development Roundtable (L&DR). These approaches have been found to be very successful, so 

both a self-study approach and training off-site should be considered as options for NIST training, 

although this type of training did not come up as a top preference in the NIST survey. 

46 Providing NIST Supervisors with a Continuous Learning Program 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

NIST may want to consider implementing a social networking site for NIST employees, such as 

Facebook and Linked In. NASA has implemented an internal social networking site called 

Spacebook. This internal social network among NASA employees allows new and established staff 

to get to know the agency’s diverse community of scientists, engineers, project managers, and 

support personnel. Spacebook was driven by a need to improve teamwork, communication, and 

access to information across NASA’s diverse projects and centers. NIST and its employees would 

benefit from having a similar private internal social network site to foster scientific teamwork, 

communications, and collaborations. OWM, LED could respond to the OPM mandate specifically 

by utilizing an internal network to engage with managers and staff on different types of training 

tools, events, resources, courses, programs, and vendors. The possibilities could be endless if the 

NIST staff had a means to be connected to one another. 

This work is not the first examination of leadership and management needs at NIST. A previous 

study was performed and a report presented in 19984. There are similarities between the 1998 and 

this report. Both reports identify that there is a requirement and a desire to provide an improved and 

continuous leadership and management program. As a result of the 1998 report, the Leadership and 

Employee Development Group (LED) was established. To date, the LED has provided a majority of 

the leadership training opportunities through the NLP and BTNG programs. 

Additional similarities between the reports exist with respect to training needs and methods of 

training delivery. Both reports find that those surveyed at NIST prefer delivery of training to be in 

the form of in-house training and management seminars. Additionally, both reports point out specific 

leadership skills that should be fully developed, in particular strategic planning, communication, and 

conflict management. 

As both reports point out, there is a culture and audience at NIST that values leadership skills and 

abilities. This should provide a base of managers and supervisors who are ready to accept enhanced 

training opportunities. 

4.2 Recommendations

Based on the information that the Special Study Group has gathered, we make the following 

recommendations: 

1.	 There should be choices built into the mandatory refresher training for managers and 

supervisors. We suggest a tiered approach as shown in Figure 12, with the level of 

responsibility for administering delivery shown. The first tier (Tier I) consists of training that 

emphasizes soft skills (or people skills) that all of the surveyed managers agree are 

important. Tier I training also covers NIST function such as acquisitions, working with the 

Office of Workforce Management (OWM), and preparing budgets. The Tier II training 

includes just-in-time training to prepare managers for an imminent event whose outcome has 

4 *$(2$-`!B/`! >55_759`!6/`!N5F2$-`! L/`!Z,93F$-_$-`! >/`! a,%_$-`! M/`! L$*,8$`!B/`!E,.25-`!T/`!N,-,?`!Q/`!

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DA*E`!4,('?$-7R&-8`!TB`!D5)$+R$-!:K`!0IIG<

BTNG 7 SSG Final Report 47 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the potential to impact NIST in a significant way. This training would not necessarily be 

associated with the manager’s performance plan, but would allow managers the flexibility to 

do quick skill-building to maximize their effectiveness when dealing with unplanned highprofile events. The Tier III training includes more courses and areas of study directly relating 

to the needs of individual managers. Tier III training courses may be taken as “electives,” but 

still count towards the mandatory refresher training. 

Figure 12 Graphical Representation of the Proposed Tiered Training Structure 

2.	 We have no consensus on the exact amount of refresher training that is needed per year, 

though the OPM requirement of training every three years needs to be met. Part of the 

problem is that each OU has different expectations regarding how much training is 

appropriate. Some OUs already involve their managers in annual refresher training that lasts 

for up to five days, while others have indicated a preference for far less frequent training. A 

possible solution would be to have the OUs within each of NIST’s three directorates reach a 

consensus on the frequency and duration of Tier I refresher training within their own 

directorate. Tier II and Tier III training schedules and requirements could be left to the 

discretion of the individual OUs. This would give OUs a degree of independence and the 

ability to tailor training to their own needs while ensuring that all NIST managers who fall 

into a certain category (laboratory programs, innovation and industry services, or 

management resources) have a common basic skill set. It would also allow managers from 

different OUs to train together to gain exposure to people from other areas of NIST, as was 

suggested in the OU Director interviews. We encourage the NIST Director’s office to assist 

and encourage the OUs within each of these three areas to devise a common Tier I program 

while allowing them the freedom to add what Tier II and Tier III training they desire, even if 

they decide that this amount should be zero. 

3.	 The Leadership and Education Development Group should coordinate the refresher training. 

Many of the existing leadership education and development courses already contain the 

48 Providing NIST Supervisors with a Continuous Learning Program 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

topics that existing managers and supervisors have identified as skills to be developed. 

Knowing this, it is proposed that NIST use similar delivery sources/vendors/topic leaders to 

provide some of the development and refresher topics, so not as to start from scratch. 

4.	 On the basis of the responses across our surveys, no one method of delivery would be an 

exact fit to all situations, so providing a variety of delivery methods for the refresher training 

is suggested. Since a preference was given in the NIST surveys to in-house training and 

seminars/lectures, these types of training might be predominant. This again would fit into the 

model of having LED organize courses/classes, either in-house or bringing in outside 

vendors to deliver. However, the surveys of outside organizations demonstrate that other 

methods may also serve well for training in many of the topics. 

5.	 To plan what type of refresher training is most appropriate for each manager/supervisor, we 

recommend that an Individual Development Plan (IDP) be considered (See Appendix H). 

The mechanisms for developing and using IDPs already exist but have fallen into disuse. The 

tools used with the IDP could either be formal, e.g., with a 360° assessment, more informal, 

such as the use of the NASA assessment tools, or in open constructive discussions with the 

manager’s direct supervisor. The implementation of this part of the refresher training 

program should be left to the discretion of the OUs. 

6.	 LED, the NIST Director’s Office, the leadership of the directorates, and the OU Directors 

should periodically review the training requirements and curricula and make any 

modifications or additions that they deem necessary. These should be periodic reviews that 

are not tied to actions or lack of action by OPM. 

BTNG 7 SSG Final Report 49 
50 Providing NIST Supervisors with a Continuous Learning Program 
5 Appendices

BTNG 7 SSG Final Report 51 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appendix A: Charge to the BTNG 7 SSG

Special Study Group Proposal 

New federal regulations mandate training for new supervisors, managers, and executives, as well as 

refresher training, every three years. NIST offers Managerial Survival Skills for new supervisors but 

currently has nothing in place for new managers or executives. Additionally, NIST does not have a 

structured program of refresher training for experienced supervisors and managers. 

The BTNG7 SSG project objective is to propose a continuous learning program for experienced 

supervisors and managers at NIST. The suggested activities might include: 

Phase 1 

• Conduct an assessment to identify the most prevalent training needs using the following: 

o	 Surveys targeting multiple levels of NIST management 

o	 Follow-up face-to-face interviews with managers and supervisors to clarify survey 

responses 

•	 Research best practices of similar organizations 

•	 Recommend suite of options to meet training requirements based on analysis of the 

aforementioned data 

•	 To be completed by July 31st 2010 

Phase 2 

•	 Identify existing learning resources that are capable of meeting the new training requirements 

•	 Contact outstanding organizations to identify additional learning solutions 

•	 Identify external training opportunities 

•	 Propose new in-house learning events 

•	 To be completed by October 31st 2010 

The timeframe of the SSG Project will start in February. It is planned that Phase 1 will be completed 

at the end of July and Phase 2 will be completed by the end of October. 

52 Providing NIST Supervisors with a Continuous Learning Program 
 

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appendix B: Summary of Federal Regulations 

Detailed below is the entry in the Federal Register pertaining to training of supervisors, managers, 

and executives. The parts of the regulations that have led to this project are highlighted in bold text. 

Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 236 / Thursday, December 10, 2009/Rules and Regulations 

OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT 

5 CFR Parts 410 and 412 

RIN 3206-AK75 

AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management.
 

ACTION: Final rule.
 

DATES: Effective Date: December 10, 2009.
 

Training; Supervisory, Management, and Executive Development 

SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is amending its regulations to implement 

certain training and development requirements contained in the Federal Workforce Flexibility Act of 

2004 (Pub. L. 108-411) and to make other revisions in OPM regulations. The Act makes several 

significant changes in the law governing the training and development of Federal employees, 

supervisors, managers, and executives. The first change requires each agency to: evaluate, on a 

regular basis, its training programs and plans with respect to the accomplishment of its specific 

performance plans and strategic goals, and modify its training plans and programs as needed to 

accomplish the agency's performance plans and strategic goals. Public Law 108-411 requires 

agencies to consult with OPM to establish comprehensive management succession programs 

designed to provide training to employees to develop managers for the agency. It also requires 

agencies, in consultation with OPM, to establish programs to provide training to managers regarding 

actions, options, and strategies a manager may use in relating to employees with unacceptable 

performance, mentoring employees, improving employee performance and productivity, and 

conducting employee performance appraisals. 

Continuum of Leadership Development 

Sec. 412.101 Coverage. 

This part applies to all incumbents of, and candidates for, supervisory, managerial, and 

executive positions in the General Schedule, the Senior Executive Service (SES), or equivalent pay 

systems also covered by part 410 of this chapter. 

Sec. 412.102 Purpose. 

(a) This part implements for supervisors, managers, and executives the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 

chapter 41, related to training, and 5 U.S.C. 3396, related to the criteria for programs of systematic 

development of candidates for the SES and the continuing development of SES members. 

(b) This part identifies a continuum of leadership development, starting with supervisory 

positions and proceeding through management and executive positions Government-wide. For 

this reason, this part provides requirements by which agencies: 

BTNG 7 SSG Final Report 53 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1) Develop the competencies needed by supervisors, managers, and
 

executives;
 

(2) Provide learning through continuing development and training in the context of 

succession planning; and 

(3) Foster a broad agency and Government-wide perspective to prepare individuals for 

advancement, thus supplying the agency and the Government with an adequate 

number of well-prepared and qualified candidates to fill leadership positions. 

Sec. 412.201 Management succession. 

The head of each agency, in consultation with OPM, must develop a comprehensive management 

succession program, based on the agency's workforce succession plans, to fill agency supervisory 

and managerial positions. These programs must be supported by employee training and development 

programs. The focus of the program should be to develop managers as well as strengthen 

organizational capability, and to ensure an adequate number of well-prepared and qualified 

candidates for leadership positions. These programs must: 

(a) Implement developmental training consistent with agency succession management plans; 

(b) Provide continuing learning experiences throughout an employee's career, such as details, 

mentoring, coaching, learning groups, and projects. These experiences should provide broad 

knowledge and practical experience linked to OPM's Federal leadership competencies, as well as 

agency-identified, mission-related competencies, and should be consistent with the agency's 

succession management plan; and 

(c) Include program evaluations pursuant to 5 CFR 410.202. 

Sec. 412.202 Systematic training and development of supervisors, managers, and executives. 

All agencies must provide for the development of individuals in supervisory, managerial and 

executive positions, as well as individuals whom the agency identifies as potential candidates for 

those positions, based on the agencies' succession plans. Agencies also must issue written policies to 

ensure they: 

(a) Design and implement leadership development programs integrated with the employee 

development plans, programs, and strategies required by 5 CFR 410.201, and that foster a broad 

agency and Government-wide perspective; 

(b) Provide training within one year of an employee's initial appointment to a supervisory position 

and follow up periodically, but at least once every three years, by providing each supervisor and 

manager additional training on the use of appropriate actions, options, and strategies to: 

(1) Mentor employees; 

(2) Improve employee performance and productivity; 

(3) Conduct employee performance appraisals in accordance with agency appraisal systems; 

and 

(4) Identify and assist employees with unacceptable performance. 

(c) Provide training when individuals make critical career transitions, for instance from nonsupervisory to manager or from manager to executive. This training should be consistent with 

assessments of the agency's and the individual's needs. 

54 Providing NIST Supervisors with a Continuous Learning Program 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appendix C: Chief Human Capital Office Actions to Address New 

Regulations

The text below is that of the memorandum sent on 4/26/10 by the Chief Human Capital Officer, 

Michael Culpepper, to the NIST Leadership Board relating to the OPM regulations. 

Colleagues: 

This email is informational only. 

At the end of last year, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued new regulations related 

to management and executive training/development. The Department of Commerce (DOC) is 

finalizing the departmental policy, so we are initiating work on developing, or in some cases 

revising, relevant NIST guidance and leadership programs to support this new mandate. 

The new policy requires: 

•	 A comprehensive succession program to fill supervisory and managerial positions, strengthen 

organizational capability, and ensure an adequate pipeline of well-qualified candidates for 

leadership positions. 

•	 Mandatory leadership training at critical career transitions, including initial appointment to: 

o	 A supervisory position within DOC 

o	 A manager position (i.e., division chief) 

o	 An executive position (i.e., Senior Executive Service) 

•	 Mandatory ongoing leadership training at least every three years for supervisors and 

managers. 

•	 Continuing executive (i.e., SES) development, which includes an Executive Development 

Plan to be updated and reviewed annually by an Executive Review Board. 

Here are two (of several) activities currently underway to address these new requirements. First, the 

Department is piloting an Executive Development Program to meet the needs of the SES population. 

This program is expected to include opportunities for remote, just-in-time learning. I, and several 

other DOC Executives, are involved in an initial pilot to actually use and critique a number of online Learning programs. 

Second, I have taken advantage of a great feature of the Building the Next Generation Program, the 

Special Study Group, to task a talented cross section of aspiring leaders to study leadership 

excellence at NIST and to recommend NIST’s policy for leadership refresher training for NIST 

supervisors and managers. The team of eight BTNG7 members are likely to be in touch with you for 

your experience and suggestions. The group's findings are due to me in early August, with 

training/learning recommendations due in early November. 

This topic will be discussed at the next OU Director’s Lunch, this Wednesday, April 28. The Special 

Study Group and members of my Leadership & Employee Development staff will be asking you to 

participate in shaping NIST’s new leadership training policies and programs. We are provided with 

an outstanding opportunity to build the leadership capacity of NIST, through enhancing the skills of 

our current leaders, accelerating time to effectiveness by better supporting key leader career 

BTNG 7 SSG Final Report 55 
 

 

 

 

 

transitions, and through strengthening our pipeline of technical and administrative leaders for the
 

future.
 

Thank you for your support. I look forward to a discussion during the upcoming OU Director’s
 

Lunch, and fielding whatever questions you may have.
 

Best Regards, 

Mike [Culpepper] 

56 Providing NIST Supervisors with a Continuous Learning Program 
Appendix D: Survey Questions 

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BTNG 7 SSG Final Report 57 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Survey Questions 

1. Are you a: 

Executive (OU Director, OU Deputy Director, Director of Chief Office) 

Manager (Division Chief) 

Supervisor (Group Leader, Team Leader) 

2. How long have you been in a supervisory position? 

0-5 years 6-10 years 11-20 years 21-30 years >30 years 

3. NIST provides leadership and management training that meets the needs of my 

position 

Strongly Agree 

Agree 

Neutral 

Disagree 

Strongly Disagree 

4. Please select UP TO FIVE (5) NIST Leadership Core Competencies, below, that are 

most important for your effectiveness in working with your direct reports and those 

most important for your effectiveness in working with other managers at NIST. The 

list of the core competencies and definitions can be found at: 

http://www-i.nist.gov/led/PDFs/web_nist_core_leadership_competencies.pdf 

Direct Reports Competencies Other Managers at NIST 

Communication 

Conflict Management 

Delegation/Empowerment 

Flexibility/Adaptability 

Integrity/Honesty 

Leading Change 

Motivating Others 

Organizational Skills 

Problem Solving 

Service Motivation 

Strategic Development/Thinking 

58 Providing NIST Supervisors with a Continuous Learning Program 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Please select the leadership/management skills that you would like to develop. 

Building Relationships 

Change Management 

Coaching/Mentoring 

Communication 

Conflict Management 

Creating a Safe/Fear-Free Environment 

Decision Making 

Delegation/Empowerment 

Managing Diverse Groups of People 

Program Management 

Strategic Planning/Development/Thinking 

Teambuilding 

Time Management 

Other 

6. Please select all the types of training you prefer. 

Classroom (Accredited Institute) 

Coaching/Mentoring (Internal/External) 

External Training (Conferences, Industry Visits, Academic) 

In-house Training (NIST-Sponsored/Organized) 

Off-site Workshops/Sessions 

On-the-Job/Acting Positions 

Peer Groups (Discussions, Task Groups) 

Rotational/Detail Assignments 

Self-Study (Books, Web, PodCasts, CLC) 

Seminars/Lectures (Internal/External) 

Other 

7. Please select all the NIST functions you would like to learn more about or received 

training on. 

Acquisitions/Contracts 

Baldrige Program (BNQP) 

Employee Relations/Resources 

Facilities (Emergency, Administrative, Plant, Engineering/Maintenance/Plant 

Services) 

Finance/Budget 

Grants/Agreements 

Honorary and NIST Awards 

IT Security/Services 

Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) 

NIST Associates Program 

NIST History and NIST’s Mission (Organic and America Competes Act) 

NIST Role in the Political Environment (Commerce, Congress, Administration) 

NIST User Facilities (CNST, NCNR) 

Promotions 

BTNG 7 SSG Final Report 59 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Public Affairs and Media Relations 

Safety, Health, and Environment 

Standards Services (Documentary Standards, Standard Reference Data, Standard 

Reference Materials, Calibration Services) 

Technical Operating Units/Laboratories (Building & Fire Research, Chemical 

Science & Technology, Electronics & Electrical Engineering, Information 

Technology, Manufacturing Engineering, Materials Science & Engineering, Physics 

Laboratory, and Technology Services) 

Technology Partnerships (Cooperative Research & Development Agreements, 

Intellectual Property, Material Transfer, Small Business Innovation Research) 

Technology Innovation Program (TIP) 

Travel 

Workforce Management (Management/Organization, Human Resources) 

Other/Specific topic within the above categories 

8. Please describe an exceptional or standout leadership training experience you have 

had either inside or outside of NIST. 

9. If you would like to be contacted by the Building the Next Generation Class 7 Special 

Study Group, for further information or discussions, please provide us with your 

name. 

Name:_______________ 

60 Providing NIST Supervisors with a Continuous Learning Program 
 

 

 

 

 


 

Appendix E: Survey Questions to NIST-Comparable Organizations 

Questions for Peer Institutions on Their Leadership Development Training Practices 

1. Does your organization require periodic (continuous learning) training for supervisors, managers, 

or executives? 

2. Generally speaking, how much training is required? How often must it be taken? 

3. How is the training delivered? Some possible methods are: 

• Classroom (Accredited Institute) 

• Coaching/Mentoring (Internal/External) 

• External Training (Conferences, Industry Visits, Academic Courses) 

• In-House Training 

• Off-Site Workshops/Sessions 

• On-the-Job/Acting Positions 

• Peer Groups (Discussions, Task Groups) 

• Rotational/Detail Assignments 

• Self-Study (Books, Web, PodCasts) 

• Seminars/Lectures (Internal/External) 

• Other ____ 

4. What leadership and management topics are covered? Examples include: 

• Building Relationships 

• Change Management 

• Coaching/Mentoring 

• Communication 

• Conflict Management 

• Creating a Safe/Fear-Free Environment 

• Decision Making 

• Delegation/Empowerment 

• Managing Diverse Groups of People 

• Program Management 

• Strategic Planning/Development/Thinking 

• Teambuilding 

• Time Management 

• Other ______________ 

BTNG 7 SSG Final Report 61 
 

 

 

 

Appendix F: The Leadership Competency “Stair Step”
 

This figure was sourced from the 2007 report “Training Supervisors to be Leaders - A Missing 

Element in Efforts to Improve Federal Performance.” by Dr. J Thompson of the Annenberg 

Leadership Institute at the University of Illinois at Chicago. 

62 Providing NIST Supervisors with a Continuous Learning Program 
 

 

 

 

Appendix G: Leadership Development Programs for First-Line 

Supervisors in Selected Federal Agencies 

This figure was sourced from the 2007 report “Training Supervisors to be Leaders - A Missing 

Element in Efforts to Improve Federal Performance.” by Dr. J Thompson of the Annenberg 

Leadership Institute at the University of Illinois at Chicago. 

BTNG 7 SSG Final Report 63 
Appendix H: NIST Individual Development Plan Form (DN -13)
 

(3-96)

(Used by Administration 

with NIST-01) 

Document Number (DN) 13 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY 

INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN 

NAME (LAST, FIRST, MIDDLE INITIAL) TITLE, SERIES, GRADE ORGANIZATION 

LONG-RANGE OBJECTIVES 

SHORT-RANGE OBJECTIVES 

DEVELOPMENTAL ASSIGNMENTS TARGET DATES (IF APPROPRIATE) COST 

EMPLOYEE (SIGNATURE) DATE SUPERVISOR (SIGNATURE) DATE 

DEVELOPMENTAL PROGRESS 

EMPLOYEE (SIGNATURE) DATE SUPERVISOR (SIGNATURE) DATE 

ADMINISTRATION/IPSG ELECTRONIC FORM 

64 Providing NIST Supervisors with a Continuous Learning Program 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appendix I: Error Analysis 

The survey produced responses from n = 167 people out of N = 373, which gives a sampling fraction 

of f = n/N = 44.8 %. In this appendix, we compute 90 % confidence intervals for the survey results. 

The survey results included breakdowns into subpopulations based on number of years in a 

leadership role and leadership position, but while we know how many respondents fit into each of 

these categories, we do not have information on how many people in the total population of NIST 

managers are in each category. Thus we restrict our analysis to results involving the total population 

of respondents. 

Figure 3 analysis 

Figure 3 shows the percentage of respondents who responded in one of 5 possible ways indicating 

their level of agreement with the statement, “NIST provides leadership and management training that 

meets the needs of my position.” n3 = 165 people responded to the question, so the sampling 

fraction here is f3 = 165/373 = 44.2 %. The numbers of people who gave the responses Strongly 

Agree, Agree, Neutral, Disagree, and Strongly Disagree were 18, 89, 36, 20, and 2, respectively. 

Dividing each by n3 gives the percentages shown in the figure, which are listed here in decimal form 

using 3 significant figures each, although we are taking ratios of exact numbers: 

pStrongly Agree = 0.109 

pAgree = 0.539 

p = 0.218 Neutral 

p = 0.121 Disagree 

p . Strongly Disagree = 0.012 

The sample standard deviation of each estimated proportion is as follows (we use the “Neutral” 

response to show the form but it is the same for all the others): 

n

s

2 = 3 p q Neutral Neutral Neutral

n3 !1

where qNeutral = 1 – pNeutral. 

pNeutral is an unbiased estimator of PNeutral, the actual proportion of the population that would have a 

“Neutral” response to Question 3. An unbiased estimator of the variance of pNeutral (which is the 

mean squared difference of pNeutral and PNeutral) is: 

s

2 N ! n p q Neutral 3 Neutral Neutral v( p ) = = (1! f ) Neutral	 3

n3 N n3 !1

Using this formula, we get 

( = 10!4 v pStrongly Agree ) 3.30"

( Agree ) = 8.45 !4 v p "10

( ) = 5.80 !4 v p "10 Neutral

( Disagree ) = 3.62 !4 v p 	 "10

" !5 v p( Strongly Disgree ) = 4.07 01 . 

Again using the “Neutral” response as an example and taking the normal approximation, the limits 

on the confidence interval centered on pNeutral are 

BTNG 7 SSG Final Report 65 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

! 1 p q " Neutral Neutral pNeutral ± $

$ + t 1# f3 %% 2n n #1 & 3 3 '

where we choose t based on the desired size of the confidence interval. For a 90 % confidence 

interval, t = 1.64. We multiply this constant by the sample standard deviation (i.e., the square root of 

the sample variance), and add a term as defined in Eq. (3.17)5 of which prevents the normal 

approximation from giving a confidence interval that is too small. Using this expression, the lower 

and upper 90 % confidence limits are given in the following table. 

Category Estimated 

Proportion 

Lower 90 % 

confidence limit 

Upper 90 % 

confidence limit 

Strongly Agree 0.109 0.076 0.142 

Agree 0.539 0.489 0.590 

Neutral 0.218 0.176 0.261 

Disagree 0.121 0.087 0.155 

Strongly Disagree 0.012 !0.001 (set to 0) 0.026 

Table 1: Statistics for Figure 3 

Figure 6 analysis 

Fig. 6 shows the percentage of respondents who identified various NIST leadership core 

competencies as most important for their effectiveness in working with both other managers and 

with the people who report directly to the respondents themselves. In this case, we could not 

determine the number of people who responded to the question, so we set the number to 150 so as 

not to underestimate the size of the confidence intervals. We get values shown in the following 

table: 

NIST Leadership Core 

Competencies 

Percentage 

(Other 

Managers) 

90 % 

conf 

lower 

bound 

90 % 

conf 

upper 

bound 

Percentage 

(Direct 

Reports) 

90 % 

conf 

lower 

bound 

90 % 

conf 

upper 

bound 

Communication 87.7 84.0 91.4 94.2 91.4 97.0 

Conflict Management 54.3 48.8 59.8 72.3 67.3 77.3 

Delegation/Empowerment 21.2 16.6 25.8 84.7 80.6 88.8 

Flexibility/Adaptability 73.3 68.4 78.2 57.8 52.3 63.3 

Integrity/Honesty 79.6 75.1 84.1 91.8 88.6 95.0 

Leading Change 62.5 57.1 67.9 71.6 66.6 76.6 

Motivating Others 26.1 21.2 31.0 90.2 86.8 93.6 

Organizational Skills 52.6 47.1 58.1 74.4 69.5 79.3 

Problem Solving 66.7 61.5 71.9 67.7 62.5 72.9 

Service Motivation 45.5 40.0 51.0 75.8 71.0 80.6 

Strategic 

Development/Thinking 87.8 84.1 91.5 48.8 43.3 54.3 

Table 2: Statistics for Figure 6 

5 Cochran, William G., Sampling Techniques (second edition), New York: John Wiley & Sons, 

1963. 

66 Providing NIST Supervisors with a Continuous Learning Program 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 7 analysis 

Fig. 7 reports the percentages of respondents who indicated their interest in developing various 

leadership or management skills. Since these are expressed as percentages, we can use the 

previously described techniques to find the 90 % confidence intervals. Since the number of 

respondents was not given in the Excel sheets, we used a simple routine in Matlab to multiply the set 

of percentages by candidate values for n7 and identify which n7 value resulted in a set of products 

that were all within the rounding error of 0.1 of being integers. In the figure below, we plot the 

number of products within the rounding error versus n7. There is only one value of n7 that “works,” 

i.e., it gives 13 out of 13 products that are within the rounding error of integer values, and that is n7 = 

157. 

Figure 1: Plot of number of products of ratios and n7 values that are within 0.1 of an integer 

Proceeding with the analysis, we find that the number of people who selected the various skills, the 

ratio of question respondents who selected the skills, and the 90 % confidence interval limits are as 

given in the following table: 

Leadership/management 

skills 

Number of 

respondents 

Percentage of 

respondents 

Lower bound 

for 90 % conf 

interval 

Upper bound 

for 90 % conf 

interval 

Building Relationships 31 19.7 15.4 24.0 

Change Management 53 33.8 28.8 38.8 

Coaching/Mentoring 43 27.4 22.6 32.2 

Communication 52 33.1 28.1 38.1 

Conflict Management 55 35.0 29.9 40.1 

Creating a Safe/Free-free 

Environment 8 5.10 2.58 7.62 

Decision Making 29 18.5 14.3 22.7 

Delegation/Empowerment 41 26.1 21.4 30.8 

Managing Diverse Groups of 

People 23 14.6 10.8 18.4 

Program Management 39 24.8 20.2 29.4 

Strategic 

Planning/Development 

Thinking 66 42.0 36.7 47.3 

Teambuilding 49 31.2 26.3 36.1 

Time Management 50 31.8 26.8 36.8 

Table III: Statistics for Figure 7 

BTNG 7 SSG Final Report 67 
 

 

 

Figure 9 analysis 

Using a similar analysis, we get the 90 % confidence intervals associated with Fig. 9. The number 

of respondents for this question was n9 = 165 again. The estimated percentages and confidence 

interval bounds are in the following table: 

Training Types Preference 

ratio 

Sample 

Variance 

Lower 

Bound 

Upper 

Bound 

Classroom (Accredited Institute) 0.436 8.361E-04 0.386 0.486 

Coaching/Mentoring (Internal/External) 0.364 7.872E-04 0.315 0.413 

External Training (Conferences, Industry 

Visits, Academic) 0.424 8.304E-04 0.374 0.474 

In-House Training (NISTSponsored/Organized) 0.618 8.027E-04 0.569 0.667 

On-Site Workshops/Sessions 0.352 7.756E-04 0.303 0.401 

On-the-Job/Acting Positions 0.158 4.524E-04 0.120 0.196 

Peer Groups (Discussions, Task Groups) 0.261 6.558E-04 0.216 0.306 

Rotational/Detail Assignments 0.170 4.798E-04 0.131 0.209 

Self-Study (Books, Web, PodCasts, CLC) 0.382 8.027E-04 0.333 0.431 

Seminars/Lectures (Internal/External) 0.521 8.486E-04 0.470 0.572 

Table IV: Statistics for Figure 9 

68 Providing NIST Supervisors with a Continuous Learning Program 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 11 analysis 

For Fig. 11, the results are reported in terms of the number of people who indicated that they were 

interested in receiving training on a particular NIST function, out of a menu of options. The easiest 

way to find the confidence intervals for this data is to convert the response counts to ratios by 

dividing by the number of respondents, n10 = 165, performing the analysis that we demonstrated for 

the preceding figures, and then multiplying the resulting bounds by n10. If we do this, we get the 

results in the following table. 

NIST Function Number of 

Respondents 

90 % Confidence 

Lower Bound 

90 % Confidence 

Upper Bound 

Acquisitions/Contracts 63 54.8 71.2 

Baldrige Program (BNQP) 13 8.25 17.7 

Employee Relations/Resources 55 47.1 62.9 

Facilities 21 15.2 26.8 

Finance/Budget 57 49.0 65.0 

Grants/Agreements 40 32.7 47.3 

Honorary and NIST Awards 12 7.40 16.6 

IT Security/Services 15 9.96 20.0 

Manufacturing Extension 

Partnership (MEP) 10 5.73 14.27 

NIST Associates Program 14 9.10 18.90 

NIST's History and Mission 27 20.7 33.3 

NIST Role in the Political 

Environment 60 51.9 68.1 

NIST User Facilities (CNST, 

NCNR) 9 4.92 13.1 

Promotions 24 17.9 30.1 

Public Affairs and Media 

Relations 30 23.4 36.6 

Safety, Health, and 

Environment 27 20.7 33.3 

Standards Services 24 17.9 30.1 

Technical Operating 

Units/Laboratories 30 23.4 36.6 

Technology Partnerships 26 19.7 32.3 

Technology Innovation 

Program (TIP) 9 4.92 13.1 

Travel 9 4.92 13.1 

Workforce Management 59 50.9 67.1 

Table V: Statistics for Figure 11 

An interesting application of these results is that we can multiply the ratio-based estimates and 

confidence bounds by N and round to the nearest integer, giving us an idea of the total number of 

NIST managers who may be interested in each of the listed topics. The results appear in the 

following table. Note that these intervals are not symmetric about the central estimates due to 

rounding. 

BTNG 7 SSG Final Report 69 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NIST Function Lower Bound Estimated Number Upper Bound 

Acquisitions/Contracts 124 142 161 

Baldrige Program (BNQP) 19 29 40 

Employee Relations/Resources 106 124 142 

Facilities 34 47 60 

Finance/Budget 111 129 147 

Grants/Agreements 74 90 107 

Honorary and NIST Awards 17 27 38 

IT Security/Services 23 34 45 

Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) 13 23 32 

NIST Associates Program 21 32 43 

NIST's History and Mission 47 61 75 

NIST Role in the Political Environment 117 136 154 

NIST User Facilities (CNST, NCNR) 11 20 30 

Promotions 41 54 68 

Public Affairs and Media Relations 53 68 83 

Safety, Health, and Environment 47 61 75 

Standards Services 41 54 68 

Technical Operating Units/Laboratories 53 68 83 

Technology Partnerships 45 59 73 

Technology Innovation Program (TIP) 11 20 30 

Travel 11 20 30 

Workforce Management 115 133 152 

Table VI: Ranges for the Total Number of Managers Interested in Learning About NIST 

Functions
 

We can see that, for example, addressing the need for information on Travel could likely be met by 

holding a class that would accommodate about 10 to 30 people. As another example, the number of 

people who are interested in learning about Acquisitions and Contracts is high enough (likely in the 

neighborhood of 150) that a single class in a lecture room will not suffice; one would need a series 

of small classes, a session in a large meeting space, or alternative learning venues such as on-line 

training. 

70 Providing NIST Supervisors with a Continuous Learning Program 
 

 

 

 


 

Appendix J: Survey of Leadership and Managerial Development Skills 

at NIST (1998) 

This appendix contains a digitized copy of the 1998 report “Survey of Leadership and Managerial 

Development Skills at NIST” and as such the page numbering that follows is that of the original 

report. 

BTNG 7 SSG Final Report 71