JCCI Breakthrough Development Program: Breaking Through the Role by Mary June Navida
By: Marge Friginal-Sanchez
Tags: Talent Management, Jcci Edi Events, Learning And Development, Training

“Oh, that sounds exciting,” was my initial reaction upon being informed on my first day at work last March 15 that I had to attend the John Clements Consultants Breakthrough Development Program (BDP)- Batch 8 later that afternoon. Being a newcomer, I was hesitant to ask around what the program was about. All I gathered was that it was a 3-hour training program that would run for 10 weeks, every Friday.

Being someone who is always on the lookout to learn new things, I looked forward to the first session with anticipation. And I was not disappointed. Ms. Grace Alcid, the Transformative Learning and Leadership Development Consultant of John Clements, was kind enough to help me understand the BDP more.

According to Ms. Grace, the Breakthrough Development Program is designed to help boost the personal effectiveness of individual contributors. Since most employees do not get enrolled in any formal competency-based training program until they become managers, the BDP offers them the opportunity to develop competencies important to the company. Through chosen topics, participants are able to develop skills that will enable them to be more successful in their jobs and career. Enrolees are also given access to HMM (Harvard Manage Mentor), which they can use to refer to topics not taken up in the course.

The program started in April 2015. Ms. Grace created the program when she was the Director of Learning and Development. She had been leading L&D for several years before the creation of the program.

And if there’s anyone competent enough to create the program, Ms. Grace is more than qualified, as she has an MA in Adult Learning and Leadership from the Teacher’s College of Columbia University, where she has been accepted into the Doctor of Education Program, which she hopes to start in September 2019. She also holds an MBA from Pace University in NYC, and a BA in Communications Research from UP.

Isn’t that impressive? Her background and qualifications enthralled me to no end that I am now more fueled to learn and improve through the program she created.

I also found out that the goal of the BDP is to provide training to employees who have recently been employed by JCCI on those competencies that will help them be successful as they start working in the company. All new employees are eligible to be enrolled in the program.

I must say that it’s quite generous of JCCI to come up with such a program that will not just help new employees be successful in their roles but prepare them for future opportunities as well. What could be more motivating than that?

Looking back on the two sessions that I have attended so far, I’ve picked up a lot of insightful information that helped me a great deal with my daily tasks.

Lesson 1: Understand Time Management

For a lot of new employees thrown in the proverbial “lion’s den”, completing many tasks can be overwhelming. This is especially true for those who are not used to having a more structured work pace.

At the end of the session, I learned that knowing how to prioritize your goals — the tasks you want accomplished over a certain period — can help you focus on the more important ones and discern the time wasters. Furthermore, when you create a realistic schedule and sustain your productivity gains, you’re able to manage your time effectively.

Lesson 2: Decision Making

Everyone makes a decision every day. From the outfit that you want to wear to work to the breakfast meal that you want to order at McDonald’s, you’re required to make a decision.

At work however, it’s a different thing. You cannot decide on which item pleases you. There are challenges that can hamper your decision and the result you’re expecting might not turn out the way you want it.

In this lesson, I learned that before making a decision, one has to prepare, anticipate challenges, and check alternatives. Decision making is not an easy thing to do, especially if the outcome will affect not just your team, but the whole company as well.

Also, once you make a decision, you should be able to communicate and implement the decision efficiently to ensure positive results.

I look forward to the remaining eight sessions. The BDP has been engaging so far, especially the part where we had to brainstorm with employees from other divisions. It gave us time to know each other, bond, learn, and most importantly, respect the fact that not having the same ideas is not a bad thing. If anything, it’s a good sign that we don’t have to conform to others just to be accepted.