Leading tomorrow's leaders: DMCI Homes Management Development Program

Tweet Type of Training: Opening of Batch 2 of DMCI Homes Management Development Program
Client: DMCI Homes
Date: July 18, 2012
Venue: DMCI Homes, Makati

Logo of DMCI Homes' MDP

Job ad used in recruiting Batch 2 applicants

28 Management Trainees (Batch 2)

Company growth - in terms of sales and projects - requires solid leadership and personnel readiness. With this perspective, DMCI Homes started implementing in October 2010 a Management Development Program (MDP), which is a succession strategy.

The MDP has two tracks: engineering (Track 1) and property management (Track 2). A third track - project development - will be introduced very soon. The two tracks already have two batches: 14 management trainees for Track 1 and 11 management trainees for Track 2. 

Capitalizing on the stability and success of Batch 1, DMCI Homes recruited Batch 2 aspirants. After a rigorous process, 20 management trainees in Track 1 Batch 2 and eight in Track 2 Batch 2 started in the MDP yesterday. Eight of them are from UP Diliman; 6 from UST; three from TIP; two each from Mapua, University of Makati and TUP; and one each from St. Louis University, Letran, PLM, De La Salle University and St. Paul University Manila. Being groomed to become future leaders of the company, they will undergo technical and behavioral training, interdepartment rotations, coaching sessions and site deployment. Track 1 is a 3.5-year course while Track 2 is a 2-year course.

I now handle 53 Management Trainees, with 10 more to be added when the newly minted Project Development Track opens. As Consultant, my responsibilities include training, strategic planning, budgeting, program management, curriculum development, recruitment, talent management and training academy management.

The MDP undergoes constant evolution as lessons are learned along the way. Its dynamism is one of its success factors. The other such factors include solid support from the company's management (the company President treats it as a pet project), adequate budget (Php26 M excluding salaries for this year alone), curriculum structure (developed by the company's pillars who have - to borrow a tired cliche - been there done that), thorough monitoring (which is what I do, in coordination with buddies and other partners), experiential coaching given by seasoned company officials, and the malleability of young minds, among others.

I love the MDP because I am its active parent. I treat my Management Trainees as children whose bright futures I am obliged to ensure. This is a commitment.

Something happened in Mindanao: In which I learn a lesson in diversity

Tweet Type of Training: Values Seminar & Teambuilding
Client: Bureau of Customs - District 10 (Port of Cagayan de Oro and subports of Misamis Oriental, Iligan and Ozamiz)
Date: July 7-8, 2012
Venue: Dahilayan Forest Park, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon

My work at the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, United Nations and other NGOs have contributed greatly to my consciousness about diversity. Which is why as a trainer, I make it a point to make a rapid audience analysis so that I can better customize my materials, activities and delivery. This makes me optimize adult learning theories and diversity factors such as age, sex, educational attainment, culture of the industry, position in the company and religion. Even my grouping techniques take into account the distribution of women and men.

This latest project was the first time with Muslim participants - 46 out of 126 to be exact. Seeing the profile overview that I requested from the client, I reviewed my PowerPoint presentations, activities and materials for cultural appropriateness. Added considerations: 1.) a values seminar for the BOC is like steppping on eggshells and 2.) majority of participants belong to the 40-60+ age bracket, which means that teambuilding games have to be physically appropriate while at the same time promote learning and fun.

Day 1 started with an ecumenical prayer where both Muslims and Christians were represented.

In an end-of-life exercise during the values seminar, participants were asked to write down possible comments that other people will say about them when they (the participants) die. The exercise went smoothly until sharing time when the Muslim participant who led the prayer went onstage and emotionally announced: "I don't care about other people's opinion's about me, only Allah can judge me if I deserve to join him in Paradise!" He further mentioned that his brother is a mayor and that he has been with the BOC for more than 30 years.

I let him talk and I sincerely apologized if the exercise was offensive to his faith and that the offense was not intentional. The room fell silent. It was awkward but I was able to pick up the momentum again by addressing the whole group with a sincere apology.

During the break that followed the exercise, the fellow who stormed the staged approached me, with both hands joined as if in prayer, to offer me his admiration about my training skills. From that point on he became a very active participant and approached me several times more to thank me for the knowledge he gained from each segment of the training. Other Muslims came to me with assurances that they were not at all offended.

The two-day activity was a resounding success. Everyone had a good time. I got excellent feedback. They want me back for more.

And I will use the lessons I learned the next time around.

First Monday of July 2012

Tweet Event: Orientation of aspirants for Management Trainees
Client: DMCI Homes
Venue: HR Conference Room