Overview
The CDAT is a consultative community resource that provides focused, dedicated support for you. It is a flexible personal resource -- it is a team made up of 2 or 3 people (in addition to you) with whom you work over the course of a year to enrich and support your career planning and development. With your focused team you work to achieve one or two measurable goals at a pace and in a way that is suitable to you.
We suggest you set a term of one year for the team to function. This length of time will allow you to work on realistic goals and see measurable progress. Of course, if the team decides a shorter or longer period is required, you can adjust accordingly.
The CDAT differs from more traditional mentoring or coaching approaches, where the mentor or coach often functions in a superior position or more directive capacity to guide the mentee or client. By initiating a CDAT, you drive your effort.
One special aspect of the CDAT, because it is a consultative community, is that through the combined effort of the team it is possible for everyone involved to learn from one another and grow as a result of the engagement.
Contribution Value
We encourage you to consider how your CDAT can help you establish and demonstrate your Contribution Value. Today, many organizations measure the Time to Contribution of a new hire, whether employee or contractor. The faster the new hire ramps up to the level where she or he is able to make a full contribution, the faster the company gains value from that individual.
When you approach a new organization you can help them assess your potential value and fit by clearly and strongly presenting your Contribution Value -- your relevant experience, knowledge and training; examples of your work; references; descriptions of your strengths, talents and interests; and an explanation of how your skills, attitude, and plans align with the needs and goals of the organization. You can work with your team to define your potential value to an organization today and in the future. You can develop one or more resumes or portfolios, as well as outline the information you want to present at interviews.
Two Models
There are two different CDAT models you can use, depending on your situation or preference.
Single-Driver Group Model
The single-driver group is ideal when you want to invite 2 or 3 people to assist you in your career planning and personal development. As the initiator, you explain the process of the CDAT, present your goals, and drive the schedule. You actively listen as your team members make comments or suggestions about your goals, plans, and progress and assist you as you request. You drive your development in consultation with the group and engage in dialogue with the members as you take responsibility for achieving your goals.
Mutual Action Circle Model
The mutual action circle is a good choice when you wish to work with 2 or 3 like-minded others who are interested in a shared, collaborative model. Each team member engages reciprocally with the other members to support everyone's career planning and personal development. Each member presents her or his own plan, takes feedback and suggestions from the other members, and provides feedback and suggestions to the other members.
Whichever model you prefer, you determine who you want to work with and invite 2 or 3 people to work with you for the year -- which goes by very quickly! The benefit of group collaboration is that members build on each other's ideas to come up with new and creative approaches.
Which Model?
The CDAT model you select will depend to a great extent on what you prefer. If you have one or two clear goals, enjoy setting your own schedule and pace, and would like to work with a small group of strong, experienced people who understand where you want to go and what it takes to get there, then the single-driver group model is likely the right choice. If you like the idea of working collaboratively with a group of people who share a common interest about career and personal development and are willing to explore and support each other even though they may not have specific knowledge about what is required to achieve a certain position or situation, then the mutual action circle may be enriching and fun.
Both models can be stimulating and supportive.
Finding Members for Your CDAT
Ideally, you will have a mix of people who know you and also know the position or situation to which you aspire. For the single-driver group you may seek out subject or industry experts, or senior people. Business generalists and/or technical specialists may be helpful. For the mutual action circle you may want to contact peers and colleagues who are in a similar situation to you career-wise and have potentially similar goals.
If you want to have a CDAT comprised of 3 people (you and two others), then we recommend you start with a list of 4 to 6 candidates. Some people may not have the time to devote to your team, and others may decide they do not have the appropriate interest or knowledge. If you want to have 4 people on the team, then we recommend you start with a list of 8 to 10 people. For scheduling and time management reasons, we recommend having no more than 4 people (including you) on a CDAT.
Deciding What You Want to Accomplish through Your CDAT
It is important for you to ask yourself what you want to accomplish with and through your CDAT before you take the first steps to develop a team. Here are some questions you might want to think about:
Where do you want to go in your career and your life, and how will your work with the CDAT fit into your longer-range planning? Will the members be able to understand and resonate with your vision?
Are you able to prioritize and clarify your aspirations so it will be clear to the team members how they can contribute?
What mix of know-how and experience out of the group will best complement your know-how and experience?
Are your aspirations in line with the caliber of the team members?
Who constitutes the "dream team" for you and why? Why is the "dream team" the best combination?
Are you confident about your ability to initiate a CDAT? If not, what do you need to learn?
Are you prepared to accept the opinions and feedback of the group and respond honestly in ways that help you grow?
Are you prepared to design and adopt a contingency plan if your or the team feels a course correction is needed?
Why is the CDAT the appropriate tool for you at this particular time? Have you evaluated other approaches or tools?
When will you be ready to kick off the CDAT? Do you have enough time to fully prepare?
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