What Can an Army of IMLPs Do For You?

Imagine a job where you can leverage the knowledge and creativity of 250 of the best and brightest minds as they begin their careers?  Unlike the rest of the authors of this blog, I am not a current IMLP or recent program graduate.  Instead, I am the Global Program Manager for IMLP, responsible for the overall strategy and implementation of the program.  In addition to running the global training events ("bootcamps"), I set the direction for training curriculum, recruiting, assignment structure, program logistics and off-program placement.  So here I am, 40+ years old, facing the next recruiting season and I realize, "egad I'm  nearly double the age of the typical candidate and what the heck do I know about these so-called millenials?"  After reading endless articles describing Gen-Yers and still walking away with the feeling that I just don't get it, there was really only one solution:  go to the IMLPs!

One of the greatest benefits of this job is that I have access to an army of IMLPs, ready, willing and able to go above and beyond their day-to-day jobs to give back to the program.  So I'll admit, I turn to them often for  anything from the mundane (e.g. "I need a handful of IMLPs to help me wire up the classrooms for bootcamp") to the technical (e.g. "I need help architecting the ideal wireless solution in Shangai") to the strategic (e.g. "how can we organize our program better across Europe?").  As always, when I "go to the IMLPs", this time they did not fail to amaze me.  I teed it up as an imagination contest, asking IMLPs to bring me creative ideas on how to improve our recruiting efforts.  Instead of the 20-30 responses I was expecting, I heard from over 100 IMLPs with volumes of suggestions!  The number one revelation from all the feedback was that we don't do a great job telling candidates what the job is really like.

One IMLP cross-business team and a few brainstorming sessions later, and three new ideas were born - one of them being this blog itself!  In the spirit of expressing a day-in-the-life of an IMLP, we created this blog, the GE IMLP Recruiting Facebook page at www.geimlpfacebook.com and we devised a plan to overhaul our main website where candidates apply for IMLP and internships at www.gecareers.com/imlp (in progress).  The IMLPs not only gave me the ideas, they also researched various technical solutions, provided a business case and recommendation for the best options, found the resources and created the process for delivering content and implemented the solutions.

This experience of leveraging the IMLPs across the program always reminds me of three key lessons:  1.) a team of IMLPs can deliver just about anything;  2.)  the future of IT leadership at GE is bright, and 3.)  running IMLP has got to be one of the most rewarding jobs in this company!

Comments

[Alejandro Aquino]

Nice article Greg.

I love your recognition to the IMLP "army". It's good to read your opinion about the future of IM in GE if IMLP owns it!

I am pretty sure you will find out there people that will soon become IMLPs that will keep this spirit alive.

I bet you that the best ideas always come not when your manager force you to give an idea...they come when you just want to share your idea.

Regards,

Alejandro.