IMLP and the “special snowflake” theory

Have you ever noticed that whenever you are part of a selected group of people, you tend to feel like you are special? After all, if you were chosen, it means that you have the skills, characteristics, etc. required to be part of that group.

When it comes to the IMLP, this is no different. You enter the program because you meet the desired skillset and behavior, and are considered to be someone with the potential to become a GE Leader. But what does being special really mean?

Some people who apply for (and join) leadership programs tend to think that getting into a program is the only thing that they had to do. From that point on, they are like “special snowflakes.” Suddenly, because they were chosen, they “know it all,” and after two years of being on program (on average, depending on the company and program), they will become the “Master Manager Plus of All Things.” They want everyone to know who they are, to feel recognized just because of their position, and to be looked by others like “Wow, look at that person, he/she is a leadership program, how cool!” Here in Brazil, I have seen this happen sometimes. Have you ever seen it where you live as well?

This pitfall can lead to a misunderstanding of what a leadership program is about.

At GE, the IMLP program – no matter where in the world – is intended to accelerate the career and learning path of those who have potential, not turn them into “monsters” after two years. The four different rotations will expose you to a wide variety of topics, people, styles, and technologies. Thus, after the program, you can be prepared to take any assignment or role, because you have developed (or enhanced) your ability to learn fast, interact with others, and generate results.

And how do these abilities get developed? That’s the part where the word "special" can fit, and here are some examples (you can check details here):

Click to read more ...

Sometimes it's hard...

You will notice that many of our posts on the IMLP Blog typically reflect only the most positive experiences. I am confident that this is because the majority of us are extremely happy with our jobs and the experience we are gaining from them.

I rank myself as one of those people, but I want you to know that this is not an easy job and anyone who tells you this is probably lying to you or just really amazing. The IMLP program by design is not an easy job. It has been designed as a rigorous and challenging program, and that’s why it’s a largely sought-after job, and why only the most talented people are hired. Here is an example of some of the experience you might gain:

This week started off well, 80% of the tasks that my team and me needed to have done were ready, and it seemed like everything would be completed in time for our go-live date on Thursday. I was planning on visiting my alma mater for the weekend, and so I started planning a recruiting Meet & Greet event. I began working on some of the deliverables I had been assigned for our Senior Bootcamp Long Distance Learning class that were due on Thursday.

On Tuesday, I decided it would make my work go smoother if I went into work at 4am for the rest of the week, thinking that I would just head out around 2pm to compensate. I quickly learned that leaving early would never happen, because all my customers in my time zones wanted to chat then.  This was because my manager is located in the UK, and the contractor team that I was working with was in India. I arrived at work and after several teleconferences we discovered a huge communication gap in which 10% of our tasks were unaccounted for. In addition, I learned that a piece was missing in our data validation.

On Wednesday, we had a meeting with our CTO to explain the reasons why we needed to push back the go-live date for the software. It was a very busy day, and I had to blow off many of my group meetings for my distance learning class. Finally,  on Thursday I was able to resolve all issues pending on my side for the go-live and complete the distance learning deliverables that were due. Then, I got hit with a warning that my e-file taxes were rejected; HAH! No rest for me.

This is what I mean by the job being challenging. Most of my weeks aren’t this stressful or extensive; but, looking back at this 60+ hour work week, despite how stressful and tiresome it was, I've seen several things that most people would never get to experience in a typical direct hire job. These were the most important two: First, I was able to work through some communication problems with an overseas contractor to figure out where the problems started and correct them. Second, I experienced explaining the team’s miss on a go-live date to senior executive leaders… and how to recover from the miss.

Feel Good About Where You Work...

Click to View GE's Today Advert

What are some of the things people look for when they are job searching?

• Money
• Benefits
• Good Culture
• Something they want to do
• Challenging/ Not Boring

But what about working for a company that does good things on a daily basis. I read this GE ad recently after it was sent to me by Josh Perlin and it really made me feel good about the company I work for.