Executive Fellowship Program: Lessons for Engineers

Abstract

All organizations must identify and cultivate potential managerial and executive ability in order to achieve long-term organizational goals. In January 1995 the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) initiated an Executive Fellowship Program to select, through a rigorous screening and interview process, staff to serve in the general manager's office for a calendar year of career-broadening experience. This paper describes the origin of the program, discusses how it contributes to developing broader organizational knowledge and management skill, explores what it offers to engineers, and suggests future program options.