Continuum of Development

Investing in future PTC leaders and establishing a path for their successful growth was foundational to the creation of the Emerging Leaders (EL) program at PTC.

The PTC Leadership Team recognized that it was essential to create a continuum of development and community for future leaders within PTC, with the goal of establishing a healthy range of diversity at the top as these emerging leaders advance. To reach this goal, the Human Resources (HR) team developed this tailor-made program, now in its second cohort.

The EL program is a six-month-long program that was created specifically for up-and-coming employees at PTC who demonstrate the passion and traits to become successful future leaders. The program was developed to provide these up-and-comers with the skillset and tools on how to lead in an entrepreneurial, collaborative culture like the one at PTC. Foundational elements of the program are unique to PTC – it was built on:

• The PTC Expectations, a set of philosophies that act as guiding principles that drive the core values, work principles and behaviors that define the culture and bring the idea of a “One PTC” team to life;
• and the CliftonStrengths Assessment, which employees complete to learn what makes them uniquely powerful in how they approach situations like changing expectations, performance goals, relationships, managing time and resources, and conflict resolution and problem-solving.

The program also pulls from the rich experiences of PTC’s senior leaders, using the power of stories as valuable tools and techniques to create engaging, inspiring and determined future leaders.

The individuals in the EL cohort are thoughtfully assembled into teams to maximize diversity and provide everyone with a unique opportunity to work with people from other cultures and roles at PTC. The ELs participate in training sessions with their EL group and have the opportunity to network with senior leaders. Every training day is opened by an Executive Committee (EC) member, who shares their story and their CliftonStrengths, creating an open and honest dialogue with the cohort about their experiences in leadership. These sharing sessions are critical to the program, as each EL learns the value of diversity in experience and that there is no one leadership profile.

So far, the impact of the EL program has been felt by those who have participated in the first two cohorts. For the participants, the experience greatly shapes their roles and approach toward leadership in general. It helps to build their confidence, expand their perspectives and learn from how others have approached and overcome challenges. Cohort graduates have also come away with the importance of creating an environment of confidence as a critical factor for growth and development, along with the importance of building trust, active listening, exploring the strengths of each person and being empathic.

The EL “graduates” have also made a lasting impact at the company. The first EL cohort founded a new Business Resource Group at PTC called “Early Career Professionals”. The group supports employees with less than ten years of professional experience who want to improve or enhance their skillset.

“The quality of the program has exceeded all my expectations,” says Hege Sollie-Zetlmayer, SVP, Human Resources, PTC and founding creator of the EL program. “I’m looking forward to seeing the full impact of the program in a few years as the participants take on broader roles and more responsibilities in the organization.”

The EL program has set PTC up for future success by empowering and supporting individuals who have learned to lead with confidence, diversity of thought and varying leadership styles.