Catalysts for career development: four case studies. (Cover Story)

Effective career development systems don't materialize--they evolve. One thoughtfully planned initiative can spark, enhance, or refine other efforts. That's what synergism is all about: capitalizing on disparate strengths to heighten their overall effect.

What practices best serve as catalysts for systemic career development programs? As part of our survey of the state of the art in organizational career development, we examined practices in career development that can trigger development of a full-fledged career development system. Here are four exemplary career development practices identified in our study.

3M's Job Information System. In the late 1980s, largely in response to needs expressed by employees, 3M created a job-posting system to help employees take charge of their own careers. The Job Information System helps managers identify suitable internal candidates and helps employees …