The executive education classroom: instructor selection criteria

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to present a number of qualitative characteristics that contribute to effective and successful instructor involvement in a custom executive education (EE) program classroom with seasoned managers as classroom learners. As such, the characteristics should be a part of any EE instructor due diligence evaluation and selection endeavor.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper codifies the attributes observed in successful, sought‐after EE instructors over nearly two decades of leading custom EE programs for a variety of clients.

Findings

In this paper, 13 characteristics of well‐regarded, impactful EE instructors are identified and discussed. Each characteristic is posited as important but it is the combination of all of them that is the hallmark of the most successful, memorable, effective custom EE program instructors.

Practical implications

Readers are provided with a due diligence list of 13 items for identifying highly effective custom EE program instructors. Those items should be explicitly and carefully evaluated in the instructors being considered for inclusion on a custom EE program delivery team.

Originality/value

The field‐inspired, custom EE program instructor due diligence foci presented here are immediately applicable. They are characteristics that both a custom EE program provider and a client organization will find beneficial to focus on when seeking to assemble an instructor team aimed at presenting a memorable, high‐value added learning experience for a cadre of experienced managers.

Citation

Haskins, M.E. (2012), "The executive education classroom: instructor selection criteria", Development and Learning in Organizations, Vol. 26 No. 1, pp. 19-22. https://doi.org/10.1108/14777281211189137