Now for gardeners that is easy because the changing of the seasons is the signal to do a review. It's not as straight forward for people who develop leaders.
It can be easy to be lulled into a false sense of security and neglect to review your strategy. If everything appears to be functioning well on the surface it can be tempting to not take any action. However, that doesn't mean all is well. There is a definite lag time between when issues arise and when they start to be noticed. Plus, there are external factors that can impact your plans that must be taken into account. For example, the changing needs of a younger generation of leaders, actions by your competitors or new strategic goals.
So when did you last review your leadership development strategy? If you follow the example of the gardeners best practice would be quarterly but annually should be the minimum. To do an effective stocktake you need a list of criteria to work from so that your review is well rounded and not subject to confirmation bias or blind spots.
I've actually come up with a list of 40 points that are relevant to any program, regardless of industry, size or location. Was your last review that comprehensive or did it simply involve talking to a few people and reviewing the "happy sheets"? If you really want to get the best return on investment for your learning budget I encourage you to schedule a review at the start of the next season.
To learn about her Practical Leadership Development model visit www.letsgrow.com.au.