7 Remaining Relevant T H E S U S TA I N I N G S TA G E "Stayin' alive." ­ THE BEE GEES n our era of rapid and dra- matic change, it is critical to find ways to sustain the energy and momentum of the career development effort. Far too many career development initiatives fade just as quickly as they've been imple- mented. Bottom-line questions, too, are being directed at career development programs with increasing urgency. Ideas that sound smart may not translate into "good dollars and sense." In fact, a lot of promising programs are generated only to fizzle out or be aban- doned not long after their creation. Career development programs need to be adapted to changing conditions by designing a variety of sustaining systems that keep the program alive. It is also crucial to recognize that these systems will not work if they're tacked onto the end of a career development program; they have to be designed in and considered at the preparation stage and attended to at each of the succeeding stages. Many of us know this intuitively: We've probably felt, if not actually documented, those moments when organizational and individual commitment to a particular career development effort begins to wane. There are sev- eral ways to help avert such an outcome. One is to ask three "guid- ing questions" at each stage of the effort: I I I How do the career development needs we've identified link with our overall business direction? How can we create interventions that are flexible and adapt- able enough to meet changing needs and audiences? I 227