Explore pathways

Connecting people with development.

These are starting points, not prerequisites. Find the audience that sounds most like you, see which offerings connect to it, then confirm the right mix with your manager or HR business partner.

Leadership development overview

Four groups of development at Sonoco.

Leadership programs

Programs such as BRIDGE to Leadership and Foundations of Leadership give learners basic to advanced skills to lead in today’s workplace — from new supervisors to advancing managers — and help align leaders with our values.

Targeted programs

Crucial Conversations, Crucial Influence, Crucial Accountability, Getting Things Done, The Power of Habit, and Financial Acumen give leaders techniques to improve their influence and impact.

Assessment programs

The Korn Ferry 360 and Develop to Lead help participants gain valuable knowledge about themselves and their team members, and turn it into a focused development plan.

Mentorships and Sonoco University

Mentorships pair learners with more senior or established leaders across Sonoco, while Sonoco University adds self-paced modules, Packaged Learning, Skill Benchmarking, and the AI Simulator.

Wide stone steps rising toward two colleagues talking beside a bright window.

The development journey

Growth happens one confirmed step at a time.

Development at Sonoco rarely starts with a single enrollment. It usually starts with a conversation about where you are now, followed by the offering that fits that moment. The matrix below shows which offerings are commonly connected to each audience, so you can arrive at that conversation prepared.

Audience matrix

Which offerings connect to which audience.

A check means the offering is commonly connected to that audience in the development guide. It is not a statement of eligibility — access is confirmed through the routes listed below the table.

Individual Contributor
- BRIDGE to Leadership
- Crucial Conversations
- Crucial Influence
- Crucial Accountability
- Korn Ferry 360
- Mentorship
New Supervisor
- BRIDGE to Leadership
- Crucial Conversations
- Crucial Influence
- Crucial Accountability
- Mentorship
New College Graduate
- Crucial Conversations
- Crucial Influence
- Crucial Accountability
- Emerging Leader Program
- Mentorship
Mid-Level Growing Leader
- Foundations of Leadership
- Crucial Conversations
- Crucial Influence
- Crucial Accountability
- Financial Acumen
- Korn Ferry 360
- Mentorship
High Potential
- Foundations of Leadership
- Develop to Lead
- Crucial Conversations
- Crucial Influence
- Crucial Accountability
- Korn Ferry 360
- Mentorship

Sonoco development offerings commonly connected to each audience group.
Audience	BRIDGE to Leadership	Foundations of Leadership	Develop to Lead	Crucial Conversations	Crucial Influence	Crucial Accountability	Financial Acumen	Emerging Leader Program	Korn Ferry 360	Mentorship
Individual Contributor	BRIDGE to Leadership applies	Not listed	Not listed	Crucial Conversations applies	Crucial Influence applies	Crucial Accountability applies	Not listed	Not listed	Korn Ferry 360 applies	Mentorship applies
New Supervisor	BRIDGE to Leadership applies	Not listed	Not listed	Crucial Conversations applies	Crucial Influence applies	Crucial Accountability applies	Not listed	Not listed	Not listed	Mentorship applies
New College Graduate	Not listed	Not listed	Not listed	Crucial Conversations applies	Crucial Influence applies	Crucial Accountability applies	Not listed	Emerging Leader Program applies	Not listed	Mentorship applies
Mid-Level Growing Leader	Not listed	Foundations of Leadership applies	Not listed	Crucial Conversations applies	Crucial Influence applies	Crucial Accountability applies	Financial Acumen applies	Not listed	Korn Ferry 360 applies	Mentorship applies
High Potential	Not listed	Foundations of Leadership applies	Develop to Lead applies	Crucial Conversations applies	Crucial Influence applies	Crucial Accountability applies	Not listed	Not listed	Korn Ferry 360 applies	Mentorship applies

Accessibility

How each group of offerings is accessed.

Foundations of Leadership, Develop to Lead, Financial Acumen, Crucial Conversations, Crucial Influence, Crucial Accountability: Prescribed during the Talent Review process or by an HR business partner.
Emerging Leader Program: New college graduates. Ask Talent Management for current availability and timing.
Korn Ferry 360: Prescribed by the HR business partner.
BRIDGE to Leadership, Getting Things Done, The 5 Languages of Appreciation, The Power of Habit, Train the Trainer: Prescribed by manager or HR business partner.
Sonoco University: Packaged Learning, Skill Benchmarking, AI Simulator: Self-prescribed, manager prescribed, or HR business partner prescribed.

Individual growth

New skills, brighter opportunities.

Self-directed learning fits between meetings and shifts. Pair one short module with a real task this month, and you will feel the difference before the quarter ends.

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