unlocking the potential in high potentials 2008

Copyright © 2008, Personnel Decisions International Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Unlocking the Potential in High Potentials

Marc Sokol, Senior Vice President

Personnel Decisions International • December 2008

2 Copyright © 2008, Personnel Decisions International Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Agenda

Special needs of high potential employees

Case example

What do high potential employees need from their

coaches?

Working with groups of high potentials


Who Are We Talking About?

Talented people who take off like a rocket


POTENTIAL

What is Potential – A Point of View

Foundations ofPotential

Accelerators of Potential

Potential consists of: Foundational capacities – the mental horsepower and inherent predispositions to demonstrate leadership behaviours; and

Accelerators – the experience to know how to respond to leadership challenges and the interest to pursue leadership advancement.


What’s Over the Horizon?


What’s The Reality?


What’s The Risk?


What Does the Senior Talent Officer Want to Know?

Big picture Succession: Who’s ready? When? Where? Performance: How well are incumbents performing? Development: Where to focus resources?

Decisions Talent pools Individuals

Supporting Actions: Coaching as an option

Coaching is our primary focus for today


Assumptions Often Made about High Potentials

Want to progress upwards Possess superior capacity and motivation to take on more Feel as confident as the confidence shown in them They can handle whatever is thrown at them Potential remains the same over time


Issues Facing High Potentials

Progressing Earlier in their careers




Learning Faster




Learning Faster

Leading in ways that are Bigger, more Indirect, and

much more Symbolic


This is you…


This is you with a label…


Sometimes all they see is…




Learning Faster

Leading in ways that are Bigger, more Indirect, and much

more Symbolic

Living where it is Scarier


Living Where It’s Scary!


Coaching to Unlock Potential

A Case Illustration


Case of the ‘Likely Leader’: Where Potential Promotes Peril



Alan – Financial Services Executive High IQ & high Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Ten years younger than others on management committee

(40 vs early 50’s) Successful in prior roles, long seen as a high potential Open to learning and being a better leader Former peer promoted to president Verbal 360 – how Alan is seen by others and planning his

agenda for the next few years



Consistent feedback comments Great leader, fun, really cares about people Combines IQ and EQ in way no one else does Has tremendous potential, could be a CEO Quick study, works hard, leads with facts Motivates and develops others around him

And…


Case of the ‘Likely Leader’: 360 Feedback and Lessons to Learn

The danger in a little admiration

Being labeled as ambitious can be dangerous too

Believing your own press, but reading news from only one

source


Case of the ‘Likely Leader’: Opportunities for Insight & Action

Accept that expectations may be unfair

The 50% rule applies (half of what worked in the past still

matters; half may not or get in the way…the rules change!)

Learn to see yourself as one actor on the stage and not

always in the lead part

Being authentic within a more public arena


What Do High Potentials Need from Their Coaches?

A place to articulate and revisit ‘their dream’ Help distinguishing ‘authentic’ self from ‘imposter’ self


A place to articulate and revisit ‘their dream’ Help distinguishing ‘authentic’ self from ‘imposter’ self Help reframing (the value of experience) A safe place to vent (treated with compassion and

confrontation) A mirror (how you sound, how you look)




A place to articulate and revisit ‘their dream’ Help distinguishing ‘authentic’ self from ‘imposter’ self Help reframing (the value of experience) A safe place to vent (treated with compassion and

confrontation) A mirror (how you sound, how you look) A place to practice important conversations A place to imagine their future and how to be ready A place to plan


Seeing Things Differently…


Same Star, Bigger Box…


This Is One Response…


See in a Different Way, Act in a Different Way


Reflections From a High Potential Coach

Rhythm matters

Everything is serious

Gather and use perception data for high impact

Discover their ‘dream’

There are lots of ways to add value, find the ones that

matter most for them


What About Working with Groups of High Potentials?


Groups of High Potentials Require a Systemic Approach Driven by Talent Strategy

Individuals Champion Business issue1 2 3 4

Talent strategy

Ad Hoc Systemic

Individuals Champion Business issue


But that’s not all…


Related topics...

Identifying high potentials

Assessing readiness and development needs

Systemic coaching and individual coaching programs

Building coaching capability in HR and line leaders

Developing groups of high potentials together

Managing communication about being high potential

Transformational Leadership

unlocking the potential in high potentials 2008

Business

withgroups of high potentials

high impact

tremendous potential

likely leader

authentic self

safe place

imposter self help

dream help