Creating a Talent Strategy for Your Local Government Arizona City/County Management Association Feb 3, 2010 Dr. Frank Benest [email protected].

Creating a Talent Creating a Talent Strategy for Your Local Strategy for Your Local

GovernmentGovernment

Arizona City/County Management Arizona City/County Management AssociationAssociationFeb 3, 2010Feb 3, 2010

Dr. Frank BenestDr. Frank [email protected]@frankbenest.com

Let’s Start With Two QuestionsLet’s Start With Two Questions

1.1. What are the What are the big challengesbig challenges now and in now and in the next five years facing local govt the next five years facing local govt determining our ability to survive and determining our ability to survive and thrive?thrive?

Let’s Start With Two QuestionsLet’s Start With Two Questions

2.2. What are the What are the competencies competencies needed by needed by local govt managers to effectively local govt managers to effectively address these challenges?address these challenges?

Why a Talent Strategy?Why a Talent Strategy? Local govts are overwhelmed with Local govts are overwhelmed with

accelerating and discontinuous changeaccelerating and discontinuous change Problems are complex, difficult-to-solve, Problems are complex, difficult-to-solve,

emotion-laden, and divisiveemotion-laden, and divisive No one institution, including government, No one institution, including government,

can solve any major problemcan solve any major problem Local govts face era of “permanent fiscal Local govts face era of “permanent fiscal

crisis,” depleting capacity to respondcrisis,” depleting capacity to respond

Why a Talent Strategy? (cont)Why a Talent Strategy? (cont)

Power is diffusePower is diffuse Citizens have lost confidence in all Citizens have lost confidence in all

institutions, including govtinstitutions, including govt To confront any major challenge, leaders To confront any major challenge, leaders

must cross boundariesmust cross boundaries Talent is the key ingredient to survive and Talent is the key ingredient to survive and

thrivethrive

Indispensable Competencies To Indispensable Competencies To Address Big ChallengesAddress Big Challenges

Boundary-Crossing SkillsBoundary-Crossing Skills Partnering and Alliance-Building SkillsPartnering and Alliance-Building Skills Learning AgilityLearning Agility Active Futures Active Futures

OrientationOrientation People SkillsPeople Skills

The Importance of People SkillsThe Importance of People Skills

Top Mgmt

Mid Mgmt

An

alytic SkillsTechn

ical Skills

Peo

ple S

killsLower Mgmt

80 percent of management failure is related to poor people skills

Technical S

kills

Peo

ple S

kills

Why should we be especially Why should we be especially concerned about the talent issue in concerned about the talent issue in

tough times?tough times?

Demographic Crisis Facing Local Demographic Crisis Facing Local Governments in U.S.Governments in U.S.

The NumbersThe Numbers80 million Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) leaving U.S. 80 million Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) leaving U.S.

economyeconomy50 million Gen Xers (born 1965-1981) replacing them50 million Gen Xers (born 1965-1981) replacing them

Large talent “replacement gaps”Large talent “replacement gaps”

Age Distribution of Gov. &Age Distribution of Gov. & Private Sector Workers – 2001 Private Sector Workers – 2001

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

<25 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+

Gov.Private

City of Palo AltoCity of Palo AltoOrganizationOrganization

City Manager

Asst City Mgr

Asst to the CM

Asst to the CMExec Asst to CM

Office Specialist

Public Comm Mgr

Office Specialist - Reception Desk

Administrative Asst

Director, CSD (#

Director, ASD

Director Libraries

Fire Chief

Dir Human Res

Dir Pln/Com Envn

Dir PW/Cty Eng

Director Utilities

Police Chief

City Manager’s Office

City of Palo AltoCity of Palo AltoOrganizationOrganization

Director PW/Cty Engineer

Mgr, Envrn Comp

Staff Secretary

Mgr, Env Cont Prg

Mgr, Env Cont Prg

Sr Administrator

Depty Dir PW Ops

Mgr, Maint OpsRefuse

Mgr, Maint OpsOperations

Sr Engineer

Mgr, Solid WasteRefuse

Managing Arborist

Executive Asst

Fleet Mgr

Asst Fleet Mgr

Staff Secretary

Mgr, Wqc Plant

Staff Secretary

Supv, Wqc Oper

Mgr, Lab Svc

Supv, Wqc Oper

Supv, Wqc Oper

Office Specialist

Sr Engineer Asst Mgr Wqc Plnt

Supv Wqc Oper

Project Engineer

Asst Dir PW Eng

Sr Engineer

Sr Engineer

Project Engineer

Coord PW Proj

Sr Proj Mgr

Supv Insp/Surv

Sr Eng Strm Drn

Mgr, Fac Maint/Prj

Engineer

Supv Facil Mgt

Supv Bldg Svc

Staff Secretary

Project Mgr

Acct Specialist

Staff Secretary

Office Specialist

Public Works DepartmentAdministration

Admin Asst

City of Palo Alto’sCity of Palo Alto’s “Retirement Wave”“Retirement Wave”

50% of Management and Professional 50% of Management and Professional Employees are eligible to retire in Employees are eligible to retire in

three yearsthree years

35% say they will definitely retire35% say they will definitely retire

Talent DevelopmentTalent Development

The GoalsThe Goals Create Create “leader-full”“leader-full” organization organization Develop Develop poolpool of talent able & ready to of talent able & ready to

step into leadership positions at top levels step into leadership positions at top levels and throughout and throughout

organizationorganization

Talent DevelopmentTalent Development

Historic ViewHistoric ViewTalent Development = classroom trainingTalent Development = classroom training

Contemporary ViewContemporary ViewTalent Development = series of “stretching” Talent Development = series of “stretching” job experiences coupled with helpful and candid job experiences coupled with helpful and candid

coachingcoaching

Four-Prong ApproachFour-Prong Approach

1. Accelerate development of talent in the 1. Accelerate development of talent in the local government pipelinelocal government pipelineexamples: Interim management or special projectsexamples: Interim management or special projects

Management Talent Exchange ProgramManagement Talent Exchange Program

2. Capture and transfer knowledge2. Capture and transfer knowledgeexamples: Desk manuals examples: Desk manuals

Transition planning formatsTransition planning formats Wiki’s (“palopedia”)Wiki’s (“palopedia”) Videotaped interviews with retirees Videotaped interviews with retirees Roundtables with “communities of practice” Roundtables with “communities of practice” Expert yellow pagesExpert yellow pages

Four Prong Approach (con’t)Four Prong Approach (con’t)

3. Re-recruit and retain talent, including 3. Re-recruit and retain talent, including early-, mid- and late-career talentearly-, mid- and late-career talentexamples: Learning and “stretch” opportunitiesexamples: Learning and “stretch” opportunities

“ “Stay interviews”Stay interviews”

4. Attract young people into the pipeline4. Attract young people into the pipelineexamples: Re-brandingexamples: Re-branding

Job shadowingJob shadowing InternshipsInternships Management Management

FellowshipsFellowships

Cost-Effective Talent Development Cost-Effective Talent Development ApproachesApproaches

Cross-trainCross-train Use internal trainers or “train-the-trainers”Use internal trainers or “train-the-trainers” Teach supervisors simple coaching skillsTeach supervisors simple coaching skills Place emerging leaders in interim Place emerging leaders in interim

positionspositions Include a learning plan in annual work plan Include a learning plan in annual work plan

for each employeefor each employee Rotate key talent through Executive TeamRotate key talent through Executive Team

Cost-Effective Talent Development Cost-Effective Talent Development Approaches (con’t)Approaches (con’t)

Conduct “talent readiness assessments”Conduct “talent readiness assessments” Structure assignments to include interaction with Structure assignments to include interaction with

advisory boards and community groupsadvisory boards and community groups Exchange an aspiring manager with a Exchange an aspiring manager with a

neighboring jurisdictionneighboring jurisdiction Collaborate with Area Manager Group or Collaborate with Area Manager Group or

adjoining local govts to create a regional talent adjoining local govts to create a regional talent exchange, internship, or training consortiumexchange, internship, or training consortium

Lessons LearnedLessons Learned

1. Ensure leadership from the top1. Ensure leadership from the top

2. Make “talent development” a primary responsibility 2. Make “talent development” a primary responsibility of senior managersof senior managers

3. Target efforts but make development opportunities 3. Target efforts but make development opportunities available to allavailable to all

4. Integrate “attracting and retaining talent” and 4. Integrate “attracting and retaining talent” and “growing leaders” into strategic plan“growing leaders” into strategic plan

5. Provide array of development opportunities5. Provide array of development opportunities

Lessons Learned (con’t)Lessons Learned (con’t)

6. Go beyond classroom training to provide job 6. Go beyond classroom training to provide job experiences that stretch aspiring leadersexperiences that stretch aspiring leaders

7. Align all organization systems7. Align all organization systems

8. Partner with governing board and unions8. Partner with governing board and unions

9. Place responsibility on employee9. Place responsibility on employee

10. Allow mistakes10. Allow mistakes

ResourcesResources Creating a Multidimensional Talent Strategy to Divert Creating a Multidimensional Talent Strategy to Divert

Brain Drain and Other Future Disasters, Brain Drain and Other Future Disasters, IQ Report, IQ Report, ICMA, Sept 2009ICMA, Sept 2009http://bookstore.icma.orghttp://bookstore.icma.org and click on “IQ Reports and click on “IQ Reports

Cal-ICMA Coaching ProgramCal-ICMA Coaching Program One to one coachingOne to one coaching Telephone panelsTelephone panels WebinarsWebinars Speed CoachingSpeed Coaching Women Leading GovernmentWomen Leading Government

Also check out “Hiring 2.0” Guide of Best PracticesAlso check out “Hiring 2.0” Guide of Best Practices

www.cal-icma.orgwww.cal-icma.org

Actions Moving ForwardActions Moving Forward

In terms of implementing some of the ideas In terms of implementing some of the ideas that we’ve discussed…that we’ve discussed…

““What is one thing I want to do?”What is one thing I want to do?”

““What is one thing I want our organization What is one thing I want our organization to do?”to do?”

Thank You!Thank You!www.frankbenest.comwww.frankbenest.com