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
Nov 18, 2014
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
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Agenda
Special needs of high potential employees
Case example
What do high potential employees need from their
coaches?
Working with groups of high potentials
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Who Are We Talking About?
Talented people who take off like a rocket
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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.
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What’s Over the Horizon?
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What’s The Reality?
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What’s The Risk?
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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
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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
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Issues Facing High Potentials
Progressing Earlier in their careers
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Issues Facing High Potentials
Progressing Earlier in their careers
Learning Faster
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Issues Facing High Potentials
Progressing Earlier in their careers
Learning Faster
Leading in ways that are Bigger, more Indirect, and
much more Symbolic
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This is you…
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This is you with a label…
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Sometimes all they see is…
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Issues Facing High Potentials
Progressing Earlier in their careers
Learning Faster
Leading in ways that are Bigger, more Indirect, and much
more Symbolic
Living where it is Scarier
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Living Where It’s Scary!
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Coaching to Unlock Potential
A Case Illustration
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Case of the ‘Likely Leader’: Where Potential Promotes Peril
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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
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Case of the ‘Likely Leader’: Where Potential Promotes Peril
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…
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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
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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
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What Do High Potentials Need from Their Coaches?
A place to articulate and revisit ‘their dream’ Help distinguishing ‘authentic’ self from ‘imposter’ self
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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)
What Do High Potentials Need from Their Coaches?
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What Do High Potentials Need from Their Coaches?
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
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Seeing Things Differently…
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Same Star, Bigger Box…
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This Is One Response…
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See in a Different Way, Act in a Different Way
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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
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What About Working with Groups of High Potentials?
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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
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But that’s not all…
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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
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Thank You!