Training Magazine - July 2008 - (Page 43)

Potential annual sales and employs 50 people. What makes Reimer’s story so striking is the rarity with which an ascent like hers occurs in the work world. “Too many times, people in authority don’t look at someone like me,” she says. “When they want to turn over the reins, they look for someone next in line—those at the VP or director level. I had no architectural background, no industry experience, no marketing background. But Dennis was willing to take a chance on me.” She argues that too many companies troll for the usual suspects when looking for high potentials within their ranks. Matt Paese, who is VP for executive solutions at Development Dimensions International (DDI), a global human resources consulting firm with headquarters in Bridgeville, PA, agrees. Indeed, the problem with many high-potential identification systems in place today, he says, is that they too often get the definition of a high potential wrong, which invariably causes companies to overlook the latent talent that exists right under their noses. Finding these undiscovered stars makes sense. It’s not only cheaper and less time-consuming to cultivate talent internally, it’s also less risky, according to Ohio-based Westfield Insurance Chief HR Officer Debra Lyons, whose organization was named one of North America’s “Top Small to Mid-Size Companies for Leaders” by Hewitt Associates and FORTUNE magazine in 2007. She points to research, for example, demonstrating that leaders sourced from the outside are more likely to fail—“by a long shot”—than those sourced from the inside. high-potential profile to stop relying on high performance as a “proxy” for potential. The same holds true for using “readiness” as a proxy for potential, he says. “By using job requirements for the next level up as criteria for determining potential, you will exclude people who have never had the chance to exhibit the skills you think you’re looking for—but who could if someone were to invest in their development.” DDI has conducted extensive research, according to Paese, that suggests organizations are far more likely to identify high potentials they wouldn’t otherwise have recognized if their identification systems are designed to scout for traits that can be observable in anyone—regardless of current job role, performance level, or skill sets. These traits generally comprise “four factors” that include qualities such as: • Mastering complexity: Can they take the complex and make it simple? When encountering change, do they adjust quickly and focus on the positive rather than the negative? • Personal development and learning orientation: Do they want to learn and grow? Are they receptive to feedback? • Propensity to lead: Do they exhibit unselfish volunteerism? Do they raise their hand in times of opportunity and crisis? • Balancing values and results: Do they get results in a way that fits with organizational culture? Paese points to one client organization that needed to find people to fill several key VP roles. When members of the company’s leadership council gathered to discuss who might be a good fit, they limited their search to director-level candidates only and examined two things: who had the highest performance and who had the highest potential. After vetting candidates accordingly, they were dismayed to find they didn’t have a sufficiently large pool of viable candidates. Out of necessity, they decided to look at employees in the echelons below the director-level rank. Someone mentioned a gentleman in his early 30s who was in a service role at the time. While younger and less experienced, he was known to be a tremendous learner and adept at navigating complexity, and he had exhibited unselfish leadership and volunteerism. They decided to throw him into the mix, send some development opportunities his way, and take a closer look. The candidate, in turn, says Paese, “chewed up every development situation” he was thrown into, and “learned everything 10 times quicker than most people.” Four years later, this erstwhile diamond in the rough is the youngest person to sit on the t r a i n i n g JULY / AUGUST 2008 Know What to Look for So if you suspect your pipeline is functioning more like a sluice, it may be time to mine your organization more deeply to identify those diamonds in the rough that often go unnoticed. But how? First, recognize that unconventional high potentials aren’t necessarily going to fit some standard definition of a star performer, says Paese. Some may be stuck in an entry-level position, be in the wrong job altogether, or have little opportunity to make their potential known. Others may lack the desired credentials, have a more “reserved” personality, or work for managers who take little interest in their development. And still others may be workers like Reimer, who don’t even know they are interested in advancement opportunities but who, if given the chance, may wow you in unlikely ways. For these reasons, Paese typically advises organizations intent on identifying workers who don’t fit the “traditional” w w w. t r a i n i n g m a g . c o m | 43 http://www.trainingmag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Training Magazine - July 2008

Training Magazine - July 2008 Contents Online TOC Editor’s Note Training Today Soapbox How-To World View Managing the Magic Keys to the Kingdom Good Job! Personalities & Performance Hidden Potential The Executive Entrance Live & Online No More Revolving Door Questions for Covey TMI Brochure

Training Magazine - July 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.