What do you do if your managers need strategies for talent development and succession planning?

To really understand your team’s potential for leadership, you need to go beyond the usual performance reviews. I like using behavioral assessments like Hogan or Gallup to get a sense of how employees think and act, especially when it comes to leading teams. But it’s not just about the assessment—it’s really valuable to pair these with personal coaching. In my experience, two key qualities stand out for future leaders, especially in fast-moving environments: adaptability and learning agility. I often put potential leaders in situations where they need to pick up new skills quickly or make decisions without all the information. This shows me who’s comfortable with ambiguity and change, which are crucial traits for leadership roles.

In my opinion, the key is for managers to see value in talent development and succession efforts. While most succession planning is done top-down primarily part of a corporate initiative, the more effective ones allow for customization based on local and business-specific priorities. For instance, allowing managers to provide inputs into key positions or skills to focus on the succession efforts would make them better engaged with the process. There will also be greater follow-through on the action items discussed.

Before embarking on any talent development or succession planning initiative, managers must conduct a thorough assessment of their organization's current talent landscape. This involves identifying existing skill gaps, potential future leadership needs, and areas where talent development efforts are most urgently required. Utilizing tools such as competency assessments, performance reviews, and talent audits can provide valuable insights into areas that require attention.

To level set that process, I encourage engaging stakeholders on answering what new or existing business needs would you like your team to meet more effectively and drill down from there to understand specific skills, job roles and goals of your team members (JDs, comeptencies, skills inventories), have a clear performance metrics and KPIs to evaluate their productivity and contribute to the team's objectives and use existing data to create tailored L&D paths (performance reviews, SWOTs, TOWs, etc)

Cultivating talent and strategizing for future leadership are not just beneficial practices but foundational to the enduring prosperity and adaptability of any organization. A forward-thinking mindset and unwavering support from leaders at every tier are the bedrock of these initiatives. By prioritizing talent development and thoughtful succession planning, organizations do more than smooth the path for leadership transitions; they build an environment ripe with opportunities for growth for every employee. To translate these strategies into action with efficacy, consider these tips: ?Elevate Leadership Abilities. ?Conduct Thorough Performance Assessments. ?Foster a Learning-Driven Culture. ?Harness the Power of Technology.

Succession planning doesn't succeed without serious involvement of managers. The best way to get them as sponsor is to ensure they are involved in the process of identification, development and succession decision.

Be a confidente and reliable partner. That's what is most important and relevant choice and it will be appreciated too; because you bring bandwidth which is situational necessity ! So accompany him / her with best of your skills and will !

As Leaders they need to know the value of their team members' performances and potentials. Performances can be found based on their actual achievements of KPI, Goal Setting, or OKR. And the other hand, potential reflects on "future" so Leaders need to assess and "forcast" their team members' potentials using tangible key indicator (depends on the organization's competencies). It can be done by observing, 1 on 1 coaching, and getting feedback from their peers or stakeholders. When all the data gathered, Leaders analyze it based on Performance & Potential to identify Succession Plan of all team members.

Objectives or goals or vision are important for any important formulation. We always think about SMART. But in all my articles i personally use this term SIMARTER which is Specific Innovative Measurable Attainable Relevant Timely Targets Evaluation Review By doing this, we can set much better & clear objectives as we are also incorporating out of the box thinking.

Clear and measurable objectives are essential for guiding talent development and succession planning efforts. Managers should establish specific goals aligned with the organization's strategic priorities. These objectives may include improving employee retention rates, enhancing leadership capabilities, fostering a culture of continuous learning, and ensuring a seamless transition of key roles. By setting concrete targets, managers can effectively measure the success of their initiatives and adjust strategies as needed.

Once needs and objectives are identified, managers can focus on developing the skills and competencies required to meet those objectives. This may involve providing training programs, workshops, mentorship opportunities, and access to resources such as online courses or professional certifications. Personalized development plans tailored to individual employee's strengths and areas for improvement can maximize the effectiveness of skill development efforts.

Development of the skills for the existing employees or stakeholders is very important to take up new challenges. We do not have to recruit people from outside. If we can upskill the existing team, they can perform very well because they know both job & company culture. Thus, it is easy for them to deep dive into the new challenges.

Die F?higkeitenentwicklung sollte nicht nur auf Schw?chen abzielen, sondern vorallem St?rken erkennen und weiterentwickeln. Dadurch kann authentische Excellence entstehen.

Engaging and retaining top talent is crucial for long-term organizational success. Managers should actively involve employees in the talent development process by soliciting feedback, encouraging career discussions, and providing opportunities for growth and advancement. Recognizing and rewarding high performers can also help foster a culture of engagement and motivation. Additionally, creating a supportive work environment where employees feel valued and empowered to contribute can significantly enhance retention rates and overall employee satisfaction.

Wle call few people as HI-PO leaders who are High Potential Leaders. We need to identify them & try to retain them. Not always money works. At times we can compensate with Position New roles New challenges New goals New stream New function etc.., These will help them to move forward happily.

This is quite challenging. Many leaders have this problem. They wish to grow very well but they do not wish to carry their team along during their growth. They try to keep them in the dark. But it is very crucial that the leaders should plan for their succession. This is also a phase where the leader can realise that he needs to move forward if the other person is coming up organically. By chopping someone's growth, we will defame ourselves.

Succession planning involves identifying and grooming future leaders to ensure a smooth transition of key roles within the organization. Managers should identify high-potential employees and provide them with opportunities to develop leadership skills and gain exposure to different areas of the business. Succession plans should be flexible enough to adapt to changing business needs and should include contingency plans for unexpected departures or disruptions. Regularly reviewing and updating succession plans is essential to ensure they remain relevant and effective.

To plan for succession, it is a great idea to train all the managers on what they need to know and to look out for to effectively be able to handle succession planning conversations. I have seen managers (especially those new in management roles) that desire to have a succession pipeline but struggle with the process because they are not well equiped on this subject.

When we are monitoring our progress, it is like the initial days of pregnancy or hitting the gym. It will take time. Today we do something & tomorrow we will see results... Possible?? Certainly not. The progress can be checked maybe once a month but review can be done either daily or weekly. But it should be done consistently. If not, we can see the results grow. We need to be unique in our thinking approach & also designing strategies. This has to align with our individual goals & company's goals.

Continuous monitoring and evaluation are essential to gauge the effectiveness of talent development and succession planning efforts. Managers should establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to track progress towards established objectives and make data-driven decisions. Regular feedback sessions, performance reviews, and 360-degree assessments can provide valuable insights into employee development and identify areas for improvement. By staying proactive and responsive to feedback, managers can ensure that their talent development initiatives remain aligned with organizational goals.

Individuals Career aspirations vs organization's unique job roles places a vital role, it's not only the skills that will be matched but the attitude, passion and ability to change from one a particular role to another. By Using the right talent at the right time.

One of the critical ways to get started is to have a strong set of rhythms to be able to “Know” your talent better. 1. At an individual level : intentional development and career planning conversations to understand aspirations, areas of growth, and experiences required to accelerate growth. 2. At a team / org level : an intentional and dedicated set of talent discussions led by leaders in order to create collectively visibility around talent needs, gaps, opportunities for internal talent movements and experiences 3. At a company level : Critical to leverage existing HR and business systems in place as as critical signals to assess talent capabilities and gaps. Ex. Performance and retention insights, employee engagement, attrition data

First, mapping talent (by performance & potential) and identifying the ones who best fit in Organizational Culture, then create personalized plans to develop them according their interests, readiness and business strategy.