How Long Should a High Potential Stay in a Job?
Parsimonious Haku
A lot to take in,
Time to say hello goodbye,
On the way to top.
?Abstract: Determining how long high potentials should stay in a job involves accumulating the lessons learned on the journey toward the C-Suite. Typically, these emerging individuals roll through 10-12 jobs or roles on the way to a top job. Each should align with the anticipated future roles, such as Chief Marketing Officer, while also considering the dynamic marketplace context at that time. Tick Tock.
The simplest, but not very useful answer is, long enough to learn the lessons that job teaches, material lessons of experience that research predicts will be needed to perform well when a high potential gets to their final, intended destination at the top.
Typically, there are about 10-12 possible jobs a High Potential will flow through on the way to being one of the top 2% managers and leaders in the organization by the age of say, 42. Starting at about twenty-two, after two internships, and being promoted to a significant job after a 20-year run-up. We're using this milestone time marker because it offers sufficient time for learning and development, as well as many opportunities for top leadership engagement and impact. This approach allows us to effectively assess when a high-potential individual is prepared for their best-fit leadership role.
This journey can be widely different depending on the type of organization and what’s happening in the marketplace.
The journey to the top is about realizing potential - specifically, identifying the best-case destination. Much hinges on the planned or anticipated endpoint. For instance, if an emerging talent is projected to become the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), their job placements must align with the functional demands and requirements of that role and the contextual factors they will encounter at the time of placement. This context can vary significantly, ranging from uncertain (based on guesstimates) to certain and from narrow to broad in scope.
Some considerations for planning for the trip to the top:
·?????? True High Potentials have higher learning agility and learn faster than others. They get up to speed quicker.? It takes them less time to become productive.? They learn like crazy initially and then contribute more than their weight in value toward the end.
·?????? If “Global” is part of the destination projection, building a globalist takes up to three international assignments. A globalist excels in management across borders, thrives in a global environment where differences are embraced, and demonstrates keen global acuity to succeed in the international landscape.
o?? The first out of home country assignment teaches that there are at least two ways to do everything. The second international assignment teaches that there are more than two ways to do everything. The third teaches that there is no limit.
o?? If the destination context involves a dominant global market (e.g., Africa), it makes sense that an assignment in that geography is part of the plan.
o?? One international assignment can be in the home country, assuming it includes material international travel.? At least one out of home country.
o?? Part of the scheme includes working for a top globalist boss, who is most likely a High Protential.
The best case in any job placement is to present for the strategic and tactical planning for the next annual cycle. Then, being there and engaged when that plan is executed. Then, contributing to the next planning process.? That’s about 18 months.
If the team they are joining is in a fix-it or turnaround mode, they should remain for an extended period—ideally 18 to 24 months—to fully engage with and experience the change process.
Resistance
In my practitioner and consulting career, I have seen many CEOs chafe at short-stay job assignments. Many, in their own words, have wanted a “one for the cook and one for the pot” process. When an emerging talent does a job well, they think they should then do that job again for the benefit of now. That would decrease long-term leadership development by 50%. Sell short! It's not a good idea.
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The 18-month timing – and churn process helps with retention. True HiPos are impatient and always looking for a new challenge. Being offered something different every 18 months or so signals confidence in them as an emerging talent. They will be less likely to return a search call.
Assignmentology
There are 20+ broad jobs and roles to choose from. Each of these job roles has specific things to teach. Like startups, fixits, international, M&A, scope, scale, lobbying, etc. Each has a unique set of lessons to teach emerging talent. Those lessons are also the requirements to do the job well. If you are placing a proven performer into the job, the lessons are requirements – mission-critical to success. If you are providing a developmental experience for an emerging talent, then it’s lessons to be learned. ?They don’t have to be good at them coming in.
Every one of those jobs has a candidate, a boss, and a context. Therefore, it’s a triple decision – what context is the most aligned to the needs of building this future leader? What kind of boss is best? And what kind of job is needed?
Another simpler approach to career planning is the STORI framework, which we use for succession planning and job destination planning. Every destination has its own ‘story,’ as does each individual we are guiding through this process. Please forgive us for rearranging the letters of our process to suit the needs here—this happens when we uncover the storyline for someone's development and their journey toward a steeper growth curve. This framework is more general than 20+ types of jobs. Five themes plus hybrids surfaced in our study of the top 2% of jobs.
A specific job can have more than one dominant theme. We have observed over time that emerging talent tends to cluster into those same themes. Each emerging talent has a background, maybe education, and preference for one or two of the five themes. Few are better than others on more than two of the five themes. We're sure that in your experience and development initiatives, you've observed the presence of STORI in those you work with—after all, everyone has a unique story to tell.
The story of STORI leads to the necessity of building high-performance top teams. The task of the top 2% is all of STORI. In any top team, multiple STORI components will be needed, but no single member will be good enough on them all. The team leader will need to staff the team with exemplars in each STORI component required. Additionally, the components don’t always work well together. Strategists and Executors (O) sometimes struggle. Technologist (T) and Relationship Managers (R) can struggle. So, you not only have to staff diversely for success, but you also have to manage diversity for success.
?Depth of Exposure
Depth of learning opportunities can be categorized into five levels of exposure, each providing varying degrees of engagement and potential for growth, from some to a lot.
1.??? Case study, read about it, listen to someone tell the story
2.??? Be around when it happens; observe from a distance
3.??? Be in the event; what’s happening impacts self and known others
4.??? Be one of multiple decision-makers managing the event
5.??? Being the final decision maker determining how the event plays out
As the level increases, the extent of learning can increase.
Alongside the 18-month undulating leadership development journey through various roles and positions, individuals also gain exposure through additional diverse experiences. These include participating in task forces, attending high-level off-site meetings, engaging in developmental dinners, flying on the company plane with VIPs, embarking on international study trips, participating in community service, and recruiting on campus. These experiences and others serve as the icing on the development cake. Additionally, having coaches, sponsors, mentors, and orienteers further enhances career assurance.
While all of this is unfolding, the family unit must be considered, and the challenges that come with change—such as potential relocations, international assignments, missed events for children, school transitions, and eldercare responsibilities—must be acknowledged. It's essential to monitor these factors, show care, provide support, and help during these stressful times.
So, how long? As long as it takes. About 18 months. But it all depends. Knowing the general or specific destination simplifies the task.
Bob and LM Hanson
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