Succession Planning - Assessing Potential

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The key outcome for any succession planning process is the ability of the leadership team to determine criteria for assessing the potential of individual employeesindividual employees.

Many articles and books provide approaches to assessing potential and potential is broadly defined as the capacity of an employee to be able to perform work at a higher level at some point in the future.work at a higher level at some point in the future.


Interestingly, most organizations really need to look “ i l “ d l d h R Chat “potential “ more deeply and authors Ram Charan,

Stephen Drotter and James Noel have aptly explored potential in their book The Leadership Pipeline. The p p pauthors provide a deeper look at potential across three categories and the likelihood of future contributioncontribution.


In The Leadership Pipeline, the authors propose looking at potential as the likely future work contribution along a continuum of Mastery to Growth to Turn.Turn Potential – Able to do the work at the next level in three to five years or sooner.

Growth to Turn.

yGrowth Potential – Able to do the work of bigger jobs at the same level in the near term.Master Potential Able to do the same kind ofMastery Potential – Able to do the same kind of work current being done only better.


The best approach in building a talent or leadership i li i t th t ti l th thpipeline is to assess the potential across these three

categories and compare those assessments againstthe sustained performance for each leader.

It is critical that both perspectives of the leader are ascertained The sustainability of performance atascertained. The sustainability of performance at exceptional levels creates the pathway for a leader with potential to excel broadly and deeply for the

d f thgood of the company.


Below is the Performance-Potential Grid which graphically depicts a matrix of the combinations for sustainable performance and potential.

Sustained Performance Level

Low Full Exceptional

Turn Low/Turn Full/Turn Exceptional/Turne W

ork

tion

Turn Low/Turn Full/Turn Exceptional/Turn

Growth Low/Growth Full/Growth Exceptional/Growth

ely

Futu

reCo

ntrib

ut

Mastery Low/Mastery Full/Mastery Exceptional/Mastery

Like C


Adapted from The Leadership Pipeline

Category Description DetailsT C b t d t E hibit ti t h i l d f i lTurn Can be promoted to

a higher leadership level within 3 to 5 years

• Exhibits operating, technical, and professional skills that are extremely broad and deep

• Exhibits managerial skills that are expected at the next highest organizational levelDemonstrates leadership skills that are• Demonstrates leadership skills that are expected at the next highest organizational level

• Regularly works at building new skills and abilitiesabilities

• Aspires to higher level challenges and opportunities

• Demonstrates “fire in the belly”Has a business perspective beyond current• Has a business perspective beyond current organizational level

• Is oriented toward total business results, not just focused on the success of own area



Category Description DetailsG th C b t d E hibit ti t h i l dGrowth Can be promoted

at the same leadership level within 3 years

• Exhibits operating, technical, and professional skills that are high for current organizational level

• Exhibits managerial skills that are highy g gfor current organizational level

• Frequently demonstrates leadership skills that are high for current organizational levellevel

• Adds new skills when job calls for it• Aspires to greater challenges but primarily at the same organizational level

• Is motivated to do more than is expected• Has a business perspective beyond current position

• Is focused on the success of own area and• Is focused on the success of own area and the team



Category Description DetailsM t C i i O b l hibit ti t h i lMastery Can improve in

current role with the same effort

• On balance, exhibits operating, technical, and professional skills that are acceptablefor current organizational level

• Demonstrates little effort to build new skills but keeps current skills sharp

• Aspires to stay with company, as opposed to assuming bigger challenges or higher personal contributionspersonal contributions

• Is motivated to do what is needed in current job

• Understands the job• Is focused primarily on technical issues



Gather a 3 to 5 member project team, a Leadership Pi li T (LPT)Pipeline Team (LPT).Assess all leaders in the organization.Plot the results on a Performance-Potential GridPlot the results on a Performance Potential Grid.Discuss and adjust each leader’s position on the grid.Create development plans.


3 to 5 top leaders in the organizationManages the assessment processSynthesizes the assessment dataGuides the development plansGuides the development plans


All current leaders in the organization need to be i l d i th t f t ti l A tinvolved in the assessment of potential. A process to inventory the current leaders and their respective potential ratings provides the necessary data.

Each leader will assess themselvesEach leader will be assessed by their superior

g

Each leader will be assessed by their superiorEach leader will be assessed other leaders throughout the organization


A standard set of descriptors for determining i l b dpotential must be agreed upon.

It is critical that the assessor be honest in their assessment that the leader may have the desire but assess e t t at t e eade ay a e t e des e buthas not yet demonstrated the ability to progress to bigger jobs.


Using an external facilitator, the LPT discusses and d b h d l d d h i idebates the assessed leaders and their respective placements on the Performance-Potential Grid.These discussions are as important – if not more ese d scuss o s a e as po ta t ot o eimportant – than the actual placement on the grid.Great care should be taken in setting the ground

l f th di i d th iti lit th t thrules for the discussions and the criticality that the discussions in the room are confidential.


The LPT should prioritize their discussions and actions for leaders falling in the highlighted areas of the grid.

Sustained Performance Level

g g g g

Low Full Exceptional

Turn Low/Turn Full/Turn Exceptional/Turne W

ork

tion

Turn Low/Turn Full/Turn Exceptional/Turn

Growth Low/Growth Full/Growth Exceptional/Growth

ely

Futu

reCo

ntrib

ut

Mastery Low/Mastery Full/Mastery Exceptional/Mastery

Like C



Exceptional/Turn – These leaders offer the highest i l d h ld i hpotential and should receive the greatest

investment of time, energy and money.Exceptional/Growth Leaders – Prepare these cept o a /G o t eade s epa e t eseleaders for the next level.Full/Turn Leaders – Determine what experiences

h l th l d t i th ican help these leaders to improve their performance.Exceptional/Mastery Leaders – These seasoned p / ycontributors will remain in their role; determine how to recognize them for their contributions.


A development plan for each high potential leader willA development plan for each high potential leader will need to be developed. Below are several methods which could be utilized in the development of leaders.

Advanced degree programsSignificant special projects/assignmentsL d hi d l i l i lLeadership development curriculum – internal and/or externalJob/role rotationJob/role rotationMentoringExecutive coaching


Low/Mastery – These leaders are in the wrong l d hi l l d h ld b d d hleadership level and should be demoted or they need to be managed out of the organizations.Low/Turn – If these leaders have such potential, o / u t ese eade s a e suc pote t a ,determine what is holding back their sustained performance.


“My main job was developing talent. I was a gardener providingMy main job was developing talent. I was a gardener providing water and other nourishment to our top 750 people. Of course, I had to pull out some weeds, too.”

Jack WelchJack Welch

“Leadership is unlocking people’s potential to become better”Leadership is unlocking people s potential to become betterBill Bradley


For more information on succession planning contact Michael Holland via email at [email protected] or visit our website www.BishopHouse.com to learn more about our firmour firm.


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Succession Planning - Assessing Potential