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By Prof. Sattar Bawany
Leadership pipeline for succession planning
Transforming the Next Gen Leaders
30 leadership excellence essentials presented by HR.com | 07.2014
Talent management and retention is perennially at the top of CEO’s most pressing worries. A company’s leadership pipe-line is expected to deliver its “next generation” of ready-now leaders. The key to ensuring an organisation has the leaders it needs when it needs them, is to accelerate the performance of future leaders including high potential employees, so that their skills and leadership abilities are as strong as possible when they are needed particularly as leaders transition from role to role.
A company’s leadership pipeline is expected to deliver its “next generation” of ready-now leaders. The payoff is a supply of leadership talent that simultaneously achieves targets, bolsters and protects ethical reputation, and navigates transformational change in pursuit of a bright competitive future. Unfortunately, some Boards and CEOs neglect their talent management ac-countability - consequently, their pipelines run dry. When this occurs, the downward spiral of competitive capability becomes discernable, the edge is lost, and the “magic” disappears. The competition begins to outwit, outflank and outperform these companies. The Current Realities
Organizations move their leaders through positions of respon-sibility and challenge to develop talent and ensure capability for the future. These transitions are known as “role to role” transi-tions, i.e. a leader who is successfully performing in one role takes on another role with different responsibilities.
Successfully assuming a new leadership role is almost never easy. It is more often challenging and daunting—regardless of the amount of experience a leader may have. In the 2009 Harvard Business Review article “The Realities of Executive Coaching”, Coaches surveyed reported that 48% of the time they are hired to develop high potentials or to facilitate transitions.
Actions taken in the first few months of a leadership transition directly impact a leader’s chances of success. Transitions can be times of both great opportunity and great risk. Transitioning leaders often find the eyes of superiors, colleagues, direct reports, and even shareholders firmly fixed on their first moves. Expecta-tions are high. So what are the secrets of succeeding and thriving in times of role transition, with so much at stake?What are the Challenges or Pitfalls leaders in transition face?
The specific challenges leaders face depend on the types of transitions they are experiencing. Leaders who have been hired externally (on-boarding) confront the need to adapt to new business models & organizational cultures, and to build supportive networks of relationships. For those who have been promoted internally (role-to-role transitions), the challenge lies in understanding and developing the competencies required to be successful at the new level. Hence, it is essential to carefully diagnose the situation and craft transition strategies accordingly.
The biggest trap new leaders fall into is to believe they will continue to be successful by doing what has made them success-ful in the past. There is an old saying, “To a person who has a
hammer, everything looks like a nail.” New leaders should focus first on discovering what it will take to be successful in the new role, then discipline themselves to do the things that don’t come naturally if the situation demands it.
New leaders are expected to “hit the ground running.” They must produce results quickly while simultaneously assimilat-ing into the organization. The result is that a large number of newly recruited or promoted managers fail within the first year of starting new jobs.
There is growing evidence that the range of abilities that constitutes what is now commonly known as emotional intel-ligence plays a key role in determining success for leaders and in the workplace. Longitudinal research, conducted by Centre for Executive Education (CEE Global) has uncovered links between specific elements of emotional intelligence and leader-ship styles as well as specific behaviors associated with leadership effectiveness and ineffectiveness. CEE has found that, higher levels of certain emotional intelligence components appear to be connected to better performance in leadership roles. The study also identified potential problem areas that could contribute to executive derailment.What are the transitional skills required for leaders in tran-sition?
Leaders must identify the right goals, develop a supporting strategy, align the architecture of the organization, and figure out what projects to pursue to secure early wins.
Leaders at all levels of the organization must demonstrate a high degree of emotional intelligence in their leadership role. Emotionally intelligent leaders create an environment of positive morale and higher productivity and this would result in sustainable employee engagement.
The critical transitional skills for leaders in transition include having social and emotional intelligence competencies in effective relationship management, diversity management, cross-cultural communication, effective negotiation and conflict management in a multigenerational workplace.
The reality for leaders in transition is that relationships are great sources of leverage. By building credibility with influen-tial players, you are better able to gain agreement on goals, and commitment to achieving those goals.
In the leader’s new situation, relationship management skills are critical as they aren’t the only one going through a transi-tion. To varying degrees, many different people, both inside and outside the leader’s direct line of command, are affected by the way he or she handles his or her new role.
Put another way, leaders negotiate their way to success in their new roles.Demystifying Executive Coaching
“The goal of coaching is the goal of good management: to make the most of an organization’s valuable resources.” - Harvard Business Review (November 1996)
31leadership excellence essentials presented by HR.com | 07.2014
Executive Coaching is one of the fastest growing and most misunderstood professions of this decade. Coaching used to be an “executive perk” for large company executives to help them make better business decisions. Today, coaching is rapidly being recognized as one of the best strategic weapons a company can have in its arsenal.
Effective coaching is a major key to improving business perfor-mance. Executive Coaching focuses on the qualities of effective leadership and improved business results. It is comprised of a series of structured, one-on-one interactions between a coach and an executive (coachee), aimed at enhancing the executive’s performance in two areas:• Individual Performance or Effectiveness • Organisational Performance or Effectiveness When executives are first confronted by being coached, they
are not always clear about how best to use their sessions and quite unaware that it is they who set the agenda; in fact, some executives expect executive coaching to be like a one-on-one tailored training programme where the executive coach initi-ates the agenda. Executive coaching teaches the beneficiary to minimise, delegate, or outsource non-strengths by changing ineffective behaviours or changing ineffective thinking.
An Executive Coach only has one item on his agenda – the client’s or coachee’s success. This means going where it might hurt by confronting and challenging the client, and keeping a client accountable to achieving their goals. Coaching helps people grow personally and as professionals. This growth allows then to commit completely to the success of an organization. When professional coaches work with organizations they can turn performance management into a collaborative process that benefits both the employee and the organization.
The Coaching Methodology (see Figure 1) consists of a proven four-step process that is firmly grounded in leadership develop-ment best practices:
Figure 1: A.D.A.M. Coaching Methodology
1. Assess: Through a series of assessment and information gathering from various stakeholders, the coachee determine how their performance links to current business goals.
2. Debrief: The coachee will be provided with feedback based on the results of the assessments and with the support of the Coach will develop a Development Plan which will enable coachees to determine what to do to close the gaps in their leadership capability. The Sponsor will sign off the Development Plan to ensure that there is alignment to the business objectives.
3. Action Plan: The Coachee will implement the Development Plan by taking well-defined action steps and regular feedback during scheduled coaching sessions with the Coach which enables the Coachees to move toward measurable goals.
4. Measure: A full evaluation of the coaching process and engagement based on the agreed success metrics at the beginning of the assignment yields objective measures of business results and professional outcomes for both the organisation and the coachee.Executive vs Transition Coaching Approach
Transition coaching has three overall goals: to accelerate the
transition process by providing just-in-time advice and counsel, to prevent mistakes that may harm the business and the leader’s career, and to assist the leader in developing and implementing a targeted, actionable transition plan that delivers business results.
While many of the issues covered by transition coaching are similar to those included in executive coaching, such as sorting through short and long-term goals, and managing relationships upwards as well as with team members, transition coaching is focused specifically on the transition and designed to educate and challenge new leaders. The new leader and coach will work together to develop a transition plan, a road map that will define critical actions that must take place during the first 90 days to establish credibility, secure early wins and position the leader and team for long-term success.
The transition coaching relationship also includes regular meetings with the new leader as well as ongoing feedback. Fre-quently, the coach conducts a “pulse check” of the key players, including the boss, direct reports, peers and other stakeholders, after four to six weeks to gather early impressions so that the new leader can make a course correction if needed.
The entire transition coaching process provides new leaders with the guidance to take charge of their new situation, achieve alignment with the team, and ultimately to move the business forward. Organizations make a significant investment when they recruit and hire new leaders, and they have much to lose if a new hire does not succeed, possibly several times the hire’s base compensation.Conclusion
Whether an executive is moving into a new position or looking to get back on the road to success, executive and transition coach-ing work to bring out the best in leaders through the support of a professional relationship. Both relationships are built on a foundation of trust and confidentiality. The ability of coaches to provide leaders with an outside resource that can also act as a sounding board helps them become the successful leaders they were meant to be.
Organizations must clearly define the purpose of coaching, gauge the process, and evaluate results. Coaching is not just about providing support. Ultimately, coaching should deliver what any business needs – real results. LEBibliography
Bawany, Sattar, “Maximising the Potential of Future Leaders: Resolving Leader-ship Succession Crisis with Transition Coaching” in ‘Coaching in Asia – The First Decade’., Candid Creation Publishing LLP, September 2010Bawany, Sattar, “Winning the War for Talent”, Human Capital, Singapore Human Resources Institute, (September-October 2007); 54-57.Coutu, Diane. & Kauffman, Carol. “The Realities of Executive Coaching”. Harvard. Business Review Research Report. (January 2009); 6-7 Charan, Ram. “Ending the CEO Succession Crisis”. Harvard Business Review, (February 2005); 83-86. Ready, A. Douglas; Conger, A. Jay and Hill, A. Linda. “Are You A High Potential”. Harvard Business Review. (June 2010); 78-84. Prof Sattar Bawany is the CEO & C-Suite Master Executive Coach of
Centre for Executive Education (CEE Global) and Executive Development Associates (EDA). CEE Global offers talent management and executive development solutions including executive coaching and leadership development programs that help professionals develop the skills and knowledge to embrace change and catalyze success in their industries.Visit www.cee-global.comEmail [email protected]
Individual (Coachee) and Organisational Success
MeasureDebrief ActionAssess
Transforming the Next Gen Leaders
CEE VALUE PROPOSITION
Companies are increasingly investing in executive development capabilities among their leaders to maintain a competitive advantage in an increasingly complex and hypercompetitive global business environment. Strategy execution has been consistently found to be the number one priority for CEOs and Business Leaders. CEE Global research as well as that by our Strategic & Affiliate Partners has consistently found that leading organizations have successfully linked their executive development programs to achieving strategic results.
CEE collaborates with clients in adapting various organizational development approaches to their specific business contexts. We design and implement tailor-made learning and organizational development strategies that greatly improve our client's performance, increase market value and enhance organizational capability.
We develop insights into what drives value creation and competitive advantage in our clients' businesses. To achieve this, we collaborate closely with our clients to convert insights into concrete strategies and tactics. The implementation of insights has high impact in the form of value created for our clients. When we deliver impact repeatedly, we earn their trust and build lasting relationships that serve as a platform for deeper insights and ever-greater impact.
Centre of Executive Education (CEE Global) is a premier network for established human resource development and consulting firms around the globe. We partner with our clients to design solutions for leaders at all levels who will navigate the firm through tomorrow's business challenges. CEE has established strategic partnerships with Executive Development Associates (EDA) and International Professional Managers Association (IPMA) as well as a network of Affiliate Partners across the globe.
CEE faculty, consultants and executive coaches in Asia Pacific as well as those in EDA globally, are highly credentialed with extensive experience to help managers and executives who are being positioned for future senior leadership roles. They are authors, seasoned business practitioners and leaders, and each possesses an enormous passion for the success and growth that executive development and coaching can bring to our participants.
ABOUT CENTRE FOR EXECUTIVE EDUCATION (CEE GLOBAL)
CEE Suite of Executive Development Programs includes the following:
• CEO Mentoring and Board Advisory Services • Executive Leadership Development Solutions• Talent Management & Succession Planning• Executive Coaching for C-Suite and High Potential Leaders• High Potential Assessment, Selection and Development• Custom Design 360-Feedback for Leadership Effectiveness
CEE assist corporate leaders and business owners optimize their performance and accomplish their business and professional objectives. To achieve sustainable competitive advantage and sustain success in a fast-changing hypercompetitive business environment, we believe organizations must identify, nurture, and prepare the next generation of high-performance leaders for excellence. To this end, our programs are designed to equip these leaders to support growth, execute change, and develop people to build high performance organizations - leading to increased productivity, exceptional business results, and greater profitability.
Source: Sattar Bawany, “Making Results-based Leadership Work in Singapore” published in Singapore Business Review,
12 February 2013: http://sbr.com.sg/hr-education/commentary/making-results-based-leadership-work-in-singapore
Source: Sattar Bawany, “Building High Performance Teams Using SCORE Framework” in Talent Management Excellence,
April 2014 issue: www.hr.com/en/magazines/talent_management_excellence_essentials/
Centre for Executive Education Pte Ltd
259 Tampines Central, Singapore 915209 | Tel: (65) 6789 0977 | Fax: (65) 6789 0911
Email: [email protected] | Website: www.cee-global.com
CHARACTERISTICS OF HIGH-PERFORMING TEAMS
CEE “RESULTS-BASED LEADERSHIP” (RBL) FRAMEWORK
CEE “S.C.O.R.E.” FRAMEWORK FOR TEAM EFFECTIVENESS
• Profitability/Market Share• ROI/Cost Optimization
• Company Culture, Policies• Rewards and Flexibility
• Employee Satisfaction/Loyalty• Employee Turnover Rate
• Customer Satisfaction/Loyalty • Service Value/Relationship
• Emotional & Social Intelligence• Leadership Styles/Servant Leadership• Ontological Humility/Level 5 Leadership
1 Self-Leadership & Team Effectiveness
2 Organizational Climate
3 Employee Engagement
4 Customer Engagement
5 Organizational Results
TEAMWORK
Cohesive Strategy
RapidResponse
OpenCommunication
Effective Leadership
Clear Roles &Responsibilities
