Accelerated leadership development

International consultancy DDI offers advice on implementing accelerated leadership development processes.

Most organisations today are short of 'job-ready' leaders, and urgently need to identify people in their firms with the potential to learn and grow. They then need to develop the leadership skills of these candidates through focused training opportunities and developmental assignments.

Accelerating this process is critical if business opportunities are not to be missed. These groups of high potential people are known as 'acceleration pools'.

1. How acceleration pools work

Instead of developing one person for each executive position, an acceleration pool develops many people to executive standards. Nominations for the pool are based on job performance and sometimes assessment centre results.

Assessment centres also help to define specific individual development needs and estimate how (and how quickly) the individuals will progress. A large organisation might have three pools: one for supervisory level, one for middle management and one directly below the senior level.

2. Various pools

Each pool, which might include one or two organisational levels, prepares people for the next major step up in the organisation. Individuals might be in two or three pools as they advance through the firm. Some individuals may permanently remain in acceleration pools, jumping from one to another as they move up through the firm.

3. HR systems important to acceleration centres

In order for acceleration pools to work, three important personnel systems must be in place and working effectively.

The organisation's performance management system gives members of acceleration pools performance targets and feedback, the assessment system helps the organisation determine who should move in and out of the acceleration pool and what development they need, while human resource development tracks the vital statistics, role history and development of acceleration pool members.

4. Advantages

As they are linked to business plans and strategies, acceleration pools need to be flexible. They require less paperwork for managers and take up less senior managers' time. Pools are more development-orientated with the emphasis on discussing competency development, and they are extremely accurate. They should not be used to forecast members' potential roles two or three promotions down the line.

5. Identifying people for an acceleration pool

Acceleration pools are often open for entry at any age or organisational level. However, research carried out by DDI indicates that evaluations for acceleration pools are more accurate if individuals have been working for several years. They are less accurate for those entering jobs directly from university or a different background.

6. Building blocks of talent

Acceleration pool members develop best through a series of short but targeted training programmes. Focusing on defined, individualised learning outcomes will distinguish the acceleration pool system from how most organisations operate. Each person in the pool should develop their own learning plan with the help of an assignment leader.

7. A say in their assignments

Acceleration pool members also need to have a voice in choosing their own assignments. It is not appropriate to assume that individuals in the pool will unquestioningly accept positions or assignments as offered.

8. Are there any pitfalls?

If an acceleration pool is too big, there will never be enough specific focus, money, or time to make the system work.

9. The role of senior management

The key to success for any succession management programme is the support of senior management. Only through the senior team's ownership of the process will managers throughout the organisation be able to make decisions that will allow high-potential people to transfer from their departments to other assignments in order to develop fully.

www.ddiworld.com