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Developing High Potential Employees

Written by: Allison Grace

Article Overview: Every company has rising stars - the select groups of employees with the potential to one day lead the company - and most realize that these "high-potential employees" are critical to their future success. The challenge for managers lies in motivating, retaining and ultimately developing these high potentials into leadership positions. Here are some ways for you to address this challenge.

Developing High Potential Employees

Every company has rising stars - the select groups of employees with the potential to one day lead the company - and most realize that these "high-potential employees" are critical to their future success. The challenge for managers lies in motivating, retaining and ultimately developing these high potentials into leadership positions. Here are some ways for you to address this challenge:

1. Stretch assignments. Stretch assignments are those that provide learning opportunities beyond an employee's past experience or current role. High potentials are more satisfied and engaged in their roles when given the opportunity to try different skills, opportunities and experiences. Not only does the employee benefit, but the company gains the opportunity to better gauge an individual's leadership skills and strengths.
2. Increased scope of work. By increasing the scope of an individual's role, the high potential has the opportunity to prove his/her potential as a leader, resulting in increased engagement in the company's future success. Potential avenues for increasing responsibilities include managing more employees, increasing decision-making authority and/or becoming a project leader. Increasing the scope of responsibility of an individual's current role is an effective way of testing a high potential in an internal and controlled manner.
3. Custom assignments. While this method can be time consuming, custom assignments are an effective way to improve engagement and satisfaction among high potentials. When individuals are put in situations where no prescribed methods exist, they are forced to demonstrate leadership and creativity. In addition, high potentials may even uncover new capabilities, products or services through the custom assignment that the organization can implement.
4. Executive coaching. Many organizations tap experienced executive coaches to work with high-potential employees. Coaches provide an objective view of a high potential's leadership style and interactions with colleagues - and can help the high potential find actionable solutions to overcome weaknesses. Third-party coaches give the impartial feedback that managers from within the organization may not be able to offer.

It takes the entire organization to motivate, engage and develop high-potential individuals. Organizations need to include stretch assignments, increased role responsibility, custom projects and executive coaching to take the individuals, and the company, to the next level.

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Article Tags: avenues, capabilities, creativity, custom assignments, employee benefit, executive coaching, experiences, high potentials, leadership positions, leadership skills, li li, nbsp, project leader, rising stars, satisfaction, scope of work



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