How to identify potential leaders internally : And train them for success
Tredrea, Andrea (2018)
Tredrea, Andrea
Yrkeshögskolan Novia
2018
All rights reserved
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201802092211
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201802092211
Tiivistelmä
Abstract
Well lead teams vastly outperform those under average leadership. Companies with a pipeline of well-prepared leaders have a powerful and defensible competitive advantage. Identifying those with leadership potential is a difficult task, however, with significant upfront costs and years before measurable results can materialize. The most common program to develop a leadership skill is a high potential employee program where high performing employees are given additional training, mentoring, and other opportunities as a ‘fast track’ to management opportunities. Executing this program and the follow up training, however, is no easy task. Not every high performing employee has leadership potential. Leadership training within itself can even be controversial.
The goal for this thesis is to establish a program of how to identify from within high performing employees those with leadership potential and how to best train them for manager and executive positions.
The best practices of different international companies and experienced professionals were gathered via interviews and questionnaire. Additionally, the service design tools were used to compile the program for high potential leaders. The personas, customer journey and blueprint helped to select the best options how to structure the program for high potential leaders.
A ‘real world’ implementation of this program was not be possible. Instead, the author of the thesis found a solution how to test this program and find out if such a program would succeed in the real life. The expert review served well and gained the feedback from different professionals and experts. The feedback was used to improve the program and was find out a suitability of this program in the real life.
One challenge of the thesis was to locate and interview enough professionals who were willing to share enough of valuable information to create such a program. Another challenge was to collect diverse viewpoints from professionals in different industries as well as the perspective of employees who have recently participated in such a program.
The result of this work is a comprehensive program reviewed, updated, and approved by experienced HR and leadership professionals from a variety of backgrounds. Additionally, the program includes in depth support materials to help readers fundamentally understand the service design tools, concepts, and processes allowing them to tweak and adapt to the program to their needs while sustaining the structural and iterative benefits.
Well lead teams vastly outperform those under average leadership. Companies with a pipeline of well-prepared leaders have a powerful and defensible competitive advantage. Identifying those with leadership potential is a difficult task, however, with significant upfront costs and years before measurable results can materialize. The most common program to develop a leadership skill is a high potential employee program where high performing employees are given additional training, mentoring, and other opportunities as a ‘fast track’ to management opportunities. Executing this program and the follow up training, however, is no easy task. Not every high performing employee has leadership potential. Leadership training within itself can even be controversial.
The goal for this thesis is to establish a program of how to identify from within high performing employees those with leadership potential and how to best train them for manager and executive positions.
The best practices of different international companies and experienced professionals were gathered via interviews and questionnaire. Additionally, the service design tools were used to compile the program for high potential leaders. The personas, customer journey and blueprint helped to select the best options how to structure the program for high potential leaders.
A ‘real world’ implementation of this program was not be possible. Instead, the author of the thesis found a solution how to test this program and find out if such a program would succeed in the real life. The expert review served well and gained the feedback from different professionals and experts. The feedback was used to improve the program and was find out a suitability of this program in the real life.
One challenge of the thesis was to locate and interview enough professionals who were willing to share enough of valuable information to create such a program. Another challenge was to collect diverse viewpoints from professionals in different industries as well as the perspective of employees who have recently participated in such a program.
The result of this work is a comprehensive program reviewed, updated, and approved by experienced HR and leadership professionals from a variety of backgrounds. Additionally, the program includes in depth support materials to help readers fundamentally understand the service design tools, concepts, and processes allowing them to tweak and adapt to the program to their needs while sustaining the structural and iterative benefits.