by Paddy Barr, Managing Partner, Barr Performance Coaching and IMI associate
“Eaten bread is soon forgotten” – the freebies and treats will only get you so far when it comes to attracting and retaining high calibre talent. High performers know attaining high performance is a challenge in itself but sustaining high performance is a significantly more daunting undertaking.
The inherent challenges in our VUCA (Volatile, Unpredictable, Complex & Ambiguous) world make sustaining high performance very difficult. The purpose of energising leadership development is to firstly equip the individual with what it takes to succeed and then sustain their high performance in a way that will underpin long term personal and organisational success. The creation of a Growth Mindset culture in the organisation is critical if meaningful leadership development is to take place.
It is OK for high performers to be selfish when it comes to their careers so we must present leadership development opportunities as activities that turbo charge career development. We need to be specific about the outcomes that could emerge if the individual embraces the opportunity and the risks inherent in failing to take the development opportunity.
Most people are very familiar with the 70/20/10 split in personal development, on the job training, formal classroom training and targeted coaching or mentoring. The challenge in the modern world is to translate the learning into a meaningful accomplishment that will endure over time. We need to enable the individual to create new habits and to clearly be able to demonstrate a “before and after” capability enhancement following the engagement. Giving the individual the opportunity to apply their learning is a key outcome.
The second aspect of focused leadership development is to instil in the individual the understanding that leadership competencies are not a set of attributes that get switched on and off but rather a series of dials that need to be constantly adjusted as situations change. The appropriate display of key competencies need to be dialled up and down as required, this understanding is really important as good leaders control the display of their competencies to suit the relevant situations. All to often people think having a competency is satisfactory, where as the real value is in how one uses one’s competencies to secure the desired business outcome.
So if we look at on the job learning it is important that we take the time to assign high performers to strategically important initiatives with real responsibility that will give them exposure to new ways of working and enable them to build their network across the company. They need to be set up for success, we need to point out to them what they should be looking for, who they should be learning from and provide a pathway to utilise their new found skills and competencies in the delivery of a material outcome.
The on the job learning should include opportunities for reflection and the ability to ask questions so that they can be sure that they have identified the right learning from the experience. In some cases companies give their HiPo talent the exposure to opportunities but diminish the learning opportunity by leaving the individual to their own devices with a “sink or swim” approach. On the job learning should be calibrated between the individual and their manager so that they both know how and when the individual is going to be exposed to the learning opportunity and what outcomes can reasonably be expected of the individual when it comes to applying their learning.
Consequently, there is a two phased approach, firstly exposure to the new skill or competency and secondly the provision of the opportunity to apply the relevant learning. The individual will need to receive focused feedback once they have applied their new skills and competencies. The recognition and encouragement that their manager provides is crucial to underpinning the impact of the learning. If the manager fails to support and recognise the application of the learning the individual may miss key elements of the learning and not be motivated to continue their journey with the company. We know high performers tend to leave bad managers, this is especially true if the individual feels they are not learning from their manager. Thus it is useful to remind managers of their responsibilities in this regard.
Formal training be it in the form of longer Diplomas and Degrees or Micro credentials can be a significant tool to help retain high performing talent. As mentioned above if the individual feels they are growing and learning in a company they are much more likely to stay. If sending an individual on a course it is critical to ensure that the person is given the opportunity to demonstrate their learning or put their learning in to practice sooner rather than later after the course. If the opportunity to apply the learning is not provided the individual may conclude that the learning is not valued within the company and hence be motivated to look elsewhere.
The opportunity to make the development extremely personalised comes through the introduction of coaching and mentoring. Coaching and mentoring provides the opportunity for the individual to benefit from very tailored support and challenge that will enable a wholistic approach to the development of the individual. The opportunity to be vulnerable and reflective in the company of a knowledgeable professional where genuine psychological safety prevails can be very impactful.
The cost of developing talent is significantly lower than the cost of recruiting and hiring new talent into the organisation and comes with far less risk. Consequently, we should see focused talent development as a strategic investment that enables the organisation to retain top talent. Your high calibre employees are either your source of competitive advantage or the custodians responsible for protecting your competitive advantage.
About the author
Patrick Barr is the owner & Managing Partner of Barr Performance Coaching a boutique coaching and leadership development company focusing on enabling clients maximise their potential and achieve exceptional personal and professional results. Patrick’s commitment is to collaborate with clients to design, develop and implement high quality business, career & personal development strategies using challenging innovative processes and creative, insightful thought leadership.
