• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Great Leadership by Dan
  • Blog
  • Popular
  • Recent
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Blog
  • Popular
  • Recent
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Blog
    • Popular
    • Recent
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
  • ×

    You are here Home » employee development

    After the Talent Review…Now What?

    Last updated on May 14, 2013 by Dan McCarthy · This post may contain affiliate links

    I was at a conference recently and the session topic was
    leadership development and succession planning. One of the participants, an HR
    manager, raised her hand and asked: “We’ve recently implemented a talent review
    process, so we’ve done a decent job assessing our leaders, but now we’re
    struggling with what to do next. Do you have any suggestions?”

    The presenter did his best to provide a few tips, but in
    fairness, that’s a tough question to answer within the time allowed in a 60
    minute conference session. It’s especially hard to provide a succinct answer
    when you’re been doing it for so long - it’s easy to go off on a tangent with
    so many aspects of leadership development. Believe me; I’ve made a few eyes
    glaze over myself. Thankfully I have this blog as an outlet. (-:

    The “what do we do next” question is a common one that
    leadership teams will ask, and most busy executives, especially those in
    smaller, fast-paced companies don’t have a lot of patience for long lectures
    and complicated theory. What they want is a checklist – or a menu - something
    they can get their heads around, start implementing immediately, measure, and
    start seeing results. That’s how they are used to running their businesses.

    How about if we give ‘em what they want? Otherwise,
    they’ll do what most organizations do – spend a lot of time identifying and
    assessing potential leaders, and then drop the ball on developing those high potentials.

    Here are 20 suggestions for what to do after a talent
    review. These are not all sequential – some are, and some are menu items to pick
    and choose:
    1.
    Don’t wait to discuss development
    – do it at the same talent
    review meeting. Instead of rating everyone on a
    performance and potential matrix
    and then leaving the discussion of development
    needs and actions for a follow-up meeting, as the team is assessing each
    person, take a few extra minutes to summarize the person’s strengths and
    development needs and 1-2 high impact development actions (from the list
    below).
    Make sure someone (a talent review facilitator, HR) is
    taking notes, so the development needs and actions can be summarized and
    distributed to the team as a follow-up.
    2. Have
    a development discussion with each individual that was assessed.

    While specific performance and potential ratings or “who said what” should
    never be shared with employees, talent review discussions can be a valuable
    source of feedback and input into a person’s development plans. The person’s
    manager can let the employee how they are perceived, and make development
    recommendations based on that talent review discussion.
    3.
    Conduct formal assessments. T
    alent reviews are an
    efficient and effective way to assess employees, but a 360 degree or behavioral
    assessment will go much deeper and provide more specific and accurate feedback
    to the employee and can be used for development planning. 
    4. Provide
    an assessment “debrief”.
    Assessments are great, but the value of
    an assessment is limited without a follow-up session with someone who really
    understands the assessment and how to change behaviors. 
    5.
    Offer executive coaching.
    An executive coach can work with each
    individual (in partnership with their manager) to help them implement their
    development plans, be a sounding board, overcome obstacles, serve as a reminder,
    and ensure new behaviors take root.
    6.
    Offer a senior leader mentor
    (usually for high
    potentials)
    7.
    Suggest subject matter experts
    for the person to work with
    on specific development needs.
    8.
    Offer to send the person to an executive development program.
    9.
    Create a custom
    development program
    for a group of high potentials.
    Assuming
    there is a large enough group with common development needs (there usually
    are), developing a group of high potentials at the same time, together, can be
    a more cost-effective approach. Action learning programs are often used for
    high potentials, where they work on real company issues and learn at the same
    time.
    10.
    Discuss moving to a new role
    (in order to acquire the
    skills and experience needed to prepare for next level opportunities).
    11.
    Decide on a “stretch assignment”
    (challenging project) for
    the individual.
    12.
    Recommend targeted reading.
    13.  Invite the person to participate in a
    leadership meeting or event
    one level above them (for exposure,
    learning).
    14.
    Suggest a person for the person to “shadow
    ” (subject matter
    expert, role model, mentor, different business or country, etc…) for a few
    days. 
    15.
    Give each person access to an online training library.
    16.
    Recommend and help the person get involved in a non-profit or Board assignment.
    17.  Recommend a professional organization to join
    or a conference to attend.
    18.
    Establish ways for the person to get ongoing feedback.
    19.
    Assign someone to collect and monitor all development plans
    .
    20.
    Survey each person in 6 months
    to assess how they feel
    about the level of development support they are receiving.

    What else can we add to the list?

    This post was brought to you by Jobandtalent:
    “We help you to find the jobs that are right for you."

     
    « Three Management Styles
    What Events Shaped You as a Leader? »
    AFTER ENTRY

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Primary Sidebar

    dan-mccarthy-great-leadership-by-dan

    About Dan

    Dan is an expert in leadership and management development. For over 20 years Dan has helped thousands of leaders and aspiring leaders improve their leadership capabilities. Read More

    ebook-dan-mccarthy

    Trending:

    • Top 12 Development Goals for Leaders
    • How to Write a Great Individual Development Plan (IDP)
    • 25 Great Leadership Development Quotes
    • The Performance and Potential Matrix (9 Box Model) – an Update

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Home
    • About
    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022

    • Disclosure
    • Privacy Policy