7 / 32
April 2016 //
Canadian Government Executive /
7
Strategy
standards and focus to career discussions.
They want to see and understand how the
leadership in their organization has plans
for their future. As such, it is important
that leaders and executives continually
talk to their HiPos about their current and
future plans so they feel a part of this jour-
ney.
However, promises must be specific, re-
alistic, and feasible. I have coached sev-
eral executives who expressed frustration
at the unwillingness or inability of their
leaders to articulate the next steps in
their careers. When these HiPos pressed
for concrete steps that would be taken
to support their future career objectives,
they were told “don’t worry about it, ev-
erything will be fine” or “keep doing what
you are doing and it will all work out.”
These sorts of vague and non-committal
statements do little to engage and inspire
confidence in a high potential. They are
looking for something more. Managing
a HiPo means raising your game to meet
them at the level for which they consis-
tently strive .
3
Do you appropriately
leverage their strengths?
One of the primary findings in the re-
search on employee engagement is the
importance of leveraging strengths. Nu-
merous research studies have found that
employees who utilize their natural tal-
ents more often are significantly more
engaged. Sometimes, leaders of high po-
tentials may mischaracterize high level
of performance as denoting engagement.
This can be very frustrating for HiPos, be-
cause even though they are performing
at a high level, they may not feel they are
fully leveraging their talents and yearn
for opportunities to do so.
A recent case study provides an exam-
ple of this disconnect. “Bob” was incred-
ibly bright and excelled in the technical
elements of his work, such as processing
documentation, integrating informa-
tion, and writing compelling briefs and
arguments in his area of practice. When
presenting his findings in front of his col-
leagues he continued to shine, as people
responded to his energy, enthusiasm, and
insight.
However, although the technical ele-
ments provided a means to an end for him
(e.g., document processing enabled him to
do more public speaking/engagement),
he felt there were missed opportunities
for him to pursue his passion, which was
more client- and people-facing. Unfortu-
nately, his leader failed to capitalize on
this opportunity. When he approached
her, she wondered why he was unhappy
with the situation, given how well he was
performing. As he tried to explore further,
she was quite dismissive, focusing on the
value he delivered in the tasks he was cur-
rently performing. Deflated from this ex-
change, he started considering future op-
tions outside of the organization.
Conclusion
High potentials are a rare, prized gift to
any organization. Unfortunately, the re-
search highlights the possible pitfalls in
terms of appropriately engaging their tal-
ents. Taking the time to understand who
they are, what drives them, and how best
to leverage their strengths, is a recipe for
long-term success. This dynamic creates
a winning situation for these invaluable
employees, their leaders, as well as their
organizations.
Numerous
research studies
have found that
employees who
utilize their natural
talents more often
are significantly
more engaged.
Sometimes,
leaders of high
potentials may
mischaracterize
high level of
performance
as denoting
engagement.