Publications
Partners
Every company has “hidden talent” – people who are potentially strong leaders or innovators with the ability to take the organisation forward. But their potential remains unlocked.
While most companies understand the importance of retaining and rewarding their obvious performers, it is equally important to identify the future leaders in the organisation who might not be that obvious to spot. There are several reasons why high-potential employees shy away from the limelight. According to Robyn Aitken-Smith, human capacity development strategist and coach, it could be a lack of confidence and the fear of failure.
But, she says, it is equally possible that there is a lack of opportunities for growth and development. This is typically the case in small businesses or organisations with flat structures. It could also be a lack of ongoing and experienced support. “Excellent leadership is required to develop the potential of talented performers,” says Aitken-Smith.
Renate Scherrer, MD at JvR Consulting Psychologists, says sometimes they are just too far from the fire. They may be lower in the hierarchy of the company and their exposure to senior management may be limited.
Hidden treasure
In many instances, people with high potential remain hidden to senior executives – and even the board – because the line manager is taking the credit for themselves. Or, and this might sound silly, managers do not want a member of their team promoted because it may affect the overall performance of the team and their own performance, says Scherrer.
Another possibility is that an employee has the potential to be a strong leader but may be more introverted and may not be motivated by money or status.
“Companies must realise that there cannot be only one route of progression – from expert to manager to leader. There must be a specialist pipeline where people are rewarded for what they contribute in terms of scarce skills, even though it is not at management levels.”
Unlocking the talent
To detect the high-potential individual is not that difficult – it can be done through psychometric assessments and scientifically validated evaluation tools, as well as from observation by peers and management, says Aitken-Smith. The use of basic cognitive and personality tests will assist to find the cream of the crop in the broader organisation, says Scherrer. Companies needn’t undertake a large battery of tests or expensive assessments.
The big and ultimate challenge is to unlock the hidden potential. The individual needs to overcome their fears, must be able to build on their capabilities and must be able to recognise the opportunities coming their way.
The company is responsible for creating a constructive culture to support and develop potential. However, it is a joint effort between the individual and management, says Aitken-Smith. “Management has always placed the responsibility on the individual to initiate this conversation. I think they always will, because it must come from the personal motivation of the individual himself,” she says.
Scherrer stresses that the expectations of the individual must be clearly understood. Then it becomes a negotiation or a “psychological contract” between the manager and the high-potential employee.
Be clear what a person is capable of, what they want to do, and whether that is aligned to what the company needs. It may also happen that the individual is not aligned with your perception of their potential, or they are simply not interested to contribute at another level. “You have to respect that as well,” says Scherrer.
The company has the responsibility to provide the opportunities for people who are willing to shine. “It is not the role of the company to force people to progress at all costs, even if they have the potential.”
The development journey
People go through different phases in their lives. When young, ambitious employees with loads of potential start a family, their focus will shift a bit.
“That does not mean they are less ambitious, or their potential is lost – their priority has changed. If you have a high-potential and committed employee and you are able to make the phase they are going through less stressful, allowing for them to shift their focus for a period of time, allowing for more flexibility, you may find they will become even more committed,” says Scherrer.
She says it is necessary to find scalable development solutions, but in some circumstances the psychological contract between the individual and the manager has to be repackaged to fit most of the people, and not all the people.
Aitken-Smith says potential generally refers to a “currently unrealised ability with high potential”. Put differently, it means someone has a high probability of achieving success.
Once someone is on a talent journey, map it, adds Scherrer. One has to have critical intervals of monitoring progress and checking in to see what is working and what is not working.
When the high-potential employee gets distracted during the journey because of significant personal events, allow for the journey to be “paused” and for the talented person to adjust.
This article originally appeared in the 6 December edition of finweek. Buy and download the magazine here or subscribe to our newsletter here.
