Managers have an obligation to get the best value for the money they invest on behalf of their organizations. That is as true for the human side of the business as it is for making investment decisions about machines, technology, or even capital. Systematically and strategically picking the best people, and developing them to make them even more productive, is not something to be put off until a rainy day. It is not something that would be “nice to do” when time permits. It is, instead, essential to gaining and sustaining competitive advantage. While traditional succession planning programs have focused on attracting, developing, retaining and positioning the best High Potential (HiPo) workers, technical succession planning focuses on attracting, developing, retaining, positioning and transferring the knowledge of the best High Professional (HiPro) workers. HiPros are the “go to” people, the in-house experts, on business processes, problems, customers or issues. Traditional succession planning and traditional talent management programs have ignored the critically-important HiPro group. Successful organizations of the future will not be those with the most advanced technology or the most liquid capital. They will, instead, be those that are systematically managing and developing talent—including technical talent such as engineers and research scientists--to gain and sustain competitive advantage. Many HR practitioners are faced with the need to coordinate the start up of a comprehensive succession planning program. However, they often wonder where to start and what to do. This session will provide a detailed approach to guide that start up. While that approach may need to be modified and aligned with each corporate culture, it provides enough details for you to prepare and implement a project plan to implement the technical succession planning program. It goes beyond that traditional focus to add a new, special element—that is, a focus on leveraging the knowledge of HiPros.
Attend this program to discover a new dimension to succession planning that goes beyond preparing people for vertical promotions “up the organization chart” and prepares people for “horizontal promotions” in a dual career ladder system “across the continuum of professional expertise.”
I. Introduction
II. Implementing a Technical Talent Planning and Management System
III. Conclusion
Attend this program to discover a new dimension to succession planning that goes beyond preparing people for vertical promotions “up the organization chart” and prepares people for “horizontal promotions” in a dual career ladder system “across the continuum of professional expertise.”
I. Introduction
II. Implementing a Technical Talent Planning and Management System
III. Conclusion
William J. Rothwell
William J. Rothwell, PhD, DBA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, CPTD Fellow, RODC, FLMI is a Distinguished Professor in theWorkforce Education and Development program in the Department of Learning and Performance Systems at thePennsylvania State University, University Park campus.Work ExperienceDr. Rothwell worked full-time in human resources, training and Organization Development in both government (Illinois Office of Auditor General) and in a multinational company (American Brands, #48 on the Fortune 500 list) from 1979 until he joined Penn State University as a professor to head up a graduate program in Human Resource Development/Organization Development He has been a consultant for …
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