My company are looking at succession planning for the positions of Managing Director, Cheif Operating Officer (COO) and other senior Board Directors.
I have been asked to identify suitable Leadership/Executive Board training for the Regional Directors and wondered if anyone could help me as I have a folder several inches high already of different websites/Institutions etc. Costs are an issue so we couldn't just send everyone to Cranfield for example. Many thanks.
Sue Huntley
2 Responses
Big name or value added?
Hi Sue
giving provider names is one thing – but what is it you want to achieve? do you have the same objectyives for each person or do they each have a different action plan?
You could consider the IOD chartered director programme as you can do it bit by bit – managing your budget. On the IOD website is a good free disgnostic and needs analysis tool you ask your directors to take it.
Big institutions are great at churing the saussage machine – but for real development you may be better off getting in a small specialist provider – or are you looking for a badge?
I have some 360 tools for use with directors to help identify their individual development needs if that would help?
Happy to talk more off line
Mike
Director training
Hi Sue –
Is the training being planned for identified high potential individuals (whether regional directors or from your other internal desciplines) or for all your Regional Director population? Presumably they are not all promotoble (or indeed aspirational) to the next level?
I have been involved with several clients on managing the talent and succession pipeline and the associated development activity to this end, and it seem to me that you need a transparent and equitable methodology for promotion to the board.
In my experience, when organising development activity at this senior level, getting buy-in from the individuals concerned (and the existing board) is the No 1 priority. When did they last get some development and how open are they to agreeing their development needs? How does it fit in to your corporate culture (e.g. do you already have a 360 process? Do they have regular reviews/appraisals?).
Being a board director is so different (espcially at plc level) from being a senior manager – with more emphasis on governance, strategy, etc. But, of course, there are common skills of leadership, coaching others, influence and negotiation which you would want your senior managers to have (if they haven’t got them already!).
I think that executive coaching will play a key role in the development of your managers as it can be very appropriate to ‘pick off’ their needs at an individual level, especially since people this senior often don’t want to be exposed to their colleagues in this way. Particularly if the skills are personal (as opposed to professional).
Professional skills, e.g. ‘finance for non-financial managers’ can be done more easily as a block. I too recommend the IOD course list for this.
Happy to discuss off-line if I can offer help.
best wishes
Andie
Andie Hemming