“ Growing Our Successors ” A Call To Action

1. “Growing Our Successors” A Call To Action CASA Annual Conference Monterey, CA Aug 11, 2016 Dr. Frank Benest frank@frankbenest.com

2. Let’s Start with Questions • In the minds of line employees and support staff, what are the images of the work of senior management? • From your perspective, what are the rewards, benefits, andjoysof senior management?

3. Overview Demographic crisis Impacts of “retirement wave” Talent development goals Exercise: “My most powerful development experience”

4. Overview (con’t) Accelerating growth & development Cost-effective approaches Getting started Resources & “one commitment”

5. The Demographic Context • The Numbers • 80 million Baby Boomers (1946-1964) leaving economy • 50 million Gen Xers (1965-1980) replacing them • 88 million Millennials (1981-2000) entering workforce

6. A Different Time Why did a whole generation of baby-boomers join public sector?

7. JFK Generation

8. Age Distribution

9. Attracting/Retaining Millennials You win the war for talent on culture Retool our organizational cultures • Focus on “purpose” • Offer learning & growth • Provide work flexibility • Promote interaction with senior mgmt • Provide ongoing feedback • Engage! Engage! Engage!

10. One Public Agency Average age: 50 yrs “At risk” of retirement within 3 yrs • Administration: 72% • Utilities: 67% • Watershed: 61%

11. The “Retirement Wave” What are some typical organizational impacts of the “retirement wave”?

12. Typical Organizational Impacts Over time. . . • Promoted managers or other employees not ready to advance • Difficulty recruiting seasoned managers • Loss of productivity, service problems • Loss of institutional knowledge • Increased recruitment & training costs • Loss of organizational capacity • “New blood”

13. Talent Development Goals • Create “leader-full”organization • Ensure organization has competencies & capacities needed to meet big challenges • Develop a pool of talent ready & able to step into leadership positions at top levels & throughout organization (Private sector metric for succession is 3 inside qualified candidates for every key position)

14. Learning Agility Technical skills & knowledge become quickly obsolete Learn-how is as important as know-how The key competency of 21st century professionals is learning agility When was last time we hired & promoted for learn-how?

15. The Importance of People Skills

16. “My Most Powerful Development Experience” Two questions: What did the experience entail? What were the key ingredients making it such a robust learning & development experience?

17. Accelerating Development • Focus on “learning by doing” • Understand 70/20/10 rule • Seek “sweet spot”

18. Cost-Effective Talent Development Cross-train Use internal trainers or “train-the-trainers” Teach supervisors simple coaching skills Place emerging leaders in interim positions Include a learning plan in annual work plan for each employee Structure assignments to include interaction with advisory boards & community groups Exchange an aspiring manager with a neighboring jurisdiction

19. Five Things To Get Started 1. Do workforce analysis 2. Engage dept heads in assessing readiness of high-potential employees 3. Offer & promote menu of cost-effective development opportunities 4. Train all supervisors on how to conduct development conversations 5. Offer internships & fellowships

20. Resources ICMA Coaching Program www. icma.org/coaching • Webinars • Frank’s Career Compass columns • “How Do I Create a Dream Team of Advisors?” • “Building a Powerful Network” • “How Do I Benefit From a Coach?” • Speed coaching • One-to-one coaching (“Coaches Gallery”) www.cal-icma.org/coaching

21. Resources (con’t) • “Retaining and Growing Talent—Strategies to Create Organizational Stickiness,”Public Management, Oct 2008 • ICMA Special Report, “Creating a Multi-Dimension Talent Strategy,” 2009

22. “One Thing” “Beginning on Monday, what is one thing I will try in order to grow our successors?”

23. www.frankbenest.com