The client group is leaders and managers within a large heavy engineering organisation.

The client had run a project to benchmark leadership and management capability. The results suggested leadership capability below expected and hoped for levels.

The project aimed at High Potential future leaders is aimed at developing a cohort of trained and capable future leaders to step into leadership roles as they become available. This is seen as 1 component of addressing the overall capability issue around leadership and management in the organisation.

As a result of the assessments within the organisation the High Potential group has been halved from 90 to about 45. Part of the process of developing future leaders able to raise the bar in capability is to create a competitive environment where they need to demonstrate both the motivation and skills to first get a place on the high potential development programme (selective 15 per year through competitive selection), then to achieve both a qualification and successfully deliver a project to the organisation. The organisation has on average 6 new leadership positions a year that become available.  The High Potential development programme becomes in effect the interview for gaining a promotion into one of those leadership roles.

This programme is current. The selection assessment centre in which the HiPo candidates compete for a place on the programme involves 2-days of assessment against the organisations leadership and management competency frameworks. Candidates are assessed on both their potential skills and capabilities and also their motivation to succeed through the process and the programme.

Once selected candidates undertake the ILM level 5 Certificate in Coaching and Mentoring – being the area of skills focus assessed has delivering the biggest leadership capability improvement (a pilot group of leaders through this training and qualification had been very successful). In addition candidates in groups of 3 will be required to undertake a project within the organisation with an outcome of delivering value to the organisation. This is done in addition to their normal day jobs and takes significant commitment. The projects are given profile at the highest level in the organisation and candidates are able to use the programme to build their profile and personal brand with senior management team.