Discover how organizations are training and inspiring the next generation of leaders through high potential programs.
High potential programs, sometimes also known as high potential leader programs, became an increasing trend to inspire the next generation of leaders. Research shows that businesses with strong leadership are 13 times more likely to outperform their competition. This indicates the need for next generation leadership to ensure an organization’s future. However, only 15% of companies in one study reported having high potential programs. Learn more about high potential programs and how they could prove to be beneficial to your organization or company below.
What are high potential programs?
A high potential program is a structured program designed to find talented employees who have high potential for growth. Organizations design these programs to develop leaders for the future of their organization. Chosen employees are those who go above and beyond to innovate and improve company processes.
Ideally, your organization identifies these top performing employees early in their career and mentor them as they gain additional responsibilities. High potential programs can help them develop additional skills and qualities to position themselves as tomorrow’s leaders.
To identify high potential employees, most organizations utilize a mixture of criteria. This includes job performance as well as general traits such as creativity, passion and experience.
What are the benefits of high potential programs?
You can benefit from investing in high potential programs and mentoring chosen employees. These benefits include:
- Increased employee engagement and contributions
- High potential employees can pay it forward by training and mentoring other employees at your organization
- Improved employee retention rate
- Reduced turnover from high-performing employees moving on
How can I implement a high potential program?
The best high potential programs involve a systemic, sustained effort. It needs to start from the very top of your organization or company. The selection process to choose which employees participate in the program must also be well-thought out. The process needs to connect with the needs and goals of the program. Define the entry criteria for the program and ensure it goes beyond biases or preconceived notions. You need to ensure employees participating have clear expectations and know what to get out of it. Discover more helpful hints for the implementation of these programs here.
Find more articles on innovation and design thinking on our blog. Contact us for help with your high potential leadership program through an innovation or design thinking training event.