Leader track needs to be transparent
If your organization has a leadership development program, there’s no reason to keep it shrouded in mystery. Explain how the program works, why it works and what makes it successful.
This may sound obvious. But a recent American Management Association survey of almost 200 corporate executives found that more than four-fifths of respondents said their company was not very transparent in disclosing criteria for selecting who gets chosen for leadership development.
A lack of transparency about the program’s structure and selection process can stoke confusion and jealousy among would-be participants.
By educating your staff about the program’s goals, parameters and methodology, you help them understand its purpose. They can also assess for themselves whether they want to expend the effort to become eligible for admission into the program.
If you don’t open up, talented managers might feel left out or unclear about their odds of earning a place in the program. They might even quit and bolt to another employer that does a better job of cultivating its future leaders.
Secrecy also begets rumors. Keeping your selection criteria confidential can expose you to accusations that you’re picking candidates based on internal politics rather than merit.
If employees feel you make no effort to showcase a fair, equitable selection process, then morale can suffer across the board.
You want anyone who does not get chosen to understand how to qualify next year. This can become a key motivator.
— Adapted from “Companies Not So Transparent on Leadership Programs,” www.amanet.org.
