Bloomberg Thought Leadership Series People and Performance: Improving the odds of success for high-potential programs

Bloomberg’s People and Performance series, hosted in partnership with Elliott Scott HR, was held in Singapore on Wednesday 27th January. Launched in 2015, this is the fourth event in the series and marks the first event of 2016. See the PDF below:

The event provided the opportunity for over 100 senior-level HR professionals to network over drinks and canapés, before hearing insights from thought leaders on the challenges most pertinent for HR in the region.

The theme of this session was high-potential talent, and it aimed to address how the complex and fast-changing nature of the global economy has created a demand for more diverse leadership mindsets, skills and capabilities. The keynote speaker was Pushp Deep Gupta, Senior Client Partner, Leadership and Talent Consulting at Korn Ferry. Pushp has over 15 years’ experience in talent and leadership consulting.

Pushp asked attendees to question what the purpose of their high-potential programs were and what future they’re intended to build for within their organisations. He explained that often, these programs were poor at capturing and nurturing game-changers who tend to be rough around the edges and resistant to organisational bureaucracy. Organisations should instead look at re-defining the frames of reference of high-performance, and look out for these seven signposts of potential.

Following the keynote was a panel discussion on how to improve the odds of success for high-potential programs, led by CEB’s Managing Director, Stuart Hedley. Stuart’s expertise is in the areas of talent management, assessment and selection, performance management, leadership development and training.

Panellists included Suzy Walther, Global Head of Talent at Bloomberg; Anthony Rose, CEO at House of Rose Professional; and Chek Wee Foo, Group HR Director at Zalora.

According to CEB’s data, many high-performance programs under-perform, with 55% of identified high-potentials dropping out of programs within five years, and 46% of leaders failing to meet business objectives after moving into a new role.

One root cause for this failure is in misidentifying who the high-performers are, with only 15% of identified high-performers likely to actually be high-potential. Another root cause is failing to develop high-performers effectively, with many formal programs not developing the skills the business actually needs.

Organisations instead need a better definition of high-potential, looking out for the three distinguishing characteristics of high-aspiration, high-ability, and high-engagement, that are critical for success.

The panel concluded with questions from the audience followed by an opportunity to network. Elliott Scott HR would like to thank Bloomberg, Korn Ferry, CEB and the speakers for their contribution to making the event a success.

To find out when the next event will be held, or for more information, contact Group Marketing and Communications Manager, Malinda Zerefos at mz@elliottscotthr.com.