Every now and then, I interview a thought leader on a subject and find myself reflecting back on the conversation many times. Such was the case over the last few weeks, following my webcast interview with Mike Hyter, President and COO of Novations. The webcast was entitled A Practical Approach to Realizing Higher Workforce Performance.Click here to access the archived session.

In this session, Mike talked about a typical scenario in which managers and HR professionals make assumptions early on about each individual´s potential, without having given the employee adequate opportunity to demonstrate his or her capacity to perform. He referenced the self-fulfilling prophecy that is created when certain individuals are assumed to have high potential and are then given the lion´s share of attention, development, coaching and feedback. These are the folks who become top performers. Mike´s view of that cycle is, "Of course they are!" But, what about all of the other individuals who were labelled to be of average or below average potential? Did they receive the types of stretch assignments, managerial coaching and feedback that would give them the chance to demonstrate their ability? Probably not. So, they stay performing at levels average or below.

Some would argue that an organization is limited in its development resources and therefore, it is wise to focus them on those who will likely assume top leadership positions. Mike´s response to that is to use stretch assignments with all employees. They don´t cost money in the way of formal training and they drive enhanced performance across the organization. They also give every employee the opportunity to demonstrate his or her capacity and move beyond any limiting assumptions made by others when it is too early to know. This inclusive approach to development, does however, put high expectations on the direct manager to serve as an effective coach to each individual working through a stretch assignment. Without appropriate coaching, feedback and support, much of the benefits of stretch assignments go unrealized. My thoughts on that? The role of manager as coach is one that many organizations do not pay enough attention to. It is a critical lever for maximizing organizational performance and worthy of significant resources and executive-level attention.

As we continue to explore ways to build our leadership bench, I'm guessing we would be wise to stop and think about ways of extending learning and development beyond those assumed to have high potential. A more inclusive approach development - what would it take in your organization? Drop me a line and let me know what you think. I'm standing by...