Amanda Johnson HR Project Manager – Succession Planning

1. Amanda Johnson HR Project Manager – Succession Planning

2. Aims of session • What was I aiming to do and why • My approach • What went well…. • What are the bits I don’t really want to admit to – but where the real learning is

3. My journey • How on earth did I end up here……..? • You are getting the short version! • I hope to illustrate how persistence, leadership and a positive approach can bring about tangible benefits, even during difficult times.

4. The first set of lessons…. • Never admit to something in the Police sector, you become the subject expert • Never have a bright idea and take it to the Deputy Chief Constable unless you are prepared for the consequences • Decisions are not made quickly.

5. Lesson 1 • Headhunted • Assistant Training Manager • Succession Management guru.

6. Organisation Development Replacement Forecasting Retention Career Pathway Management PerformanceDevelopmentReview Succession Planning Integrated Competency Framework Recruitment Promotion Development Succession Management in Hertfordshire

7. Rank Structures Chief Officers Chief Superintendent Superintendent Chief Inspector Inspector Sergeant Constable

8. What was the problem… Identify and develop the right people to be in the right posts at the right times. But….. The Force was and still is at full establishment for Sgts and Insps i.e…. No longer jobs for everyone who wants promotion

9. How identify right people… • Actual question – How identify potential leaders Other problems were: • National exam has a ‘shelf life’ • Some officers who had been most strongly promoted by their managers were demonstrated, with substantive evidence, to be weaker than others

10. Lesson 2 – My MSc • Regional Collaboration with Leicester Business School, De Montfort University • MSc in Management programme to “specifically meet the needs of senior professionals across the Justice Sector” • We were invited to join the first cohort to pilot the programme and elected to fund two places – a Police Officer and a member of Police Staff. • Guess who ‘won’ the Police Staff place!

11. My dissertation • Lots of research on both Leadership and ways of assessing those who have the ‘potential’ for leadership • Interviews and focus groups to determine the competencies which underpinned our leadership charter

12. What I found…. • Identified five competencies which underpin our leadership charter • But the five competencies are difficult to assess in traditional ways (AC’s/SJQ’s) • Needed an assessment method which provided enough discrimination if it were to be used it for selection.

13. What I decided… • Determined 360 feedback was best way to identify Leadership Potential • But, it all said “should only be used for development” – quandary… • The maverick in me said “Why not….?” • The need to be fair, open and robust in selection process was paramount.

14. What did we need… A ‘diagnostic’ tool which would: • Be accepted by the participants and the Police Federation as a fair, objective process • Provide greater differentiation between candidates, on specific competencies, than other methods used in the past • Validate the Leadership model for the Constabulary • Provide constructive developmental feedback for all participants irrespective of outcome • Did not take excessive time to complete.

15. Wanted to use the Performance / Potential grid • Already had national annual appraisal process – PDR – Performance Development Review • 360 established as best method for identifying potential – but how to use for selection purposes not just developmental • Head Light Communications helped achieve this.

16. Lesson 3 – it takes time… • It takes a long time from concept to action (unless it’s a critical incident of course) • My first e-mail to Ian was on 25th April 2007 • I had my five competencies but how create a short enough questionnaire.

17. ICF National standards of performance and behaviours Forms basis of PDR and role profiles Activities – what Behaviours – the how PLQF Leadership model around styles, values, ethics, standards and competencies Evidential framework Three ‘new’ behaviours The PLQF behavioural indicators were rolled into the 12 behaviours of the ICF as revised or new behavioural indicators – It still meant I had over 160 indicators in my five competencies to choose from

18. Creating the Questionnaire ICF and PLQF Leadership Charter Behavioural Indicators PLQF and C/Insp level Our Leadership questionnaire

19. New Lesson • Not really a lesson but a potential show stopper • The Police is a Command and Control culture • This is a key strength but not for what I needed!

20. How did I move it forward… • Needed a pilot • Needed management buy-in (tricky one!) • Needed benchmark data

21. Pilot it and setbenchmark data = = + + Leadership360 Review

22. How using it now Series of steps to get promoted Take and pass national exam Good competent PDR and aspiration Selected for 360 PDR + 360 12 month Promotion Development programme

23. 360 + PDR Ch Insp * * Set for rank * * * * Performance Overall PDR scores Objectives + Behaviours * * * Variable to get highest performers & potential to meet demand * * * * * * Potential: Overall 360 score

24. PDR + 360 Officers in three categories: • Category 1 – those deemed ready for promotion now (meet 360 benchmark). Invited to final selection process • Category 2 – those deemed ready for promotion within the next 12 months (they will require a development plan, recorded on their PDR and will need to take the 360 within the next 12 months). Regarding “Acting” opportunities. Officers need to be selected from this pool. • Category 3 – those who are not deemed ready for promotion within 12 months and require a detailed discussion with their line manager as to the development required. They exit the process at this point and will need to re-enter at a later date.

25. Where are we now.. • It isn’t perfect – have about 80% correlation with PDR+360 = Good performance on final selection • Have had issues with performance on the 12 month development programme • Our Federation and the national Federation love it! • Officers consider it to be fair and they understand it….

26. My final message Stanly Kubrick illustrates one of the underlying challenges we face - “our ability to talk about a subject matter can create the consoling illusion that it has been mastered.” Have I done what it said on the tin? So it’s question time!