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What makes someone high potential?

10/1/2019

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"I am thrilled to share this article from Chief People Officer, Kerry Field.  I was fortunate to work closely with her on a global initiative during her time as an HR VP for Thermo Fisher Scientific and she 'wowed' me with her approach and leadership.  Kerry is a thought leader in business and human resources and has a record of driving incredible results.  We are grateful she took time to share her experience and insight on what makes someone 'high' potential and what sets these individuals apart.  For readers looking to make a large impact and grow in their career, here are some wise words that will help you move the needle and achieve amazing results!" 
- Erika Butler, CEO HIHR LLC
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Question: What makes high potential talent stand out from 'good' talent - please share from your own experience.  How have you approached things differently in your career that led to incredible leadership opportunities?  

The concept of what makes someone high potential is a point of debate across many organizations.  What I’ve found truly distinguishes someone as ‘high’ potential versus someone with ‘some’ potential is the combination of three elements. As you read through this, I’d encourage you to think about someone you’ve experienced who is high potential: 

Proactive Curiosity.   All of us have a choice to learn and seek knowledge/skills from every work experience we have.   Individuals who are high potential are relentless with their curiosity to learn and grow.   They ASPIRE to be the best they can be in their current role, and they are proactive in their efforts to learn independently and from others.   They don’t wait for others to teach them, they don’t worry about ‘stepping on toes’ – they are simply hungry for more.

Humble regarding learning curves.  In combination with being proactively curious and aspiring for more, high potentials are also self-aware and humble.   They seek guidance from those who have been successful in an organization and/or field before them, and they are open to experiences that may be presented to them that may not seem ‘logical’ to a career path.  Being humble about your growth and trusting leadership who may know that an seemingly unlikely role may propel career growth (even if it delays a promotion for a year) illustrates a level of maturity that high potentials tend to exhibit.   For example, a person may be presented with role in a new function or new location that doesn’t seem logical – but the experiences in that function may provide something critical that will help talent leapfrog to leadership. 

Organizational Agility / Relationships.   We’ve all heard the saying, ‘It takes a village to raise a child’; and I’d say that it also take a village to build a leader.   High potentials recognize this and focus on building relationships across the organizations they are part of and also extend their reach outside to industry and professional contacts.   I often reference the term ‘personal board of directors’ – this is a village of leaders/experts that an individual recruits and puts around them who serve as mentors, feedback providers, and providers of perspective that support growth and development.   Similar to a company, a Board is in place to challenge thinking, bring awareness to potential blind spots, and drive better outcomes.   High potential talent are proactive is putting these types of resources around them to help them grow and find success.    

​I didn’t speak to technical/functional expertise as that’s a given of high performers – that performance combined with the elements above (which are often much harder to teach) provide ways to identify those individuals who have the best chances of rising through the organization into critical leadership roles.

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Create a Culture of Sustainable Creativity

8/30/2019

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Early in my professional career, I had the opportunity to work for the master of idea suppression. My supervisor consistently expressed his need to be the smartest person in the room, effectively erasing any attempts to bring new concepts forward. The rising leaders within our organization are now the millennials who look for encouragement and recognition that their insights can expand our unique value proposition. Ignoring or discounting your team member’s innovative ideas, creates a culture of fear, where few will risk presenting a breakthrough model or concept1. 
 
By recognizing those creative innovators within your team as thought-leaders, managers encourage critical thinking, to significantly advance the value of the entire organization1. Retaining high preforming innovators is critical to sustaining your company, as the departure of your brightest members reduces your competitive edge and directly impact your profit potential2. Conventional means of incentivizing employees may not attract and retain high performing millennials who seek meaning and purpose from their career1. Innovations in your management approach that recognize your team’s cutting-edge thinkers creates a culture of idea generation that becomes the catalyst for sustained creativity.    

Michael Shelly
Business Development Strategist & Director of Sales at HIHR International  

1. Carter, T. D., & Walker III, W. D. (2018). Retaining, cultivating, and investing: Strategies for leading millennial managers.Journal of Government Financial Management, 67(2), 20-25.  
2. Ekrot, B., Kock, A., & Gemünden, H. G. (2016). Retaining project management competence — antecedents and consequences.International Journal of Project Management, 34(2), 145-157. 
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Trying to Create Creativity in Your Company?

8/23/2019

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How do new breakthrough ideas get developed in your company? So, you don’t have that high-powered R&D division that can invent the next big thing that accelerates your business into the blue waters of sustained success? Well, you may have creative problem solvers scattered across your organization ready to turn your competitive gap into a significant innovation that can really pull your company forward.   

Many breakthrough problem solvers are individuals who are, by nature, highly curious, complex thinkers, who may have the potential to become entrepreneurs, but inside your company they can become intrapreneurs. 

These creative people might not look all that breakthrough-ish. They may never say a word in your team meetings, they work well in solitude, they never run with scissors… you know the type.
Introverts, extraverts, ambiverts, workers that always seem to be rocking the boat, they all see your business and your customer’s problems through a very unique lens, and it drives them to think up new ways of doing things… they are the viewers of the breakthrough! They see past today’s problems, with the ability to peer into the better future. 

So, how is all of this inventiveness happen? 
The process of “intrapreneur-ship” occurs in seven-steps.  
1) Identify the root cause of the problem. 
2) Envision how that problem could be solved. 
3) Draw or write out a description of the solution as a prototype. 
4) Resource the components internally and/or with external suppliers at little or no cost. 
5) Deliver the prototype to the customer/problem owner. 
6) Gain feedback, refine, and confirm the prototype is effective. 
7) Announce the new product/solution’s success. 

​Individuals working as intrapreneurs, think collectively, construct in privacy and act specifically, before announcing their efforts to the entire company. These individuals or small groups need cover to create, away from the naysayers, to incubate and test their idea. 
You have amazing people all over your business. Develop a culture of curiosity, promote limited risk-taking, and solution creation may just start taking root inside your company, with the potential to grow your organization into an amazingly innovative market leader.  

Author: Michael Shelly

Business Development Strategist & Director of Sales at HIHR International 

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Team Member Spotlight:  Kassie

7/12/2019

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Meet Kassandra Ward!
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Kassie is interning with us this summer and is very excited to be a part of the team at HIHR. She previously worked for ADP as a Sales Representative for 4 years but realized that her passion was HR and decided to go back to school for her 
Masters in Human Resource Management. She is so grateful for the opportunity to explore and learn HR through her experiences at HIHR. 
Why do you love HR? 
"I am new to the HR 
world, however, I love working with people and I would like to make a difference in an organization. I enjoy the implementation of new processes to help an organization run better and become more successful. I have worked with many HR managers while I worked at ADP. I collaborated with them about their business strategies and initiatives and then assisted with meeting those expectations. It was very rewarding to help organizations achieve their business initiatives."

Why do you think HR is important and how do you think it adds value? 
"I feel HR is very important to an organization because I believe it provides the structure and backbone to the organization. HR teams can bring so much more to the table than tactical tasks. HR is providing a more strategic stance within organizations by having a seat at the 
decision making table. They also bring the harmony to the organization as well by ensuring values are shared with each person in the organization.

What is your favorite HR or business tip/words of wisdom? 
"I am currently in school for my Masters in HR Management and I have learned so much so far. Do what you say you will do! This builds trust and credibility with leaders and teams. Building trust opens the line for great communication, keeps the team engaged and increases performance."

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Team Member Spotlight:  Aurora

6/21/2019

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Meet Aurora Brunovsky!

Aurora knew there was something incredibly special about HIHR since the idea was born last year. She met Erika, our CEO, years ago at Target where they worked together as HR Executives. Aurora works with Penn State, her alma-mater, as a HR Consultant but when Erika asked her to join her new business venture as a HR Business Partner, Aurora was honored and excited to join the HIHR team. We are incredibly grateful to be able to share Aurora and utilize her talents and love for HR. 

Why do you love HR? 
"One of the main reasons I love HR is because in this role I always feel like I’m able to help others. From management and employees to key stakeholders, HR has the rare opportunity to impact everyone in a business. While we wear many hats and the job looks different day to day, at the end of it all, we’re employee advocates, management partners and the drivers of positive change within an organization. THIS is why I love HR- we’re able to promote and inspire positive change for individuals AND their company’s success."

Why do you think HR is important? 
“HR is important because we are the ones who help mold, create and maintain appropriate business practices, expectations and procedures within an organization. When implemented correctly and followed diligently, the organization will naturally begin changing for the better, become more successful and have a higher functioning team. HR adds value by helping companies to reach their goals- no matter what paths it may take to get there.” 
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What HR words of wisdom do you have? 
“Talented employees stay with you and your organization for these top reasons: they are paid well, listened to, involved in decision making, challenged, mentored and most importantly, appreciated. People who feel appreciated will always do more than what’s expected of them and will want to stay with you and your business. When employees can’t check these boxes, they may get time, experience and training from you, and then go use it somewhere else.” 

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