Find future leaders
Another very important facet of strategic planning is personnel evaluation. Twice a year, Seaman schedules full-day “strategic evaluationof associates” sessions — once in January, directly following thestrategic planning off-site, and once in June, during the business planning process.
By going through the organization and asking the right questions,you can start identifying who your company’s future leaders mightbe.
Seaman has developed a database with an entry for all of his managers that includes their picture, their background, their time withSeaman Corp. and their education. He goes through each file with hischief operating officer and asks questions like, “Are they where theyneed to be? What are their aspirations?” and “Are they looking togrow?”
From that process, you can identify what Seaman refers to as the“high potentials.” The next step is finding ways for those people tocontinue to grow so that one day they will fulfill their potential.
“What we do is look for projects that we can put them on that willtest their capabilities or give them opportunities for growth,” hesays.
Seaman likes to involve the high potentials in the strategic planning process by assigning them to one of the teams presentingissues to senior management prior to the December off-site meeting.
“It helps give us more input as to what their growth potential is,and it contributes to helping them grow, by giving them additionalassignments,” he says.
The key is having a process that deliberately looks at your people ona regular basis. As part of that process, Seaman requires all management personnel to fill out a personal leadership development evaluation form annually. Be sure to stay in tune with your employees’ capabilities, their personal desires in terms of growth within your organization, and what you can do to invest in their growth and development.
Seaman cautions that if you put employee development on the backburner, you’ll regret it later.
“You need to keep looking at your most valuable asset — your people — on a regular basis to be sure that they are being challenged, thatthey’re in the right places, that they are having the opportunity forgrowth potential,” he says. “If you don’t do those things, they’re goingto go somewhere else, and you’re going to wonder why.”
HOW TO REACH: Seaman Corp., www.seamancorp.com or (330) 262-1111
