Succession Planning for the Diverse Workforce of the Future Caprice D. Hollins, Psy.D.

Objectives Inclusive & Welcoming Environment Difficult Conversations The Leaders Role Create Initiate Embrace

World Café React/Respond to question 20 minutes each question Table captain records responses A few tables will report out Put posters on wall Rotate

2014 Benchmarking Report International Public Management Association for Human Resources Have a Succession Plan?

Barriers to Succession Planning

Key Components of Succession Planning

Create an Inclusive/Welcoming Environment

Their opinions? Their background? Their native language? Their hairstyle? Their foods? Their values? Their ideas? Their communication style? Their sexual orientation? Their culture? A workplace can only be diverse if the people who work there can be themselves. PricewaterhouseCoopers When your employees go to work each day did they have to leave something behind?

Perceptions How You Think Others See The Organization How Some See Your Organization

Inclusive & Welcoming Environment An organization’s ‘diversity brand’ is often its most potent recruitment tool. What’s your diversity ‘brand’ and how have you developed it? What strategies does your organization practice proactively to create an inclusive/welcoming work environment for all employees?

Initiate Difficult Conversations

Fears Yours They will feel hurt. You’ll be misunderstood. They’ll think their not needed. They see it as discrimination. Theirs You don’t care. “Your telling me I’m useless.” “You’re trying to get rid of me.” “You’re saying I’m too old.”

 Take Risks  Experience Discomfort  Listen for Understanding  Expect and Accept Non-Closure  Stay Engaged Norms

Building a Platform

Initiate ‘Difficult Conversations’ Succession planning best practices require leaders to initiate numerous difficult conversations within their organization. How do you help employees feel comfortable discussing “next stage in life” thoughts without them feeling like they’re being pushed out? How do we increase our collective comfort with conversations that give organizations years, instead of months or weeks, for succession planning. How do you build a culture that allows for these kinds of difficult, often intergenerational conversations?

Embrace the Leader’s Role

Culturally Competent Leaders Are… Learners Courageous Advocates Inclusive Sensitive Connected Enthusiastic Strategic Data Driven Realistic

Implicit Bias

Tim Wise Dismantling Racism in Your Organization Saskatoon, SK  March 15, 2012

Embrace the Leader’s Role Succession Planning is often considered ‘an HR problem,’ but the best practices literatures promotes that leaders have a critical role in setting strategy and surmounting obstacles. How have your leaders positioned themselves to meet this challenge? What are promising leadership practices that can have a positive impact on succession planning for a diverse workforce?

Questions/Comments (Q & C)