Need

The government agency began to shift from a bureaucratic structure to a more entrepreneurial approach. While the organization had the operational excellence necessary to compete and grow in an international market, it needed bolstering in the areas of strategy, vision, culture, and leadership. In addition, approximately 60 to 70 percent of the organization’s executives would be eligible for retirement by 2010. The first step to achieve the strategy, vision, and cultural goals was having the right leadership in place to implement the necessary changes.

Solution

The looming void in leadership and the need to develop quality executives led the agency to select DDI for the design and implementation of a highly customized succession management process. The goals of the process were to accelerate the development of high potential managers and support the accuracy of the executive selection decisions. Working with the client’s internally developed competency model, DDI designed and launched a totally unique executive-level assessment process within a four-month deadline. DDI also opened offices in Washington, D.C., and San Francisco to augment the Pittsburgh office’s ability to handle 1,500 assessments of high-potential candidates over a three-year period. The agency’s assessment process is highly customized to mirror the business environment and accommodates relevant issues.

Results

DDI assessed between 30 to 40 employees each month and was on target to meet the three-year goal. Approximately sixty percent of these assessments were for development purposes, with the remaining 40 percent for selection decisions. The agency is extremely satisfied with the assessment process, and there have been numerous internal testimonials about the positive impact DDI has had on executive selection.