Development Dimensions International (DDI), a global talent management consulting firm, celebrates the launch of its new Bangkok Leadership Acceleration Center^® with an open house for clients last month.  The January open house provided clients with an overview of best practices in talent management and an insight into the latest in acceleration center facilities.

 

Now, more than ever, organizations need to identify and develop strong leaders—it is a necessity to survive and thrive today’s challenging economic environment. As Thailand’s global footprint continues to grow, Thai organizations are working hard to ensure they have the right talent to execute their critical business priorities. This event marks DDI’s on-going commitment to the Thai market and its growing list of Thai clients. 

 

“With the current shortage of experienced leaders in Thailand and around the world, the need for organisations to accelerate the development of leadership talent at all levels, has never been more critical,” said Suchada Chuensuksawadi, DDI’s General Manager for Thailand. The open house event, titled Opening the Door to Talent, focused on five key aspects of an effective talent management strategy.

 

One of the most common pitfalls of any talent management initiative is sustainability. For this reason, DDI’s process begins with the laying of a solid foundation to spell out the vision, goals, strategies, tactical designs and processes to identify, assess, develop and manage talent. It involves creating a talent committee; identifying key stakeholders and their roles and accountabilities; outlining communication strategies (before, during and after implementation), ground rules, operating guidelines, and measurements of success.

 

Most organizations have competency models, but DDI prefers a more holistic approach to performance, clearly defining specific requirements for success on the job. Required competencies, knowledge, personal attributes and experiences make up a “success profiles” which are anchored on and aligned to the company’s business goals. These profiles are the essential building blocks to design and implement an integrated talent management system.

If organizations can identify potential effectively, they can focus their investment on those individuals who will generate the highest ROI in terms of their ability to grow quickly and broadly. Spotting and optimizing high potential talent consists of three components: evaluating current performance, identifying potential and creating “talent pools” instead of mere “replacements”. “Based on DDI research, the factors that comprise potential (including receptivity to feedback, adaptability, and a passion for results) are very difficult to develop,” admits Suchada.

 

Accurate assessment information is indispensible to minimize the risk of selecting or promoting the wrong individual. “The Leadership Acceleration Center provides a unique snapshot into the potential and readiness of talent through a simulated leadership role,” shares Suchada. “High potential talents face realistic and complex challenges designed to reflect the challenges the organization is facing, and they can actually demonstrate their readiness for transition to another level. It’s much like a flight simulator for leaders.” DDI pioneered the Acceleration Center methodology nearly 40 years ago and is currently the only consulting organization with an extensive network of 29 Leadership Acceleration Centers around the world.

It’s essential that assessment candidates are given thoughtful feedback in relation to his or her greater career success. It’s just as important to agree on development priorities to focus the individual on strengths and growth areas that match what the business needs of its leaders, their own role requirements, and their personal goals and objectives. “Development progress is a key measure of your talent management system,” says Suchada. “Focused feedback and a well-crafted development plan help accelerate talent and ensure you have the right people in the right jobs.”

 

Opening the Door to Talent received a positive response from DDI’s clients, with 39 representatives from over 18 organizations participating in the interactive learning session. “Thailand has been an increasingly important market for DDI in the last 19 years. And with the success of this recent event, we are even more committed to deliver better and faster service to existing and future clients,” said Suchada. “At DDI, we can give our clients a competitive advantage by helping them deploy and develop the right leadership talent, who can, in turn, engage their workforce and execute on business strategies.”

 

DDI Thailand serves numerous Thai and global organizations in diverse industries, including financial services, consumer goods, manufacturing, telecommunications, and petrochemicals.