This document cautions against high potential programs and identifies six problems with them: 1) inability to predict future performance, 2) subjective nature of who is designated high potential, 3) whether to disclose high potential designations, 4) how to manage pay, development, and promotion of high potentials, 5) managing expectations, and 6) what to do if employees are no longer considered high potential. The sole recommended solution is to avoid implementing formal high potential programs and instead focus on providing challenging assignments, coaching, and training to those who learn quickly and see how they develop over time through gained experience.

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Beware of your High Potential Programs.
WARNING: This article is written with High doses of cynicism for two reasons. 1- I´m from Argentina,
and for some inexplicable reasons Argentineans tend to have higher doses of cynicism. 2- I´ve been in
HR for more than 20 years, and for reasons that are very easy to explain HR Professionals are
significantly more cynical.
Everybody needs to have a Hi Potential program, it´s the name of the game, if you are an HR
professional, you should have one. Even better call it a “Talent” program. And you will be the
envy of the HR association.
I personally see 6 problems with HiPo programs, and only one solution.
Problem Number 1- Predicting the Future.
Can we predict the future? NO
Is performance based on situational factors? YES
So how can we predict how someone will perform in the future, in a context that does not
exit?
Especially in the age of speed of change it …
So… what is a high potential?
The best answer I got to this question is people who learn and adapt fast, which in turn helps
them to understand de context quickly and perform at a highest standard… what is called
learning agility.
I believe it is a great concept and I fully agree people who have learning agility probably will
perform above standard… but does that make them a hi potential?
The new context will require new skills, which probably we cannot even describe today…. So
beyond been a fast learner, what do people need to learn…
Problem Number 2 – Who makes the call
Who makes the call? Who says that person A is a High Potential.
The Manager of the manager that saw him or her do a presentation that he or she liked 6
months ago (like many companies do)… or is it the assessment of many senior leaders… that in
the end reach a somewhat consensus to call someone a high po.
What is the presentation had gone wrong, or if there was no “connection” or the person
shared bad news, or his/her English is not so good…
Mediocre people hire mediocre candidates.
Mediocre Managers make Mediocre Talent calls… and organizations are full of mediocre
managers.

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Then you have a lot of assessment tools, which I´m sure have validity…but can they predict
future performance in an unknown context.
What they provide is the excuse that “we have used a series of tools and assessments to
determine the individuals talent call” ….. bullsxxt!.
Problem Number 3 – Do we tell him/her do we tell the rest?
As most of the Hi Po programs are still Witchcraft most companies do not tell anyone.
Some tell the Hi Po’s they are Hi Po’s and what that will mean to them (But please don´t tell
anyone). So everybody is trying to guess who is who and why and a lot of energy is wasted in
this process.
Others tell the everybody (In do not know of one..but assume there might be some) and with
that motivate the few Hi Po´s and disengage the great majority. (Not a good Idea)
Problem Number 4 – Now what do we do with Pay, Careers and Development.
OK. We found the Diamonds in the Rough!! Now what do we do…
Pay them more so we can retain them, Give them lots of training, Pump them up and Promote
them!!
Pay: Who much more and why?
Training: There is no harm in training people more, the harm can be if you do not give enough
training, so this is not a problem.
Pump them up (see problem 5)
Promote them. This is CORRECT (kind of). I believe critical experiences (not always promotions)
are what really build a career, and you can test the learning agility of an individual.
Problem Number 5 –How do we manage expectations?
Calling a Hi Po a Hi Po is Pumping him/her up, you will make commitments and will need to
carefully manage expectations, if not (like any unfulfilled expectation) it can backfire, and you
might end up losing great talent.
Problem Number 6 – Is he/she a Hi po for life? What do we do when he/she is not a Hipo any
more.
Umm. Really this person is not a hi Po…what do we do?
Reduce the salary?, Tell him/her… manage expectations @#!!!
You just wish this had never started.
Solution 1-
Be Humble: We know very little about the human brain and human behavior-

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Be Realistic: We cannot predict the future
Be Practical: Keep your eyes on people that learn fast (I like one company that just calls those
who believe can move faster “people to watch”) , give them challenging assignments, coaching
and training, se how they do and take it from there.
A career is build step by step, experience by experience.
Just don´t implement a Hi Po program.