Web series on agency leadership development debuts

There is a new webcast series on the Web that could help your agency develop and retain essential leaders.

Saba, a people management, software and services provider, has teamed up with the Human Capital Institute (HCI), a global professional association, to create Talent Development in the Federal Sector.

The series is free and can be played at any time.

Joy Kosta is senior director of the talent development and leadership communities at HCI and Jim Gill, vice president of public sector for Saba.

Both said the series can be used in any agency to help human capital managers prepare for working in the 21st century as more and more Baby Boomers think about retirement.

"The facts speak to that we have a whole generation of public servants who came into government in the 1960's and 1970's that are eligible for retirement. Of the 7,000 senior executive managers in the government, over 6,000 are eligible for retirement. So, you combine that with the need to acquire, develop and retain new talent. . . . It brings about a very key need for capital planning."

Despite the need for a plan, the economy has played a key role when it comes to Baby Boomers and their jobs.

In both the public and private sectors, many have decided to continue to work rather than retire, though Kosta said this should not be seen as a permanent solution.

"Public agencies, as well as the private sector, were granted a very short term reprieve in terms of facing this talent tsunami with people postponing retirement, but the demographics themselves don't change. Baby Boomers will be retiring soon, and agencies are really behind the 8 ball to prepare the future leaders for tomorrow."

She added that, as a result, HCI has teamed up with Saba to develop a Web cast series to help agencies develop new managers.

During this reprieve, she added, federal managers should concentrate on the challenges they're facing regarding efficiency and collaboration, as well.

Gill agreed and said that collaboration across agencies is essential.

"How do we capture the expertise and the knowledge of senior leadership that may be retiring, but has prolonged that retirement? This is a perfect opportunity to roll out those technologies that allow a new generation that are used to operating in an environment and having collaboration and innovation as part of their work flow [and] instill those systems so we can harvest that knowledge and create mentorship programs to pass that knowledge to a new generation."

In addition, he said the development of a leadership program is essential.

"[It would] not only develop internal talent, but attract talent from the private sector. Another key opportunity here for the government is to create an organizational culture that's results-oriented where there's a clear linkage between line-of-sight between individual performance, promotion and organizational success and needs."

Kosta said there are other essential areas that agencies should focus on, as well.

"One is mentoring. It gives leaders an opportunity to leave a legacy behind, maintain morale in their agency as they approach and announce their retirement, and also mentor and develop their successor. Those leaders have also found that mentoring improves their leadership style and skills. [Also] taking advantage of developmental assignments and coaching people through those stretch assignments. Both of those types of developmental initiatives cost virtually nothing but people's time, and the riches are [right there]."