Emerging Senior Leader Program

About the Program

Category: Personnel Management, Employment and Training (Best in Category)

Year: 2012

In order to retain a competent workforce, employers are constantly identifying strong employees and focusing on their abilities. A component of Chesterfield County’s Talent Management initiative is the development of leaders for future positions. Creating learning opportunities geared towards mid to upper level leaders is also a critical element in maximizing the county's Talent Management efforts. Using focus group responses of previously assessed leaders, content areas were identified and approved by county leadership that include Strategic Thinking, Budgeting tied to Strategic Planning, Emotional and Social Intelligence, Succeeding in a Political Environment, Developing Workforce Talent, Conveying Information and Organizational Messages Effectively and Understanding Local Government Operations. It was believed that these areas would best prepare leaders for future success within Chesterfield County. In fact, because of the program, two enrolled participants were promoted in the first year. One individual was promoted to Director of Internal Audit and a second individual was promoted to Assistant Director of Building Inspections. This program is a successful and innovative tactic that can be used in any county office to highlight strong and valuable employees.