Taking YP Development from Surface-Level to Strategic
My grandfather had a deep love for cars, a passion reflected in the impressive lineup of vehicles he owned over the years. From a first-generation Corvette to a sophisticated Jaguar, his garage showcased his appreciation for exceptional craftsmanship. If he could see the state of my car today, he’d likely turn over in his grave.
Unlike him, I hate cars. My philosophy is simple: buy something cheap with reasonably low miles and drive it until it starts oozing oil and rust creeps through the edges of the doors. When a car reaches that state, I might do some cosmetic fixes—a little touch-up paint and good vacuuming—to make it feel less like a jalopy. But this effort doesn’t extend the car’s life. The surface looks presentable, yet the underlying condition remains dilapidated.
Unfortunately, many organizations approach the development of their high-potential young professionals (YPs) in the same way. They talk a good game, budget some money for YP conferences, and occasionally assign a stretch project or two. While these actions feel good on the surface, they’re merely cosmetic. The deeper challenges of preparing high-potential employees for future leadership roles remain unaddressed, leaving the organization’s talent pipeline rusting beneath the shine.
The State of Young Professional Development
Younger employees are eager for additional responsibility, often impatient for advancement, and willing to develop new skills to achieve it. However, they will look elsewhere if they don’t see opportunity in their current organization. The average tenure of Millennial employees is just 2 years, 9 months. For Gen Z, that tenure drops to 2 years, 2 months.
It’s a story most managers have heard before. So to preserve their staff and curb attrition, they form a YP employee resource group, sign their staff up for their chamber of commerce’s YP Network, and divvy up choice stretch assignments among a few favored staff members.
Yet YPs don’t feel like they’re getting the development they need, managers can’t find qualified internal candidates among YPs to fill vacant roles, and attrition remains high.
What’s Going On?
Many organizations invest in YP development using a generic, one-size-fits-all approach disconnected from organizational priorities and workforce planning. Alternatively, they may outsource leadership development to YP networking groups led by other young professionals who, while driven and capable, lack the experience and context necessary to prepare their peers for senior roles.
The result is feel-good programs that pay lip service to developing younger leaders but fail to prepare them for advancement within the company. These superficial efforts leave organizations no closer to building a robust leadership pipeline.
How Can You Improve Your Odds of Success?
Developing future leaders isn’t difficult, but it takes intentionality and a few simple rules.
Align Development to Strategic Goals. Every employee’s development should be tied to department-level goals, which are aligned to division goals and organizational goals. Which skills and abilities do your staff members need to contribute to achieving organizational objectives?
Consider the Roles You’ll Need to Fill 18–24 Months in the Future. Too often, managers are stuck in the here and now, putting out fires, and trying to meet today’s operational needs. Intentionally developing your young leaders requires that you think about the roles your organization will need to succeed in the future. These roles may be sexy, like generative AI-design specialists, or more mundane but highly competitive, such as accountants. Either way, when you know the roles you will need in the future, you can begin developing staff to fill them. It may require additional formal education, but if you have the right candidate to fill an imminent need, tuition reimbursement is a great value for the organization.
Set and Document Development Goals. Create an Individual Development Plan (IDP) for every staff member. Collaborate with your staff members to set individual goals. Prioritize stretch assignments that align with A.) department goals and B.) skills required for the jobs of the future. Personalize the goals to the unique development needs of the team member. Once you and your team member agree on one or two goals, write them down and assign deadlines. Initially, focus on shorter-term development goals—those that employees can complete in the next 12 months.
Provide Coaching. Coaching provides context for learning and helps YPs identify solutions and make informed decisions. Good coaching is not prescriptive. Instead, the coach asks thoughtful, open-ended questions to help the YP uncover potential courses of action, apply learning to their day-to-day work, and overcome obstacles. Coaching can be incorporated into regularly scheduled one-on-ones or as standalone sessions, either with individuals or small groups.
As organizations seek to develop their young professionals into future leaders, it’s crucial to go beyond the superficial efforts of one-off programs and focus on intentional, strategic development. By aligning development initiatives with the organization’s long-term goals, planning for the roles that will drive future success, and providing tailored coaching and development opportunities, you can create a true leadership pipeline. If you want to see your YPs thrive and reduce attrition, it’s time to stop polishing the surface and start building a sustainable, high-performing workforce from the ground up.
Ready to invest in the future of your organization? Don’t settle for superficial fixes—create a sustainable pipeline of talented leaders who will drive your organization forward with CityGate, LLC.
Christopher Stevenson is Principal Partner of CityGate, LLC, which provides leadership development, coaching, and consulting on learning and development to credit unions, associations, and other not-for-profit organizations. A certified coach, Stevenson has over 20 years of experience in leadership development and adult learning. Before founding CityGate, Stevenson served as Chief Learning Officer of CUES, developing industry-leading education for credit union board members, executives, and future leaders. He was also responsible for leading research into the trends that shape the credit union industry.