Passing the Baton

1
Passing the Baton

• Gordon Youngs
• Personnel Services Director
• Brea CA

2
Issues in Succession Management

• Background Generational Changes
• What are the Challenges?
• What Others are Doing
• Strategies for Organizational Success

3
The Generational Shift

• The Silent Generation (pre 1946) and Baby Boomers
  (1946-1964)
• Retired or reaching retirement age
• More people retiring more vacancies
• Generation X (1965-1981) and the Millennials
  (1981-)
• Fewer coming into public workforce
• Different skills, different motivations

4
Impact of Generation Changes

• Loss of institutional knowledge
• Loss of Perspective
• Changing attitudes
• Changing skills -
• What are the right skills?

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Challenges What Are the Right Skills?

• What the Older Generation Knows
• Laws and regulations
• Accounting principles
• Accountability and Ethics
• Conventional Thinking

• What the Younger Generation Brings
• Urgency / Impatience
• Questions
• Fewer basic skills
• Transitory Ethics
• Adaptation

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Challenges Why Arent Young People Choosing
Local Government?

• Lack of knowledge
• Anti-government bias
• Insufficient outreach
• Perceptions of bureaucracy and red tape
• Bottom of the barrel myth
• Preference for the profit sector

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Challenges What Are Young Professionals
Saying?

• Lack of experience / opportunities
• Lack of mentoring and mentors
• Desire for a better balance between family and
  personal life over career

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What Are Others Doing ?The PNG Initiative

• Background
• Two pronged approach
• Attract young people
• Develop those already in the pipeline
• Programs and resources
• Resource Book
• Coaching Initiative
• Management Talent Exchange Program
• On-Line Internship Clearinghouse

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Strategies for Public Officials

• Stop bashing government
• Insist on civility
• Promote the rewards of service
• Reach out to students
• Introduce teens to public service
• Allow mis-steps by young professionals

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Best Practices

• Develop mentoring programs
• Encourage job shadowing
• Start a management trainee program
• Create a rotation program
• Develop leadership training programs
• Sponsor management forums
• Create a formal succession plan

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Best Practices

• Know your organization
• Identify tomorrows talent pool
• Cultivate opportunities for leadership
• Create a learning organization
• Water the green spots

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Best Practices

• Changing Our Own Attitudes
• Recognize talent development as a primary role
• Be a risk taker, and encourage creativity
• Develop a broader notion of professional legacy
• Ask them what they think, what they want

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Share Your Experiences

• Do any of you have examples you can offer to the
  others here today?
• Do you have questions?
• I have a question for you

14
What Will You Do?

• List 1-2 things you will do when you return to
  your organization to
• Attract young people to local government
• Develop talent already in your organization

15
Resources

• Next Generation Resource Guide Book
• http//jobs.icma.org
• MMASC and MMANC websites
• www.mmasc.org
• www.mmanc.org

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Thank You, and good luck in your succession
management.