Talent Management in Practice

The Talent Management Model is not a static process. Volunteers move through the different areas of support seamlessly as they develop and as opportunities arise. Furthermore, it's a continual process and when individuals take on a promoted role, their potential for further development continues to be reviewed.

What can be done locally to help develop a volunteer?

Once a volunteer has been identified to have the potential to take on a more senior role, there are a number of options open to a local commissioner to help develop them further:

Local projects

Working on a fixed term local project, such as creating a District Development plan or enhancing transition between sections can give the volunteer experience of managing a project, as well as supporting other adults.

Adult Appointment Advisory Committees

The appointment committee is a key group to identify the adult with potential to take on more senior roles. Whenever meeting a new volunteer these committees should be asking “Is this the right person for the right role?” and should be encouraged to highlight potential talent when they see it. More information on this coming soon!

Developmental Roles

The key roles of Group Scout Leader and District Commissioner are very wide encompassing roles, with a broad scope of responsibility. Such a role would be daunting to experienced managers, not just the novice. Roles such as Assistant District/County Commissioners, District Explorer Scout Commissioner, Media Development Manager and District Scout Network Commissioner all offer the opportunity to gain experience of managing other adults with a narrower scope of responsibility and provide the volunteer with invaluable experience

Adult Training Scheme

The Adult Training Scheme is too often thought of after a volunteer has taken up an appointment, therefore leaving the new manager without the tools for the job for several months. Adults with potential and interest in taking on a more senior role should be encouraged to complete modules relevant to the roles they are interested in, once they have completed their initial Wood Badge, to allow them to be ready to take on a future manager role once the opportunity arises.

Scout Network

The new Scout Network programme is the perfect environment to develop managerial skills in younger members. Network Scouts who are keen to take on a leading role in the future should be encouraged to become project managers, or take other leading roles in the Network. District Scout Network Commissioners can help with this.

iMoveIt

iMoveIt is an exciting opportunity to help identify and develop talent locally. This 2-day residential event is aimed at a County/Region(Scotland)/Country level and gives the participants the skills and knowledge to make a local change on a set issue and follow this up over the following twelve months. iMoveIt courses have been held across the country, with many of the participants continuing on to take more senior roles in The Scout Association. For more information about iMoveIt, speak to Adult Support at Gilwell Park.

Soft Landings

Soft landings is a process used when someone is unsuccessful for a role they have applied for. The process acknowledges that a volunteer had expressed a desire to take a more leading role & harnesses this enthusiasm. Using the soft landings process, this experience is kept as positive as possible and taken as an opportunity to develop the volunteer so they can find a role suitable to their skills, interests and aspirations. The soft landings process is used for National Appointments, but can also be used at local level too for example during the recruitment of Jamboree Unit Leaders. For more information, read our guide.