Executive

Succession Planning Guide

CalPERS Human Resources
Rev 8/20/2013
Executive Succession Planning Guide

Overview
Introduction Succession planning is a regular on-
going planning process to anticipate position
vacancies and develop a pool of candidates to fill
vacancies upon need. The focus is on identifying &
developing talent to ensure an adequate supply of
prepared leaders in the organization.

How to use this guide This guide focuses

on providing CalPERS managers with the
specific steps, instructions, and
considerations needed to execute the
Executive Succession Planning process. All
parties involved in the process should use it
as a reference. The appendices contain the
tools, handouts, and extra tips referred to
throughout the guide, designed to help
management complete each stage in the
process.

Contents This section contains the following

topics:
Key Roles and the Process 2
STAGE 1: Identify Candidates 3
STAGE 2: Build Candidate Profile 4
STAGE 3: Review Readiness 5
STAGE 4: Conduct Executive Assessment Session 6
STAGE 5: Complete Leader Development Plan 10
Appendix 1: List of Developmental Actions to
Consider 12
Appendix 2: Hints for Providing Feedback 16
Appendix 3: Executive Leadership Competencies19

Key roles The following table describes the key

roles needed to execute an effective succession
planning & management process.

Key Roles and the Process

Key Roles and Responsibilities

CEO & Executive Staff
The CEO and Executive staff champion the
importance of succession planning, identify those
positions that are critical to the future success of
CalPERS, and help to identify, assess and develop
candidates for future succession.
Managers
Managers work more directly to identify
candidates and assess their level of readiness,
discuss them in succession assessment sessions,
and help manage and track a candidate’s
developmental actions.
Candidates
Candidates for succession complete their “profile”
of experience and qualifications, conduct a self-
assessment of their strengths and areas of
improvement, identify future career and
developmental priorities, and actively engage in
developmental actions to improve overall
capabilities.
Human Resources
Division (HRSD)
HRSD is responsible for all administrative
components of the Executive Succession Planning
process. These include organization and logistics
for assessment sessions, distribution and collection
of electronic forms with Managers, and tracking
and reporting on the succession candidate
group/talent pool and Leader Development Plan
progress.

The Process
The graphic below reflects the succession planning
process.
1. Identify Candidates
 Candidates are identified through a self-
nomination process
 Candidate informs their immediate manager of
their interest
 HRSD Compiles list of candidates
2. Build Candidate Profiles
 Candidate builds the profile by:
a. Providing information on education,
work experience, certifications, and other personal
development
b. Documenting work history
c. Conducting Self-assessment
3. Review Candidate Profiles
 Candidate’s manager does the following:
a. Reviews the completed Candidate
Profile & Self –assessment
b. Meets with candidate to discuss
their Candidate Profile
c. Identify Candidate’s positions of
interest
4. Conduct Readiness Assessments
 Candidate’s manager evaluates Candidate
qualifications, strengths, and areas of improvement
 Manager determines & finalizes candidate’s
readiness rating
 Executive panel reviews Candidate readiness
based on succession needs
5. Develop Goal and Action Plans
 Candidate’s manager provides assessment-
related feedback to candidate
 Candidate and their manager create a Leader
Development Plan
 HRSD compiles Candidate Profile & Readiness
Assessment Forms for tracking
 Enter the Leader Development Plan into LMS
for tracking and management reporting

STAGE 1: Identify Candidates

Self-nomination to succession process

For the purposes of CalPERS succession planning
administration, a self-nomination process is used to
identify candidates. Executive roles are critical to
the future operation and direction of CalPERS, and
candidates will be evaluated based upon their
ability to perform at the Executive level. The
candidates identified from the self-nomination
process are at the Division Chief (equivalent) and
above.

Announcement
An announcement is emailed to internal CalPERS
candidates at the Division Chief level and above.
Executive staff meets with their reports to solicit
interest in being considered as a permanent
successor candidate for various executive roles.

Interim Candidates
In the above-mentioned discussion, those
candidates not interested in participating in the
succession planning process are asked about their
willingness to serve at the Executive level in an
interim capacity1.

Executive staff informs HRSD management of

interim candidates by sending an email to the
HRSD, Exec Succession Planning mailbox. HRSD will
track these candidates to enable the organization
to make an expeditious interim appointment
should the need arise.

Interim Candidates
In the above-mentioned discussion, those
candidates not interested in participating in the
succession planning process are asked about their
willingness to serve at the Executive level in an
interim capacity.

Executive staff informs HRSD management of

interim candidates by sending an email to the
HRSD, Exec Succession Planning mailbox. HRSD will
track these candidates to enable the organization
to make an expeditious interim appointment
should the need arise.

Self-nomination
Leaders interested in participating in the
succession planning process, should discuss their
interest with their manager and inform HRSD
management by sending an email to the HRSD,
Exec Succession Planning mailbox.
1 Individual identified as a candidate who can
serve in the “interim” due to a sudden departure
or gap in appointing a successor. Consistent with
best practice, this should not include those
interested in competing as a permanent successor
for the job.

STAGE 2: Build Candidate

Profile
Candidate Profile
The Candidate Profile is at the center of the
succession planning process and must be
developed for every candidate included in the
process. The Candidate Profile contains all critical
information for the candidate that is necessary for
subsequent steps in the process and must be
completed to launch the process. The profile is a
“snapshot” of each candidate that provides a
common way to understand their background.

Candidate completes profile

After the candidate has self-nominated and
notified their manager and the HRSD, Exec
Succession Planning mailbox, HRSD emails the
candidate the Candidate Profile form. The
candidate completes the form, returns it to their
manager and the HRSD, Exec Succession Planning
mailbox, and meets with their manager to discuss.

Candidate Profile information

The candidate completes all sections of the
Candidate Profile form. The information will be
part of the discussion between the candidate and
his/her manager and includes:
 Job & Performance Information
 Experience (CalPERS and external)
 Education
 Professional Credentials
 Relevant Development History

Candidate meets with manager

The candidate’s manager meets with the candidate
to discuss his/her completed Candidate Profile. In
this meeting, the manager should explain that:
 The enterprise effort to establish Executive
level talent pools will be used for leader
development and succession planning purposes.
 The candidate profile, as well as other tools
such as competency assessments, 360° survey
ratings, and development planning will assist
management in understanding employee
preferences and capabilities for the future.
The profile provides helpful information to support
the readiness assessment process. Job preferences
indicated in the profile will determine the talent
pool(s) the candidate is placed into, but does not
guarantee a future promotion.

STAGE 3: Review Readiness

Rate and submit the candidate’s readiness
The Readiness Assessment form is provided by the
HRSD via email to the candidate’s manager who
will review the candidate’s profile and self-
assessment and evaluate the readiness of their
candidates to fill key positions and to assume
greater responsibility, either now or in the future.

Readiness should be determined in relation to

CalPERS Executive Leadership Competencies
(Appendix 3). Assessing candidates on these
competencies is important to obtain a baseline and
determine the candidate’s readiness to assume
new responsibility.
The manager determines the candidate’s readiness
level and indicates which one of the following
three categories best describes the candidate
readiness in each competency area and overall.
 Expert: Ready for promotion now
 Skilled: Ready for promotion and further
development (1-2 years)
 Basic: Requires further development (3-5 year)
Additionally, the manager indicates if the candidate
is qualified to serve as an “Acting Replacement” 2
in the event of a short-term absence.

The manager submits the completed form to the

HRSD, Exec Succession Planning mailbox.

Review and assess readiness of the candidate

HRSD will compile all Candidate Profile and
Readiness Assessment forms for the Executive
Assessment Session. The candidate’s manager
should be prepared to discuss with the Executive
Panel their observations of the candidate’s
strengths, areas for improvement and
development priorities and opportunities in
relation to the Executive Competencies.
2 Individual identified as candidate who can serve
in an “Acting” capacity in the event of a short-term
absence. Note: Not intended to include serving in
an interim capacity due to a sudden departure or
gap in appointing a successor.

STAGE 4: Conduct Executive

Assessment Session

Assessment session
The Executive Assessment Session is a facilitated
and structured meeting to evaluate the
promotional readiness, strengths, and
developmental needs and priorities for a group of
candidates self- nominated for succession. During
the session, the Executive panel shares
perspectives and provides input to the candidates’
managers. The Executive panel typically consists of
3-4 Executives who work directly with the
candidates being reviewed. Panel discussions are
highly confidential, and information should remain
in the construct of the Executive Assessment
Session.

The following objectives are critical to an effective

assessment session.
 Understanding the strengths, gaps, and
developmental priorities for those candidates
identified as future successors.
 Obtaining insight from other Executives about
the potential and readiness of candidates to
assume new roles, regardless of current branch,
division, unit, or role.
 Discussing developmental opportunities that
exist for high potential talent across CalPERS.

Assessment facilitation & roles

It is recommended that the review session be
facilitated by someone in HRSD or an external
facilitator. The CEO or sponsoring Executive may
also work with the facilitator to set and clarify
ground rules, expectations, and procedures for
preparing to discuss the candidate group.

Roles and Responsibility

Session Facilitator
 Maintain confidentiality of Executive panel
discussions
 Provide the structure necessary to discuss all
candidates in an organized manner
 Provide oversight for all aspects of meeting set-
up, documentation, timing, location, agenda, and
follow-up
 Be familiar with the candidates profile being
discussed
 Ensure the panel discussion of candidates
focuses on appropriate Executive Leadership
Competencies
 Manage the meeting such that all opposing
views are shared constructively and issues are
discussed with positive tone

HRSD
 Taking guidance from the facilitator, coordinate
all aspects of Leadership meeting set-up,
documentation, timing, location, agenda, and
Development staff follow-up
 Ensure that all employee profiles have been
collected in advance of the session and have been
compiled into a binder for use by the Executive
panel during the session
 Collect all updated profiles once the session is
completed and managers have finalized candidate
readiness ratings

Candidate
 Maintain confidentiality of Executive panel
discussions Manager(s)
 Review all Candidate Profiles and complete
Readiness Assessments for their self-nominating
reports in advance of the Executive Assessment
Session
 Be prepared to share with the Executive panel
high-level points for each candidate & solicit input
on strengths, areas of improvement, and
developmental opportunities
 Act as sponsor/advocate for candidates
 Document potential changes for the Readiness
Assessments(s) employee profiles resulting from
the Executive panel discussion
 Gather insights from other Executives and use
them when creating Leader Development Plans
 Work with candidates to establish Leader
Development Plans and monitor progress
Executive
 Maintain confidentiality of Executive panel
discussions Assessment Panel
 Engage in strategic discussions related to
workforce needs within CalPERS overall
 Help to prioritize the Executive positions
requiring immediate succession focus, e.g. any
impending retirements
 Assist managers in determining appropriate
readiness levels as it relates to the Executive
Competencies and the identified positions of
interest
 Serve as champions for a strong CalPERS
leadership team and support the creation of
development opportunities for high potential
candidates

Assessment session discussion

After some introductory discussion to open the
assessment session, managers present their
candidates and collect feedback from the Executive
panel regarding readiness levels, potential fit with
future vacancies and/or as an Acting Replacement,
and possible developmental opportunities. This
discussion should foster a more complete and
realistic understanding of candidates’ capabilities.
The more exposure and experience candidates
have had across the organization, the richer and
more informed the discussion.

Discuss the following four areas during the

assessment session.

 Review Target Position(s) and requirements –

The Executive panel should briefly discuss those
positions identified as critical and the future
requirements and risks for those positions (e.g., a
future DEO role). Discussion should also cover
objectives such as increased diversity, improved
competency, more rotation of people, etc. to set
the context for meeting.

 Present Candidates for Succession – The

candidates’ managers will present an overview of
each of their candidates speaking to readiness
level, strengths, and developmental needs and
priorities. The Executive panel will supplement the
presenting manager’s information using their own
experience with the candidate. The candidates’
managers will capture relevant notes and
discussion points to be shared with each candidate
in subsequent feedback meetings.

 Discuss the Candidate Pool as a Whole – After

discussion of individual candidates is complete,
focused on the position(s) of interest, the Executive
panel should look for important trends across the
candidate pool.
o Summarize the readiness ratings for the group
(e.g., list the names of those who are Expert,
Skilled, Basic on a chart for all to see).
o Discuss individual candidates to clarify their
placement, increase awareness of individual
capabilities and performance, and to ensure
appropriate calibration among candidates.
o Discuss whether external recruitment will be
needed to fill gaps that internal development may
not meet.
 Discuss Potential Developmental Approaches
for the Candidate Pool as a Whole – Again
considering all candidates; determine common
development needs and strategies for
development to ensure readiness for future
vacancies.
o Identify any cross-functional developmental
needs or approaches (e.g., special work
assignments to broaden understanding of
CalPERS).
o Identify and create a list of special projects,
developmental assignments, cross-functional
experiences, shadow assignments, and dual
incumbencies that can be made available to the
candidates over the next year.
o Discuss the success of past development
activities and what steps are needed to implement
the planned education, project, or job
assessments.
 Completion of assessment session
Upon completion of the Executive Assessment
Session, candidates’ managers should make any
resulting changes to the assessments of candidates
and confirm the readiness ratings for this
succession planning process.
o HRSD staff will collect all final readiness
ratings and update the completed list accordingly.
o Once all Candidate Profiles and
Readiness Assessments have been submitted to
HRSD, feedback discussions and developmental
planning should occur.

STAGE 5: Complete Leader

Development Plan
 Development plan
Upon completion of the Executive Assessment
Session, candidate managers should discuss
developmental planning with each of their
candidates. The goal of development planning is to
understand candidate strengths and gaps, and then
to set readiness goals and a plan of action that will
prepare the candidate to successfully assume new
roles.

Candidate managers should discuss the current

goal(s) and identify new goal(s) to be included
based upon feedack provided as a result of the
assessment session.

 Feedback with candidate

Candidate managers should discuss the outcome of
the assessment session with each candidate and
provide them with the appropriate context for
thinking about their future development.

o Managers should be careful to share

information only for that particular candidate (not
others) and to focus on information that is
constructive. Do not share confidential
information. If there was discussion of the
candidate’s development opportunities during the
assessment session, be honest but constructive in
framing this to the candidate.
o Discuss and explain the leadership
competencies and experiences that would enhance
readiness.
o Managers should also provide the
candidate with some examples of what might
constitute a good developmental goal, given the
candidate’s current skill set and the priorities of
CalPERS.
o Emphasize work assignments as the
primary development approach. Secondarily, use
approaches that involve learning from others.
Consider training as the third category of
development actions.
o If you are going to be delivering
particularly difficult feedback, it often helps to have
a dry run with an appropriate management peer
before you conduct the real session.

Feedback is the cornerstone of our people’s

development. The Executive Succession Planning
process and tools were created to facilitate the
delivery of that feedback. Feedback and leader
development planning should be a positive activity.
It is an opportunity to help candidates understand
how they can further develop within the
organization. Our people are CalPERS most
valuable resource – communicate this to them
throughout the process effectively and often.
What gives someone the most satisfaction when
they look back at their careers? For many, it is the
challenges they personally mastered and those
they helped to grow along the way. Invest the time
in your own development, and invest it in helping
your colleagues. At the end of the day, it is your
most important work.
 Creating the Leader Development Plan
The candidate and his/her manager should
collaboratively identify 1-2 developmental actions
that will help to achieve the developmental goals
established in the assessment process. They
should also identify an appropriate timeline and
desired results to monitor progress on achieving
each developmental goal. Consider the following
when identifying development priorities.
o Review business requirement
information from both CalPERS overall and the
candidate’s branch, division, or unit: strategy
documents, performance objectives, anticipated
organizational changes, required competencies or
roles.
o Review information from self- and
Readiness Assessment, performance evaluations,
360˚survey ratings (if available), Executive
Assessment Session and the Candidate Profile.
o Identify themes in the information,
particularly strengths and gaps in capabilities.
Identify organizational needs and opportunities
that might be particularly important or interesting
to the candidate.
o These could be areas that are of
emerging importance to CalPERS that are
necessary for career progress, or that are “holes” in
the candidate’s experience.
o Identify those career goals that describe
the candidate’s broad career direction desired over
the next three or more years.
o This should include job content (e.g.,
actuarial, equities, finance), job level (e.g., Deputy
Executive Officer), or key experiences (e.g., project
assignment), as well as desired results/outcomes to
achieve each.
 Leader Development Plan reporting
Managers should monitor candidates’ progress on
Leader Development Plans on an ongoing basis
with frequency of reporting dependent on the
specific target dates/milestones. Progress updates
on candidate Leader Development Plans should be
completed, at a minimum annually, and sent to the
HRSD, Exec Succession Planning mailbox for input
into the LMS.

Appendix 1: List of
Developmental Actions to
Consider
Development actions fall into three categories:
work assignments, learning from others, and
training. These categories are prioritized in order
of effectiveness. The following sections offer
suggestions for choosing developmental actions
that will have the greatest impact on future leader
effectiveness.

Work Assignments

The most important resource for developing

leaders is experience working on challenging jobs
and project assignments. Work assignments have
been found to be more effective than any other
form of development and are a preferred option
for meeting developmental goals. The suggestions
below describe how to effectively match a leader’s
development needs with the right assignment.

Principle #1 – Take the Long View

 Anticipate position vacancies
 Forecast attrition and build skills & experience in
advance in order to fill vacancies promptly
 Take advantage of the chain effect triggered by
every job reassignment
 Anticipate needs for developmental assignments
and create opportunities for developing others
 Don’t wait for positions to become vacancies --
seek ways to unblock positions for new
developmental assignments – through
organizational changes, talent swaps, and work
redesign/reallocation
 View job assignments as project assignments –
always available for change (not permanent)

Principle #2 – Search for the Right Capabilities

 Branch, division and unit managers must look
across the CalPERS talent pool for capabilities
needed to meet anticipated business opportunities
and organizational changes (e.g., look across
divisions for certain projects and assignments)
 Identify leaders qualified for the assignment
 Identify leaders who gain the most
developmental benefit from the assignment

Principle #3 – Analyze Assignments & Capabilities

Together
 Traditionally, organizations filled jobs with the
best-qualified leader, using a very structured,
hierarchical process of promotions within an
organization. Today, organizations are more flexible
to respond to ongoing change and must look at
assignment and development needs of leaders as a
whole
 Think about assignments that both leverage the
capabilities and experience of a leader, while also
providing new experiences needed for
development
 Consider the developmental features of an
assignment and be sure the candidate understands
what they are
 Rather than filling an assignment with the most
qualified leader, internally or externally, adapt the
role to provide a challenging new experience that
will further a leader’s development

Principle #4 – Communicate with Candidates

 Discuss possible future assignments openly with
the leader
 Discuss the pros and cons of possible
assignments
 Indicate the likelihood that each may materialize
– based on the factors you know are relevant;
identify these factors
 Discuss why targeted assignments are filled (by
other leaders)
 What were the capabilities required – the
decision factors?
 Was this leader considered? What feedback is
relevant?
 What are the implications for the leader’s
development plan and likelihood of future
assignments?
 How did the assignment match the leader
selected (qualifications, matches a development
need, etc.)?
Shown below are examples of potential work
assignments. The manager and candidate should
use this table as a reference to create meaningful
work assignments that directly aid the candidate
in achieving a developmental goal.

Enhancements to Job Content or Scope: Potential

Work Assignments

Changes in Job Content

 Lead the implementation of a new system
 Lead organizational restructuring or process
redesign
 Participate in a managerial exchange
 Manage a group of former peers
 Manage a group where the people are expert,
and leader is not
 Manage a situation requiring turnaround in
performance
 Manage a group in a rapidly expanding
operation
 Manage a group in a static situation, develop
new ways to approach the work

Small Changes in Job Scope or “fix-its”

 Act as an Advisor/Mentor to a group of
inexperienced people
 Lead a task that is entirely outside of leader’s
experience
 Resolve conflicts among team members
 Develop a contingency plan for an aspect of
the business
 Help to integrate systems across units
 Provide inputs and support to a project in
another unit or function
 Serve on an advisory board or committee
 Teach a course or workshop
 Design and develop a training course

Small Strategic Assignments

 Summarize a new idea, trend, or technique to
others
 Write and champion a proposal for a new
system, product, approach, or service area
 Conduct a customer survey on a particular
issue or concern
 Develop a presentation for a senior executive
 Lead the development and implementation of
a new policy
 Evaluate the impact of training, determine
changes required
 Lead a study team and present proposed
actions to management
 Re-engineering a process, especially across
organizational units/functions

Address Business Problems or Opportunities

 Reduce administration costs, inventory costs,
etc.
 Project to evaluate, plan, and implement a new
operational improvement, alliance, or vendor
relationship
 Strategic planning (e.g., analysis,
environmental scanning, scenario building)
 Deal with a business crisis
 Troubleshoot problems with a key customer or
partner

The objective is to structure work assignments to

meet the candidate’s developmental goals while
also accomplishing something important for the
business. Some examples of potential
development from work assignments include:

 Broader technical experience

 Accountability
 Stretches the leader’s comfort zone
 Performance under pressure (e.g., challenging
scope and/or deadlines, few resources, heavy
travel)
 High visibility to Executive staff or outsiders
 Major strategic challenge, intellectually difficult
 New project management or technical skill

Learning from Others

“Learning from others” development includes

coaching and mentoring (both formal and informal)
from others with experience and expertise in areas
important to leadership effectiveness. For
additional information on informal mentoring,
refer to resources on CalPERS intranet. This type of
learning is of particular value when combined with
work assignments because it allows feedback and
knowledge transfer in real world situations.

Learning from others works well because it can be

tailored to the candidate and carries significant
emotional impact. There is nothing like working
with another respected leader to motivate and
direct effective development.

Professional coaches provide personalized,

objective assessment, feedback, and suggestions.
These are sometimes very difficult to get from a
direct manager; however, it is important that the
coach operate in a way that supports the
partnership between candidate and their manager.
The coach should help the candidate better
understand him/herself and gain ideas and
motivation for the development goals established
by the candidate and manager. Candidate
managers considering professional coaching as a
development action should discuss this with HRSD,
Workforce Development staff before finalizing the
Leadership Development Plan.

Training

The third major category of developmental actions

is training. Training includes both external
education programs and CalPERS own internal
education. It also includes self- study material,
either printed or via the Internet.

CalPERS curriculum offers the advantage of content

tailored to the strategies of the organization
overall. This internal training also provides a great
opportunity to meet and network with colleagues
from different areas of CalPERS. Information about
available offerings can be found by contacting
Leadership Development staff in the HRSD.

External education provides access to leading edge

management development and to peers from
other organizations who can share their
approaches and ideas. Offerings range from full
college curriculum to more targeted business or
technical topic conferences (e.g., leadership,
actuarial, investments, policy). Information about
CalPERS recommended offerings are available
through Leadership Development staff in HRSD.

Historically, many people viewed training as the

first choice for effective development, and training
continues to be valuable if used properly. It is
especially effective for the intellectual components
of leadership: technical knowledge or business
context. When properly designed, training can also
help develop new behaviors that can be applied in
the workplace. The weakest point of training,
however, can be application. Training will often not
impact job performance unless it is integrated with
job assignments and learning from others;
therefore, a Leader Development Plan should
always position training to link with these other
development approaches.

Feedback is important because it provides

succession candidates with important guidance
regarding their performance. This insight helps
improve their effectiveness and grow
professionally, which ultimately contributes to the
overall success of CalPERS. Candidates generally
want to receive feedback on how they are doing.
Most leaders want to advance in position as well as
in responsibility, and they cannot accomplish either
without honest, candid feedback discussions.
Additionally, recognition is important so that
leaders know they are performing effectively and
that CalPERS values them. When good
performance is recognized, everyone benefits.

Delivering Written Feedback

When it comes time to write an evaluation,
consider the following tips:

 Keep things simple, honest, objective and

concise.
 Always cite specific examples of performance
strengths and areas for development.
 When identifying performance problems,
attempt to identify the source as well.
 Suggest solutions to identified issues.
 Consider the following questions:
o What were this leader’s achievements on this
project/assignment?
o What strengths did he/she exhibit? In what
areas can he/she improve?
o What resources or support does he/she need
in order to achieve development objectives?
o Was this leader appropriately challenged on
this project/assignment?

Delivering Verbal Feedback

The 1:1 feedback meeting is often the most difficult
part of giving feedback. The following suggestions
may make it a little easier:

 Formulate your thoughts before meeting with

the candidate.
 Separate the candidate’s performance into
three distinct areas, and discuss one at a time:
o Continue – things the leader does well and
should continue to do
o Start – new behaviors the leader should begin
to adopt in order to enhance performance
o Stop – things the leader should stop doing
because they are ineffective, or counter productive
 Keep the discussion fact-based and on-track;
opinion-based statements are more subjective and
are open to interpretation.
 Ask the candidate to respond to different
points you have made, and then listen to the
answer.

Typically, feedback should include both positive as

well as constructive comments. Note that
constructive commentary does not necessarily
equate to negative performance. Sometimes the
most effective and helpful feedback centers on
opportunities to continue to develop and grow.
Developmental feedback can also be used to help
candidate set realistic personal and career planning
goals.

Appendix 2: Hints for Providing

Feedback

Providing Positive Feedback

It is very important to congratulate an individual

when they deliver a strong performance. Positive
reinforcement encourages the individual to
continue to deliver quality performance in the
future and helps to make clear the connection
between their performance and the success of a
project, assignment or event.

Often, managers make the mistake of assuming

that because a leader performed exceptionally well
on a project or work assignment, it is not
important to offer developmental feedback. In
fact, this is usually the best time to inquire about
developmental needs the leader may have. Ask
them questions like:

 What challenges are you looking for in the

future?
 Are there capabilities that you would like to
further develop? What are they?
 What can I do to help you further develop?

Providing Constructive Feedback

Delivering constructive feedback is essential to a

candidate’s growth and development. When
delivered appropriately, honest performance
feedback, even of a negative nature, can be some
of the most helpful guidance you can offer.

There is a real art to giving constructive feedback

so that the candidate not only hears what is being
said, but also agrees to work on the issue(s), and is
motivated to change to produce the desired
results. Some suggestions for constructively
passing on criticism:

 Deliver the feedback in a timely manner. If

feedback is to be effective, it must happen shortly
after an instance in which the behavior was initially
observed. The longer feedback is delayed, the less
impact it has.

 Get straight to the point. Sugar-coating

difficult feedback is counterproductive. Usually, it
only serves to push the important information into
the background, and may even confuse the
individual. Direct and honest delivery is key. Most
individuals appreciate sincere, straightforward
feedback.

 Maintain a calm, professional approach.

Individuals are more open to feedback when it is
presented in a calm environment. If the discussion
becomes heated or emotional, and you are not
able to return to a rational discussion, stop the
meeting and suggest that the conversation be
continued when the individual has calmed down.
 Be specific. Focus in on the precise behaviors
the individual should strive to change, versus
communicating a vague generalization that he or
she did a poor job. Make sure the individual can
act upon the feedback – i.e. make sure it is within
their power to alter the behavior.

 Keep it objective. Feedback must be based on

factual evidence, and not on unsubstantiated
hearsay. If the feedback is not based on things
that can be seen, heard or measured, you risk
having the listener become defensive and “shutting
you out”. Gather supporting factual information
before meeting with the candidate and stick to
these facts in your discussion.

 Focus on solving the issue. Work with the

candidate to develop a solution to the
performance problem, rather than merely
demanding improvement. Actively involve them in
a discussion to try to get to the root of the problem
(the cause), and brainstorm about how to avoid in
the future.

 Be supportive. Set a tone that lets the

candidate know the feedback is intended to help
them grow and develop, rather than to assign
blame or punish.

 Listen. Make sure you allow the candidate to

respond to the points you have made, and really
listen to their responses. Do not interrupt them.

Appendix 3: Executive
Leadership Competencies
Competency and Associated Knowledge & Skill
Ethics and Integrity
 Exhibits ethical, honest and professional
behavior at all time with all staff, customers, and
stakeholders
 Chooses the right course of action, even in the
face of opposition or influence
 Takes responsibility for own actions and for
those of the group, team or organization
 Exemplifies the CalPERS core values of quality,
respect, integrity, openness, accountability and
balance
Building Coalitions
 Develops networks and builds alliances;
collaborates with customers and stakeholders to
build strategic relationships and address needs
 Creates and manages a positive perception of
the organization and its programs and services
 Performs effectively in an open public setting
and serves as a trusted advisor and educator to
customers and stakeholders
 Builds relationships of trust, confidence, and
respect with members of the Board
 Works effectively with the Board to develop
and manage strategic initiatives that accomplish
objectives and meet CalPERS fiduciary
responsibility
Leading People
 Fosters an inclusive workplace that values
diversity and respects and recognizes individual
contributions
 Promotes continuous learning and the
development of self and others to achieve
maximum potential
 Fosters and maintains cooperative and
productive relationships across all levels and
functions
 Seeks to understand concerns, emotions,
feelings, and differing viewpoints to resolve
conflicts constructively
 Inspires commitment, pride and trust by
modeling CalPERS core values
 Applies broad and extensive Executive/senior
level management experience to establish and
achieve strategic goals
Leading Change
 Formulates strategic goals and objectives and
implements plans consistent with CalPERS long-
term interests
 Builds a shared vision and influences others to
translate vision into action
 Encourages new ideas and innovation; designs
and implements new or cutting edge
programs/processes
 Demonstrates maturity, resiliency and sound
judgment when dealing with organizational
challenges
 Cultivates a risk intelligent culture, and
assesses and mitigates risk when making decisions
or recommending organizational strategies and
tactics
Results Driven
 Recognizes when a decision must be made and
acts in a thoughtful and timely manner
 Makes decisions that produce high quality
results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing
problems and calculating risks
 Deals effectively with ambiguity and learns
from success and failure
 Anticipates and meets the needs of both
internal and external customers; delivers high-
quality products and services
 Understands and ensures appropriate
application of principles, strategies, requirements,
regulations, and policies related to pension
administration, health benefit purchasing and
administration, financial markets and institutional
investment programs
Business Acumen
 Strategically manages human,
financial/investment, material and information
resources and assets
 Understands the organization’s financial
processes and effectively manages program
budgets using cost-benefit thinking to set priorities
and achieve results
 Builds and manages the workforce based on
organizational goals, budget considerations, and
staffing needs
 Keeps up-to-date on technological
developments and effectively uses technology to
achieve results