Three. Ian Ziskin

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      Copyright © 2015 by Ian Ziskin. All rights reserved

      Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

      Published simultaneously in Canada

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      Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

      Ziskin, Ian.

      Three: the human resources emerging executive / Ian Ziskin.

      pages cm

      Includes bibliographical references and index.

      ISBN 978-1-119-05710-9 (cloth); ISBN 978-1-119-05714-7 ISBN 978-1-119-05717-8 (epub)

      1. Personnel management. 2. Personnel directors. I. Title.

      HF5549.Z56 2015

      658.3–dc23

      2015020147

      Introduction

      In 1987, I was sitting in my HR boss's office having a feedback discussion related to the recently conducted company succession planning process. It was one of those meetings that turned out to be life-changing on a few levels.

      First, the fact that my company, TRW, had a succession planning process was in and of itself more uncommon than I understood at the time. I believed all companies had a real succession planning process. Crazy, right?

      Second, I actually thought it was quite common to receive candid feedback from the succession planning process. I believed all companies gave their leaders feedback about their strengths, development needs, and career potential. Crazier still?

      Finally, the most remarkable thing of all was receiving the following feedback. My HR boss told me that the senior HR leaders of the company believed I had the potential to someday be the executive vice president of human resources for TRW – what many of us call “chief human resources officer” these days. I was twenty-nine years old and will never forget the first thing that popped out of my mouth, even before I could express gratitude, excitement, disagreement, or fear. Half-shocked, I simply blurted out, “WHY?????”

      Some people to whom I have told this story over the years have suggested that, if I were smarter, I would have asked “WHEN?” rather than “WHY?” Trust me, I am just not that smart.

      It wasn't that I was questioning the motives or wisdom of the HR leadership. I was instead literally dumbfounded and wondering what they saw in me that I didn't yet see in myself.

      My boss did provide me very helpful feedback that day about “WHY?” – some flattering, some developmental, and some downright intimidating. It was great to know someone thought I was a high potential, and frightening to think about the responsibilities and implications of such an endorsement – especially at such an early stage in my career.

      But this story is not about the details of the feedback I received, nor is it an ego trip related to being told I was a high potential. The point is that this one discussion embedded an indelible image in my mind about the importance of real feedback – good or bad – and the implications and responsibilities of great development that must accompany the feedback in order to make it meaningful. That one meeting changed my life.

      Ever since that day, stimulated by my own experience, I have been obsessed with better understanding how to identify, develop, and prepare leaders for leadership roles. As a career-long HR leader, I have a particular passion for working with and enabling other HR people to figure out what makes for great HR, and for great HR leadership. Therefore, think of this book as a compilation of thirty-three years of many mistakes and a few smart moves made, challenges won and lost, and lessons