Hi-Po
A complete process for the Group's high potentials: how they are identified, involved, enabled, monitored, and supported, so they grow into the Group's next leaders.
Critical thinkingLeading changeLeading with AIFrom identified to ready.
Jebsen & Jessen already identifies its high potentials every year and agrees a development plan with each of them. Hi-Po is the process that turns those plans into leaders who are ready for bigger Group roles.
It runs in five stages. High potentials are identified against one shared standard across all 16 countries. Their manager, a sponsor, and a mentor are involved before development begins. Over six months they are enabled mainly through real work, supported by people around them and nine short live labs. Their progress is monitored at regular points, and each person is supported through to an agreed next move.
The content is built on the three priorities the Group has set: critical thinking, change management in a period of mergers, acquisitions, and divestments, and AI. Everything is measured against a framework of 12 competencies. The process is designed to be light for a Group Talent team of four: Wordsburg runs the programme office, and every material is built for translation and local use from the first draft.
The starting point.
The blueprint responds to what Group Talent shared about how talent development works at Jebsen & Jessen today.
A lean Group team
A Group learning and development team of four, based in Thailand and Malaysia, supports 16 countries. The Group focuses on common soft skills; technical and functional skills sit with country teams.
An established rhythm
A learning needs analysis every two years, an annual roadmap, and monthly meetings with every country team keep plans aligned and avoid duplication.
Clear priorities
AI, change management, and critical thinking are this year's focus. An annual high potential programme already starts with assessment and individual development plans.
Who a high potential is at Jebsen & Jessen.
The profile describes who the programme is for. It guides nominations, sets the starting point on the competency framework, and makes clear what each high potential is being developed towards.
Typical profile. Exact role levels and numbers are confirmed with Group Talent during Discovery.
What we look for
- Performance: strong results over two years
- Ability: learns fast, thinks critically, handles complexity
- Aspiration: wants a bigger role and knows what it asks
- Engagement: committed to the Group and its values
What a Hi-Po is not
- Simply the top performer in a team
- A reward for long service
- A label for life: it is reviewed every year
- Limited to one unit, function, or country
Where they are heading
- Business unit leadership
- Country leadership
- Group functional leadership
- Roles that lead integration and change
The profile on the competency framework
A typical high potential joins at Developing to Applying across most competencies, and leaves the programme at Applying to Leading, with Shaping as the signal of readiness for the next role.
What Hi-Po is designed to achieve.
- One standardIdentify and develop high potentials consistently across all 16 countries, against one competency framework.
- Stronger capabilityBuild critical thinking, change leadership, and the confident use of AI, with growth measured on every competency.
- Results for the GroupTurn development into business results: changes landed, leadership questions answered, and AI use cases taken forward.
- Engaged managers and leadersMake managers, sponsors, and mentors active developers of talent, with a clear role and simple tools.
- A ready benchGive every high potential an agreed next move, and keep the Group's best people.
Six principles behind every design choice.
Built on what the Group runs
Uses the Group's assessment, development plans, talent review, common learning licences, and existing programmes, and adds what is missing.
Real work first
Most development happens through real stretch work on the Group's own questions, supported by people and short formal learning.
One yardstick
The same 12 competencies are used to identify, develop, rate, and report, in every country.
Managers as developers
Managers are oriented, equipped, and involved at every stage, in about one hour a month.
Light to run
A programme office, a simple monthly cadence, and clear owners keep the load on Group Talent low.
Local and accessible by design
Designed for translation from the start, with materials accessible on any device and live sessions set around the Group's time zones.
One framework, built around the Group.
The Group's existing inputs go in on the left. Each high potential moves through five stages, held together by five key conversations. Inside, a coaching loop repeats every four weeks, and progress is measured against one yardstick of 12 competencies. Evaluation runs underneath, and the outcomes the Group needs come out on the right.
Three layers of capability, with clear ownership.
Hi-Po develops the foundation and leadership layers at Group level. Functional capability stays with business units and countries, as it does today, and is written into each person's development agreement so the whole person is developed.
What each stage does, and what it produces.
| Stage | Purpose | Key activities | Outputs | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · Identify | Select the right people, consistently | Nomination against four criteria; the Group's assessment and a critical thinking scenario; calibration in units and at Group level | Confirmed cohort; a baseline profile per person | 8 weeks before start |
| 2 · Involve | Engage everyone around the high potential | Manager orientation; three way conversation; sponsor and mentor matching; two day launch | Signed development agreements; mentor pairs; Group challenge teams | 4 weeks before start to week 1 |
| 3 · Enable | Grow capability through real work | Stretch work; Group challenge; nine live labs; nudges; mentoring, coaching, and peer circles | Changes led; AI use cases; decided Group challenge briefs | Months 1 to 6 |
| 4 · Monitor | Track progress and spot risks early | Pulse every four weeks; milestone reviews at weeks 8, 16, and 24; monthly cohort report | Competency ratings; status for each person | Month 1 to month 12 |
| 5 · Support | Help each person grow and stay | Response to flags; next move conversation; talent review input; alumni network | An agreed next move per person; impact report | Throughout, to month 12 |
It strengthens the cycle the Group already runs.
Hi-Po keeps the Group's assessment and development plans, adds what turns them into growth, and returns results to the talent review that names the next cohort.
Twelve competencies in four clusters: the yardstick.
The same framework is used to identify high potentials, set each development agreement, rate progress at the milestone reviews, and report to the talent review. One foundation cluster applies to every leader; the other three follow the Group's priorities.
- A1Learning Agility
- A2Resilience Under Pressure
- A3Influence Without Authority
- B1Frames the Real Question
- B2Tests Evidence and Assumptions
- B3Decides Under Uncertainty
- C1Reads the Change
- C2Brings People Through It
- C3Makes Change Stick
- D1Uses AI With Judgement
- D2Finds Where AI Adds Value
- D3Leads AI Adoption
Five levels, the same for every competency.
Participants, managers, and coaches rate on the same five levels, using real work as the evidence. Raters are calibrated at the first milestone review, so a level means the same thing in every country.
Shows the competency occasionally, mostly when prompted or in familiar situations.
Shows it in routine situations, but not yet consistently or under pressure.
Shows it reliably in their own work, without prompting. The expected standard for a high potential.
Shows it in difficult, unfamiliar, or cross unit situations, and helps others do the same.
Shapes how the wider Group works. A role model others learn from; signals readiness for a bigger role.
What each competency looks like at each level.
Each indicator describes observable behaviour at work, so ratings rest on what people do rather than on impressions.
Cluster A · Lead Self and Others
| Competency | 1 · Emerging | 2 · Developing | 3 · Applying | 4 · Leading | 5 · Shaping |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A1Learning AgilityLearns fast from experience and applies it in new situations. | Learns new tasks when shown how, and tends to repeat approaches that worked before. Accepts feedback when it is given, but rarely asks for it. | Asks for feedback after key tasks and acts on some of it. Tries a new approach when the old one clearly fails. | Seeks feedback regularly and visibly changes behaviour within weeks. Transfers lessons from one situation to a different one without prompting. | Takes on unfamiliar work deliberately, in order to learn. Reflects on setbacks, draws clear lessons, and shares them with the team. | Builds a learning culture around them: makes it safe to experiment, reviews successes and failures openly, and helps others turn experience into growth. |
A2Resilience Under PressureStays effective through ambiguity, setbacks, and heavy workload. | Loses effectiveness and composure under pressure or uncertainty, and needs others to help reset priorities. | Copes well with pressure in familiar situations, but struggles when several demands or changes arrive at once. | Keeps priorities clear and stays calm under pressure. Recovers quickly from setbacks and asks for help early. | Stays steady through prolonged uncertainty, such as a reorganisation, and helps the team keep its focus and energy. | Anchors the team in a crisis and is the person others turn to. Models healthy ways of working under pressure and protects the team from burnout. |
A3Influence Without AuthorityWins support from people they do not manage, across units and countries. | Relies on position, instructions, or escalation to get things done; struggles to move people they do not manage. | Explains their case clearly to peers, but argues from their own point of view rather than from others' interests. | Builds support by understanding what others need, and adapts the message to different stakeholders and cultures. | Gains commitment across units and countries on contested issues, and builds coalitions before decisions are made. | Brings rival interests to a shared decision at Group level, and is sought out by senior leaders to broker agreement. |
Cluster B · Think Clearly
| Competency | 1 · Emerging | 2 · Developing | 3 · Applying | 4 · Leading | 5 · Shaping |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
B1Frames the Real QuestionSeparates the real problem from its symptoms before solving it. | Works on the problem as it was handed over, without checking whether it is the right one. | Asks some clarifying questions, but often treats symptoms as causes. | Separates symptoms from causes and defines the real question before working on solutions, using tools such as issue trees. | Reframes complex or ambiguous problems so others see them differently, and gets agreement on the question before work begins. | Shapes the questions the business asks itself, and spots the strategic issue behind day to day problems across the Group. |
B2Tests Evidence and AssumptionsChecks the quality of data and of the story behind it. | Accepts data and opinions at face value, especially from senior or familiar sources. | Checks obvious facts, but rarely questions assumptions or the story behind the numbers. | Checks sources, names the key assumptions, and recognises common biases in their own and others' reasoning. | Seeks out the evidence that could prove them wrong, tests ideas on a small scale first, and makes the strength of evidence clear to others. | Raises the standard of evidence in their area: others adopt their methods, and assumptions are tested as a matter of routine. |
B3Decides Under UncertaintyMakes timely calls with clear trade offs, and explains them. | Delays decisions until all the information is available, or decides without explaining why. | Makes routine decisions on time, but struggles when information is incomplete or the stakes are high. | Makes timely calls with incomplete information, sets out the options and trade offs, and explains the decision clearly. | Tells reversible from irreversible decisions and sets the pace to match. Explains decisions so others can act on them without coming back for guidance. | Takes and owns difficult decisions with Group wide impact, and builds others' decision skills by making their own reasoning visible. |
Cluster C · Lead the Change
| Competency | 1 · Emerging | 2 · Developing | 3 · Applying | 4 · Leading | 5 · Shaping |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
C1Reads the ChangeMaps who is affected, who decides, and what people stand to lose. | Sees a change as a task or a project plan, with little attention to the people affected. | Identifies the main groups affected, but misses informal influencers or hidden losses. | Maps stakeholders, impacts, and what each group stands to lose before acting, and plans for each of them. | Anticipates reactions others miss, including differences between cultures and countries in mergers, integrations, and divestments. | Reads change at Group level, sees how several changes interact, and advises leaders on sequencing and readiness. |
C2Brings People Through ItCommunicates honestly, handles resistance, and keeps good people. | Announces the change and expects people to follow; avoids difficult conversations. | Communicates the change and answers questions, but treats resistance as a problem to push through. | Plans communication for each group, listens to concerns, handles resistance openly, and keeps key people engaged. | Communicates honestly when not everything can be shared, turns resistance into ownership, and keeps good people through uncertainty. | Leads people through major, sensitive change across units and countries, and builds the change leadership of other managers. |
C3Makes Change StickSets routines, measures, and owners so a change lasts. | Moves on once the change is launched, and the old ways soon return. | Follows up for a short time after launch, but without clear routines, measures, or owners. | Sets routines, measures, and named owners so the change is sustained after launch. | Builds the change into how the unit works, through roles, meetings, and targets, so it holds without them. | Creates lasting change across several units, and leaves practices that other parts of the Group adopt. |
Cluster D · Lead With AI
| Competency | 1 · Emerging | 2 · Developing | 3 · Applying | 4 · Leading | 5 · Shaping |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
D1Uses AI With JudgementUses AI to challenge their thinking, and checks what it produces. | Uses AI tools rarely, or accepts AI answers as given without checking them. | Uses AI for simple tasks such as drafting or summarising, and checks the output for obvious errors. | Uses AI to challenge their own thinking, checks outputs against evidence, and follows the Group's rules on data and use. | Knows when AI adds value and when it does not, combines AI analysis with their own judgement, and spots subtle errors and bias. | Shows others how to use AI well and safely, and shapes how their area uses AI in its decisions. |
D2Finds Where AI Adds ValueShapes AI use cases on value, data, risk, and effort. | Talks about AI in general terms, but cannot link it to real tasks or results. | Identifies tasks where AI could help, but without a clear view of the value, data, or risk. | Shapes a use case with a clear value, the data it needs, its risks, and the effort involved. | Builds and prioritises several use cases with the team, tests them on a small scale, and makes the case to decision makers. | Builds a portfolio of AI use cases that other units adopt, linked to the Group's priorities and AI policy. |
D3Leads AI AdoptionLeads the people side of new ways of working with AI. | Leaves the adoption of new tools and ways of working to others, or to IT. | Encourages the team to try new tools, but does not address their concerns, skills, or routines. | Gets their own team using a new way of working by addressing concerns, building skills, and setting new routines. | Leads adoption across several teams, measures use and benefits, and adjusts based on feedback. | Makes new ways of working stick beyond their own area, and is a reference point for AI adoption across the Group. |
What a high potential experiences, from nomination to next move.
Career conversation, assessment, and the outcome from their manager.
Three way agreement, mentor matched, and two days at launch.
Real work, labs, coaching, and a Group challenge with peers.
Showcase to Group leadership and a final competency review.
An agreed next move, alumni network, and mentoring others.
Mostly through real work, then people, then formal learning.
The blend follows the widely used 70 20 10 model: most growth comes from challenging experience, a good share from other people, and a smaller share from formal learning. Hi-Po plans all three.
Real work
A change led in their own unit, an AI use case for their own area, a weekly decision journal, and a live Group challenge.
People
Their manager, an executive sponsor, a mentor from another unit or country, a coach, and a circle of peers.
Formal learning
Nine live labs, weekly nudges in their own language, and selected content from the Group's common learning licences.
Three pillars, nine labs, each building on the others.
Each pillar leads for about seven weeks, and all three are used throughout. Labs are 90 minutes, live and virtual, and run in two time slots to suit the Group's time zones. Each lab gives one tool that participants use straight away in their real work.
Think Clearly
- Framing the real question
- Evidence, assumptions, and bias
- Deciding under uncertainty
Lead the Change
- Reading a change
- Leading people through it
- Making it stick
Lead With AI
- AI as a thinking partner
- Finding the right use case
- Leading AI adoption
Every pillar is put to work on the Group's own questions.
A change led at home
Each person leads one real change in their own unit, such as bringing two teams together after an acquisition, agreed with their manager.
An AI use case
Each person shapes and tests one AI use case for their own area, using tools the Group already approves.
The Group challenge
Teams of five or six, mixed across countries and units, answer a live question from an executive sponsor in four checkpoints: frame, test, recommend, and showcase. Leadership decides on every brief.
Learn, apply, reflect, adjust. Every four weeks.
Learn
A live lab gives one tool, practised on their own work.
Apply
The tool goes straight into their stretch work.
Reflect
A weekly decision journal, with coach or peers.
Adjust
A monthly 1:1 with the manager agrees one change.
One structured conversation in each stage.
| Conversation | Stage | Who takes part | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Career conversation | Identify | Manager and nominee | A nomination with evidence on all four criteria |
| Three way agreement | Involve | Participant, manager, and Group Talent | A signed development agreement |
| Monthly development 1:1 | Enable | Manager and participant | One adjustment and one commitment each month |
| Milestone review | Monitor | Manager, coach, and participant, at weeks 8, 16, and 24 | Competency ratings and an updated plan |
| Next move conversation | Support | Participant, manager, and Group Talent, in month 7 | An agreed next move, with a date |
Who does what.
Each activity has one accountable owner. Wordsburg carries the operational load, so Group Talent can focus on decisions and relationships.
| Activity | Group Talent | Participant | Manager | Sponsor | Mentor and coach | Country HR | Wordsburg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Set criteria and calibrate the cohort | A | · | C | C | · | C | R |
| Career conversation and nomination | A | C | R | · | · | I | I |
| Assessment and critical thinking scenario | A | R | I | · | · | I | R |
| Development agreement | A | R | R | · | I | I | C |
| Manager orientation and toolkit | C | · | R | · | · | I | A |
| Launch and showcase days | C | R | I | R | I | I | A |
| Live labs and nudges | C | R | I | · | · | I | A |
| Stretch work and AI use case | I | R | A | · | C | · | C |
| Group challenge | C | R | I | A | C | · | R |
| Mentoring and coaching | I | R | I | · | R | · | A |
| Pulse, milestone reviews, and cohort report | C | R | R | · | R | I | A |
| Next move and talent review | A | R | R | C | · | C | C |
| Localisation of materials | C | · | · | · | · | C | A |
| Steering group and KPI review | A | · | · | C | · | I | R |
Managers are part of it, at every stage.
The manager has more influence on a high potential's growth than any lab. Every manager is oriented before the programme starts, then gets a clear role in each stage, a simple monthly card, and the tools to play it, in about one hour a month.
Manager orientation
One 60 minute live session before the Involve stage, run in two time slots and in local languages where needed.
- 10 minWhy it mattersWhat the Group expects from its high potentials, and why the manager makes the difference
- 15 minYour roleWhat managers do in each of the five stages, and how much time it takes
- 20 minPracticeA short practice of the three way conversation, in pairs
- 10 minYour toolsWhere the toolkit lives, and how the monthly card works
- 5 minFirst actionsThree things to do before the three way conversation
Kept simple after that
Managers get only what they need, when they need it.
The manager toolkit
Manager guide
Their role in each stage, what good looks like, and the time it takes.
Career conversation guide
Questions to test aspiration and engagement before nominating.
Agreement guide
How to prepare for the three way conversation and the development agreement.
Stretch and cover planner
How to give real stretch work, and cover the role while the person stretches.
Monthly 1:1 guide
Four questions for each month's development conversation.
Feedback cards
Short prompts for everyday feedback, one for each of the 12 competencies.
Rating guide
How to rate each competency on evidence, with examples for each level.
Flag response playbook
What to do, and how fast, when the pulse shows workload or flight risk.
Next move guide
How to agree a realistic next step after the talent review.
Monthly card and huddles
The "this month" card with three actions, and a quarterly huddle with other managers.
Senior leaders with a defined part to play.
Executive sponsors
Four to six Group executives. Each sets one Group challenge question, reviews two checkpoints, and sits on the showcase panel. About six hours over the programme, supported by a short sponsor brief.
Mentors
One senior leader per participant, from another unit or country, to widen their view of the Group. Six sessions over the programme, supported by a mentor guide and a short briefing.
One live view of the programme, open to stakeholders at any time.
A secure online dashboard shows the programme's progress at any moment, so the steering group, Group Talent, sponsors, managers, and country HR never wait for a report. Each person sees the view that fits their role. The preview below uses illustrative figures.
Competency progress by cluster
Average level on the five level scale: baseline to latest review
Group challenge
| Team | Sponsor question | Checkpoint |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | First 100 days after an acquisition | Test |
| 2 | AI in monthly planning | Test |
| 3 | Keeping talent through change | Frame |
| 4 | After a divestment | Test |
| 5 | One decision, 16 countries | Test |
Open flags
| Participant | Signal | Status | Agreed action |
|---|---|---|---|
| P11 | Workload high | Support | Manager to adjust scope |
| P18 | Stay score low | At Risk | Career conversation this week |
| P07 | Missed two labs | Support | Move to the second time slot |
Pulse trend
Cohort average across progress, workload, support, and intent to stay
This month's card
- Hold the monthly development 1:1, using the four questions
- Review progress on the change led at home
- Give one piece of feedback using the feedback cards
Development agreement progress
Illustrative preview. Figures, names, and questions are examples only.
Always available
Online at any time, on a laptop or a phone, with a single secure sign in.
Kept current
Updated weekly from attendance, pulse checks, and milestone reviews, with a monthly summary for the steering group.
A view for each role
Steering group, Group Talent, sponsors, managers, and country HR each see what they need to act on.
Private by design
Individual data is seen only by the person, their manager, their coach, and Group Talent. Others see the cohort as a whole.
Who sees what
| Stakeholder | What they see | Level of detail |
|---|---|---|
| Steering group | KPIs, competency progress, Group challenge status, and risks | Cohort level |
| Group Talent | Every participant's status, open flags, actions, and pulse trends | Individual and cohort |
| Executive sponsors | Their Group challenge team, checkpoints, and cohort KPIs | Team and cohort level |
| Managers | Their own high potential's progress, next actions, and the monthly card | Their own participant only |
| Country HR | Participation and progress for participants in their country | Country level |
| Participants | Their own agreement, competency ratings, and upcoming sessions | Their own record only |
Fifteen KPIs at four levels.
Baselines are taken from the Group's own assessment wherever possible, so high potentials are not assessed twice. Targets for each KPI are agreed with Group Talent during Discovery, once baselines are known.
| KPI | What It Measures | Data Source | When Measured |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · The Person growth in each high potential | |||
| Competency growth | Movement up the five levels across the 12 competencies | Milestone reviews | Baseline and week 24 |
| Critical thinking | Change in the critical thinking scenario score, before and after | Scenario exercise | Baseline and week 24 |
| Readiness | Share of participants rated at level 4 or above on their priority competencies | Review 3 | Week 24 |
| Team experience | Team pulse through each participant's change | Team pulse | Weeks 9 and 15 |
| 2 · The Business results for the Group | |||
| Changes landed | Changes led at home that are complete and still in place | Month 9 check | Month 9 |
| Briefs decided | Group challenge briefs adopted or adapted by leadership | Showcase panel | Week 24 |
| AI use cases | AI use cases taken forward by a business unit | Group AI lead | Month 9 |
| 3 · The Bench strength of the talent pipeline | |||
| Next move | Participants with an agreed next move | Talent review | Month 7 |
| Moves made | Participants in a bigger or major stretch role | Group HR data | Month 12 |
| Retention | High potentials still with the Group | Group HR data | Month 12 |
| Giving back | Graduates who mentor or calibrate for the next cohort | Programme office | Next cohort |
| 4 · The Process health of the programme | |||
| Agreements | Development agreements signed by week 1 | Programme office | Week 1 |
| Participation | Attendance at live labs | Programme office | Monthly |
| Manager support | Monthly development 1:1s held | Pulse | Every four weeks |
| Response time | Flags acted on within the agreed time | Dashboard | Monthly |
When each measure is taken.
A simple cadence, with clear decision rights.
Steering group
The Group Talent lead, a senior HR leader, two executive sponsors, and the Wordsburg programme director. Meets quarterly to approve the cohort and challenge questions, review KPIs, and decide on changes.
Programme office
Run by Wordsburg. Schedules every session, runs the pulse and reviews, keeps the live dashboard current, and produces the monthly report for Group Talent.
Country alignment
Country HR teams are kept informed through the Group's existing monthly country meetings, so the programme adds no new meetings for them.
Escalation when someone is struggling
Normal rhythm
Mentor, coach, peers, and the monthly 1:1 continue as planned.
Within two weeks
Manager and coach agree one change to scope, cover, or support.
Within one week
A three way conversation with Group Talent; the steering group is informed of patterns.
One programme, working in every country.
Built for translation
An English core with plain language, a shared glossary, and room for text expansion, so translation does not mean redesign.
Local where it counts
Nudges, guides, the pulse, and manager materials in the languages agreed with Group Talent.
Culturally adapted
Examples and cases drawn from the Group's own countries and businesses, reviewed by country HR.
Accessible
Digital materials designed to WCAG 2.1 AA, usable on a phone, and live sessions in two time slots.
From Discovery to the impact report.
About 15 months for the first cohort, starting with a four week Discovery that tailors this blueprint to the Group.
Every action, who leads it, and what it uses.
Wordsburg prepares every material listed, in English and the agreed languages. The Group's existing assessment and common learning licences are reused.
| Action | Who leads | Materials and templates |
|---|---|---|
| Identify | ||
Brief managers on the four criteria | Group Talent | Nomination guidenomination form |
Career conversation with each nominee | Manager | Career conversation guide |
Assess nominees | Group Talent | Group assessment (existing)critical thinking scenario |
Calibrate in units, then at Group | Unit heads; Group Talent | Calibration guidenine box templatecalibration record |
Share outcomes with every nominee | Manager | Outcome conversation guidefeedback note |
| Involve | ||
Three way conversation | Participant; manager; Group Talent | Conversation guidedevelopment agreement template |
Manager orientation, 60 minutes before Involve | Wordsburg | Orientation sessionone page manager playbookmanager toolkit (ten tools) |
Match sponsors and mentors | Group Talent; Wordsburg | Sponsor briefmentor guidematching sheet |
Launch, two days face to face | Wordsburg | Launch agendateam charterchallenge brief template |
| Enable | ||
Nine live labs | Wordsburg | Facilitator guidesparticipant workbooks |
Weekly nudges | Wordsburg | Nudge series in local languages |
Decision journal | Participant | Decision journal templateAI challenge prompts |
Lead a change at home | Participant; manager | Change Canvasstretch and cover planner |
Shape an AI use case | Participant | AI use case cardAI use guidelines |
Group challenge | Teams; sponsor | Challenge briefHi-Po Brief templateshowcase scoring sheet |
Monthly development 1:1 | Manager | Monthly 1:1 guidefeedback cards |
Keep managers engaged | Wordsburg; Group Talent | "This month" cardshort stage videosmonthly office hoursquarterly manager huddle |
Mentoring, coaching, and peer circles | Mentor; coach; peers | Mentor guidecoaching planpeer circle guide |
Selected online learning | Participant | Learning paths from the Group's common learning licences (existing) |
| Monitor | ||
Pulse every four weeks | Wordsburg | Pulse survey |
Milestone reviews at weeks 8, 16, and 24 | Manager; coach | Competency rating formrating guide |
Monthly cohort report | Wordsburg | Live programme dashboardmonthly report template |
| Support | ||
Respond to flags within the agreed time | Manager; coach; Group Talent | Support response playbook |
Next move conversation | Participant; manager; Group Talent | Next move guide |
Talent review input | Group Talent | Talent review summary per person |
Alumni network and giving back | Group Talent; Wordsburg | Alumni session planmentor handover guide |
Impact report | Wordsburg | KPI scorecardimpact report template |
What could get in the way, and how the design handles it.
| Risk | Mitigation |
|---|---|
| Selection is seen as unfair | Shared criteria, evidence for every placement, Group level calibration, and feedback for everyone not selected |
| Managers do not release time | Stretch work is part of the job; managers are oriented, sign the agreement, and get a monthly card |
| High potentials become overloaded | About 3 to 4 extra hours a week; workload is checked in every pulse, with a response within two weeks |
| Sensitive merger or divestment information | Sponsors approve every case; details are anonymised where needed, with a confidentiality note for participants |
| Confidential data in AI tools | Only Group approved tools, with clear rules on what data may be used; a person makes every decision |
| Uneven take up across countries | Local language materials, two time slots, country HR review, and monthly visibility through existing country meetings |
Planning assumptions.
- One cohort of 24 to 30 high potentials, timed to the Group's talent calendar
- Results from the Group's annual assessment are available as a baseline
- Four to six executive sponsors and one mentor per participant
- Launch and showcase days are held face to face in one location
- The Group's common learning licences and approved AI tools are available to participants
- Languages for local materials are agreed during Discovery
To get started.
- A named Group Talent lead and a steering group
- Access to assessment results and current development plan formats
- Sponsor nominations and suggested challenge questions
- The channels used for nudges and pulse checks
- The Group's AI use guidelines and approved tools
- Dates for the talent review and the launch
Three steps to the first cohort.
Review
Walk through this blueprint with Group Talent and agree any changes to scope or emphasis.
Agree
Confirm the scope, the first cohort's timing, and the start of Discovery.
Discover
Four weeks to set baselines, confirm competencies and KPIs, and finalise the detailed design and plan.
Hi-Po programme blueprint, version 1.0, 5 November 2026. Prepared by Wordsburg for Jebsen & Jessen Group. Confidential.