Organizational and Talent Development

Our Mission

The Mission of the Office of Organizational and Talent Development is to foster an organizational learning environment that contributes to the effectiveness of Rice employees and teams and provides them with the support, skills, and information necessary to lead and perform with excellence. Ultimately, in partnership with Rice leadership, teams, divisions, schools, and departments, we will employ a continuum of strategies, services, and interventions to increase organizational effectiveness by creating and implementing:

• programs that are developed specifically for adult learners in the workplace;
• competency-based programs and resources that align with the 70-20-10 learning model;
• a diverse range of options (e.g. self-directed, blended, cohort, etc.) in order to meet the needs of the community;
• development that is accessible and builds competencies progressively for various levels, such as individual contributor, supervisory, and executive levels.

Training and Professional Development

Rice strives to develop and offer learning experiences and resources that meet the needs of a diverse range of positions, learning types, and the overall rapidly changing landscape of workplace learning. Whether it's a classroom-based, online, social, etc. learning format, development experiences should be relevant, applicable to one's work, and provide hands-on practice of skills. Additionally, transfer of learning on-the-job and intentional coaching should be encouraged to maximize retention, change behavior, and achieve results.

Competency-Based Development

Competency-Based Development is a strategic approach and framework that identifies the desired and expected performance and behavior to achieve job and organizational goals. A competency framework provides shared language and a consistent set of behaviors that can be incorporated into various aspects of talent management and development including but not limited to hiring, performance management, leadership development, and career pathing.

There are various types of competencies, such as technical (also referenced as functional expertise), core (demonstrated by all employees), and leadership or executive level competencies.

• Competency - a skill, behavior, and/or attitude that leads to high performance and can be improved by means of learning and practice
• Behavioral Indicator - shows how an employee would demonstrate proficiency in a given competency
• Competency Mapping - a process used to identify and describe competencies that are the most critical to success in a position or situation.

Required Training for Employees

As a community, it is important that we all share a common understanding regarding expectations to conduct our mission with integrity and in accordance with our legal, regulatory, and ethical responsibilities. The updated RICE Way Training is tailored to Rice and reflects our community, as well as our values. It is designed to give every employee a basic understanding of Rice's policies and expectations.

The goal of the RICE Way Training is to provide these required trainings in a coordinated manner, carefully managing the time burdens.

Visit Rice Compliance to learn about required training, such as the R.I.C.E. Way Training for Rice employees.

New Employees

1. New Employee Orientation

2. R.I.C.E. Way

Current Employees

1. R.I.C.E. Way (biennially)

Need assistance? Create a service request in iO.

Course and Program Descriptions

Our LEARNING module in iO will provide access to more training and development opportunities in the near future, as well as options for involvement in Learning Communities. The following course and program options listed

1. have been offered within the past few years
2. are currently available or are in the pilot phase, and/or
3. are scheduled to be offered or in the development phase.

Course and Program Options by Level

• Course descriptions and targeted competencies are below this section.

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Individual Contributor (non-supervisory)

Course or Program	Type and Format	Status and Registration
Adaptive Mindset Training	Blended; Virtual-live	Currently in the pilot stage
Coaching Circles ($)	Blended; Virtual-live Blended; Classroom (in-person)	Ongoing registration Career Circle Leadership Circle
Crucial Conversations	Virtual-live or Classroom	TBD
Getting Things Done (GTD)	Virtual-live or Classroom	TBD
Presenting With Confidence	Virtual-live	Spring 2023; Register via iO Learning
The Leadership Challenge	Cohort; Blended; Virtual-live	Spring 2023
Principles of Leadership ($)	Cohort; Blended; Classroom	Pilot in 2023
Active Listening	Virtual-live or Classroom	TBD

($) fee associated

Supervisor

Course or Program	Type and Format	Status and Registration
Accelerated Supervisor Development Series	Cohort; Virtual	Currently in the pilot stage
Essentials of Supervision	Primarily Self-Paced; Online 2 Sessions in-person	Pilot in 2022
Adaptive Mindset for Teams	Cohort; Virtual	Pilot in 2023
The Emotionally Effective Leader ($)	Assessment-based	Summer 2023
What Motivates Me ($)	Assessment-based	Fall 2023

($) fee associated

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Course and Program Descriptions

Accelerated Supervisor Development Series

This development series (6 sessions; 6-8 participants) provides a quick overview of the employee lifecycle and allows supervisors the opportunity to share experiences and get peer support regarding supervisory challenges. This series is designed to focus on the practical application of supervision and participants receive numerous tools and resources to use immediately.

Targeted Competencies: Accountability, Communication, Developing Others, and Leadership

Active Listening

Active listening is a way of listening and responding to another person that improves mutual understanding. It is an important first step to defusing the situation and seeking solutions to problems. This course, in collaboration with the Doerr Institute for New Leaders, shares the critical skills and behaviors needed for active listening.

Targeted Competencies: Communication, Accountability, and Leadership

Adaptive Mindset Training

Adaptive Mindset Training is a 13-week cohort program that focuses on building resilience skills so that leaders can overcome today's and future challenges by:

• developing skills to promote trust and psychological safety;
• dialing down fear in decision making;
• upgrading self and situational awareness;
• embracing imperfection and a growth mindset; and
• seeking feedback from others and delivering feedback in a manner that is effective.

Targeted Competencies: Communication, Decision Making, and Accountability

Coaching Circles

The coaching circle programs are facilitated in small groups (7 sessions; 8-10 participants). The format provides the space for peer, action-oriented coaching and is facilitated by a member of the Organizational and Talent Development Team. The circles are designed to facilitate peer connections, share best practices and tools, and brainstorm effective solutions and techniques for specific topics. Additionally, participants will gain self-awareness through exercises and discussions and be held accountable by the group members.

Career - the career circles follow a structured career planning and development process tailored for Rice employees

Leadership - the leadership circles can be topic-specific (e.g. women in leadership) or competency-based

Crucial Conversations

Learn how to speak your mind in a productive way during a crucial conversation, when the stakes are high, opinions differ and emotions run strong. Aim those conversations at the variables you want to affect, then watch as an increase in dialogue directly impacts results. Create alignment and agreement by fostering open dialogue around high-stakes, emotional, or risky topics-at all levels of your organization.

Targeted Competencies: Communication, Decision Making, and Accountability

Employee Learning Week

Employee Learning Week (ELW) is an annual global campaign sponsored by the Association for Talent Development (ATD) to highlight the importance of talent development and the relationship between learning and achieving organizational results. It is an opportunity to shine a spotlight on talent development, and remind (or inform) you of the wide variety of learning and talent development opportunities you can access as you build your career at Rice.

Essentials of Supervision

The goal of our Essentials of Supervision development program is to

• provide clear expectations of the supervisor role and the related competencies required to serve in this capacity and
• equip supervisors with the necessary knowledge, skills, and tools to perform in their roles and lead successfully.

For more details about this program see the Supervisor Training and Development section of this page.

Targeted Competencies: Accountability, Communication, Decision Making, Developing Others, Leadership

iO (Oracle) Training

HCM training information coming soon.

Getting Things Done^® (GTD^®)

Learn skills to increase focus on the most meaningful work, organize information, prioritize commitments, create mental space for innovation, and achieve stress-free productivity.

Targeted Competencies: Accountability and Decision Making

Leadership Challenge

Leadership development is first and foremost about self-development. Through self-development comes the confidence needed to lead. The Leadership Challenge focuses on the individual leader and what he or she can do to improve. It is about leaders and their relationships with others. The core principles are:

• leadership is everyone's business
• leadership is a relationship
• leadership is an aspiration and a choice
• leaders make a difference
• the best leaders are the best learners- it takes deliberate practice to become a better leader

Additionally, the Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership are:

• Model the Way
• Inspire a Shared Vision
• Challenge the Process
• Enable Others to Act
• Encourage the Heart

Targeted Competencies: Leadership, Communication, and Collaboration

Organizational Leadership in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Specialization | Coursera | Richard Anthony Baker, J.D., Ph.D.

Many courses in the diversity, equity, and inclusion field acquaint the learner with definitions and concepts that are commonly shared in the field but not much strategy to implement such efforts. The Organizational Leadership in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODE&I) specialization introduces concepts and strategies that foster greater DE&I effectiveness across organizational planning, programming, training, and assessment. The goal of this course is to offer emerging DE&I Practitioners tools, best practices, and strategies to best position and launch successful DE&I efforts regardless of where their organizations are on the DE&I continuum. Through the lens of an equal opportunity professional and the use of current events, learners can expect to explore the essential components of DE&I excellence and how to manage the shifting attitude towards social justice and the multiple dimensions of difference within their workforce.

Presenting With Confidence

In your job, do you have to give talks in front of groups of people? This workshop (2 parts) will help you learn how to organize your thoughts, design better slides, and appear more confident. Through the use of authentic examples and hands-on activities, Dr. Jennifer Wilson of the Program in Writing & Communication will introduce participants to topics such as creating a presentation storyline, identifying the expectations of an audience, applying appropriate visual design principles, and speaking with confidence.

Targeted Competencies: Communication

Principles of Leadership Certificate ($)

In partnership with the Glasscock School of Continuing Studies, this program, developed specifically for Rice University employees, is designed to assist those new to leadership at Rice or aspiring to leadership roles to reach new levels of success by exploring critical leadership and management competencies, as well as providing tools and resources for the integration of learning into everyday practice. This certificate is an effective way to scale learning for maximum impact and is guided by research-based assessments. Participants will:

• Learn and apply core leadership skills needed by leaders throughout Rice
• Develop their personal leadership style, to lead authentically and inspire others toward action
• Adjust their leadership approach as they gain self-awareness and as their responsibilities grow and change
• Gain actionable insights into their leadership and social styles, and emotional intelligence by completing a set of research-based assessments
• Complete a group Action Learning Project, an opportunity to integrate skills into one meaningful and job-relevant activity
• Extend their network and build relationships with a diverse group of peers who can provide insights and support for leadership challenges and related decisions

Targeted Competencies:

• Knowing Yourself - competencies focused on developing self-awareness (e.g. leadership and social style, accountability, managing oneself)
• Working With Others - competencies focused on developing and maintaining effective relationships at all levels (e.g. emotional intelligence, communication, collaboration, inclusion, and conflict dynamics)
• Leading Others - competencies focused on demonstrating effective communication (e.g. giving and receiving feedback, managing difficult conversations, developing others)
• Leading a Team - competencies focused on creating the conditions for team members to do their best work (e.g. psychological safety, team vision and alignment, managing change and complexity, resilience, effective decision making, and strategic focus)

The Emotionally Effective Leader ($)

The goal of this assessment-based training is to increase participants’ understanding of emotional intelligence and the role it plays in demonstrating effective leadership. The goals of this course are to:

• create an understanding of emotional intelligence using the EQ-i 2.0 model as a platform;
• enable participants to understand their own EQ-i 2.0 Leadership Reports;
• enable participants to identify specific areas in their own emotional intelligence that they wish to develop;
• provide an opportunity for individual action planning to further develop facets of emotional intelligence.

Targeted Competencies: Leadership, Communication, Accountability, Decision Making, and Managing Change

What Motivates Me ($)

Based on one of the largest, most statistically valid studies on workplace engagement, this assessment-based training explores employee engagement and motivation specific to a team or department, as well as the participant's personal views and status of motivation. Other topics covered include motivational biases, job sculpting, and manager effectiveness.

Targeted Competencies: Leadership, Accountability, and Developing Others

Technology Training

Visit Technology Training on the Self-Directed Learning page

Visit Training and Professional Development Options Across Campus (below)

Self-Directed Learning & Development

See the Self-Directed Learning and Development page

Training & Professional Development Options Across Campus

Partners on Campus

• Glasscock School of Continuing Studies
• Fondren Library's Digital Media Commons or Data at Rice Workshop Series
• Rice Business School Executive Education
• Wellbeing

Partnership with CompuTrain for Technology Training

Considering the range of positions, skill levels, and software used throughout Rice divisions, schools, departments, etc. staff members are encouraged to identify the most appropriate vendor to meet the unique needs of the group. Contact Organizational and Professional Development to determine what approach would work best for you and/or your team. As you identify which training option to pursue, click HERE for assistance. This 2-page document will assist you in determining the best option based on your needs.

The following includes, but is not limited to, options* for technology training:

• Attend course locally/off-site | visit HERE for options
• Complete a live, online course | view OPTIONS
• Complete a self-paced, online course | view OPTIONS

*Rice employees get a $25 discount

• Other Options for Technology Training - Quick tutorials on YouTube, Microsoft.com, or various open course platforms such as Udemy.com or Coursera. org

• Need assistance in selecting training? Use this tool as an aid.

Toolkits

Coaching Toolkit

Introducing and Incorporating the RICE MILE

Flexible Work Arrangements

VISIT OUR SUPERVISOR HUB for the following toolkits

• Supervisor
• Team building

More Tools & Resources

• HR Services & Forms
• Hiring Guide on the Recruitment and Hiring page
• Free Management e-books and tools

Supervisor and Leadership Development | Access Hub HERE

Supervisor Training & Development

The Goals of Supervisor Development are to:

• Provide clear expectations of the supervisor role and the related competencies required to serve in this capacity.
• Provide competency-based development through learning experiences that allow participants to apply what is learned both during development experiences and on the job.
• Offer options and access to deeper competency development through curation of resources (accessible for self-directed development) and peer/social learning through hands-on experiences (e.g. Leadership Huddles, Supervisor Training, Bagels, and Laws, etc.).
• Understand how Rice's values and principles (see RICE MILE) serve as the foundation for all employees at Rice despite one’s position within the university.

Essentials of Supervision

Based on participant feedback and ongoing changes in how we are working, Essentials of Supervision (previously Foundations of Supervision*) will be a more blended format/delivery. Announcements will be made about future dates for the program. Get updates via our Supervisor Listserv. Please contact hrbp@rice.edu to join the listserv.

Rice University's success in executing its mission and achieving its ambitious goals significantly depends on excellent staff performance thus we are committed to ensuring that Rice supervisors are equipped and accountable for effectively hiring, coaching, developing, recognizing, and compensating their staff. Supervisors play a vital role in ensuring the achievement of the Rice mission and values, and the goals established by divisions, schools, and departments, by engaging and empowering staff members daily. For staff, the supervisor is the most important relationship in the workplace.

The goal of our Essentials of Supervision development program is to provide clear expectations of the supervisor role and the related competencies required to serve in this capacity and equip supervisors with the necessary knowledge, skills, and tools to perform in their roles and lead successfully.

Topics covered in this program include:

• recruiting, interviewing, and hiring staff;
• providing effective onboarding, job training, and communication;
• establishing goals and expectations;
• providing feedback and addressing performance issues;
• developing, recognizing, and rewarding staff consistently;
• understanding pay and compensation practices;
• modeling responsible and ethical behavior, including legal considerations; and
• initiating steps to separate employment if necessary.

For reference, our previous program* offered the following instructor-led modules:

• Module 1: Leading With Self-Awareness
• Module 2: Building Your Team
• Module 3: Performance Commitment and Accountability
• Module 4: Working in Diverse Spaces & Employment Law 101
• Module 5: Leading at Rice

Also, see Leadership Development and Self-Directed Learning sections

Leadership Development

Leadership Competencies

• Leadership Competencies At A Glance

Leadership Huddles

Rice University's monthly Leadership Huddles are a key touchpoint of the larger leadership development strategy. These monthly sessions are essentially a learning community where leaders gain insights on various aspects of leader growth and development including self-awareness, problem-solving, teaming, etc. as well as a space to foster relationships among leaders and reinforce Rice's values, goals, initiatives, and culture.

• OPT-IN to Our Supervisor ListServ by emailing us at HRBP@rice.edu

Adaptive Mindset Training

Adaptive Mindset Training is a 13-week program (small group training and peer coaching) that focuses on building resilience skills so that leaders can overcome today's and future challenges by:

• developing skills to promote trust and psychological safety;
• dialing down fear in decision making;
• upgrading self and situational awareness;
• embracing imperfection and a growth mindset; and
• seeking feedback from others and delivering feedback in a manner that is effective.

Individual Career or Leadership Coaching

Rice professionals can request career and/or leadership coaching from one of our staff coaches. Staff coaches have completed the CoachRice program (60 hours plus coaching practice) and many are also ICF certified coaches or are working toward their coaching credential. LINK to Apply

Leadership Coaching Circle

The Leadership Development Coaching Circles are facilitated in small groups (8 – 12 participants) for a longer period of time (8-10 sessions / 2 hours each). The goal is to provide a space for peer, action-oriented coaching for leadership development and acquire knowledge and skills based on Rice’s leadership competencies.

Additional outcomes anticipated include:

• developing awareness about potential leadership blind spots and/or career-limiting behavior,
• increasing accountability for self-development,
• expanding leadership capacity at Rice by offering another component to current leadership development options,
• building peer connections across schools/divisions through peer learning and collaboration, and
• discussing common leadership challenges and sharing ideas and real-work examples to address those challenges.

Cost: TBD | LINK to Apply

The Leadership Challenge

Program Description: Leadership development is first and foremost about self-development. Through self-development comes the confidence needed to lead. The Leadership Challenge focuses on the individual leader and what he or she can do to improve. It is about leaders and their relationships with others. The core principles are:

• leadership is everyone's business
• leadership is a relationship
• the best leaders are the best learners
• it takes practice - deliberate practice - to become a better leader
• leadership is an aspiration and a choice
• leaders make a difference

Additionally, the Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership are:

• Model the Way
• Inspire a Shared Vision
• Challenge the Process
• Enable Others to Act
• Encourage the Heart

Cost: participants purchase the workbook

Look for future announcements regarding the next offering.

Organizational Leadership in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Specialization (see Course & Program Descriptions section)

Principles of Leadership Certificate ($)

In partnership with the Glasscock School of Continuing Studies, this program, developed specifically for Rice University employees, is designed to assist those new to leadership at Rice or aspiring to leadership roles to reach new levels of success by exploring critical leadership and management competencies, as well as providing tools and resources for the integration of learning into everyday practice. This certificate is an effective way to scale learning for maximum impact and is guided by research-based assessments.

Targeted Competencies:

Knowing Yourself - competencies focused on developing self-awareness (e.g. leadership and social style, accountability, managing oneself)

Working With Others - competencies focused on developing and maintaining effective relationships at all levels (e.g. emotional intelligence, communication, collaboration, inclusion, and conflict dynamics)

Leading Others - competencies focused on demonstrating effective communication (e.g. giving and receiving feedback, managing difficult conversations, developing others)

Leading a Team - competencies focused on creating the conditions for team members to do their best work (e.g. psychological safety, team vision and alignment, managing change and complexity, resilience, effective decision making, and strategic focus)

Coaching Podcasts

• Coaching for Leaders
• Master Coach Collection

Career Planning and Development | It Starts With You

Career Development starts with you. Whether it is developing one’s personal brand, creating a career plan, or getting connected with other professionals, Rice hopes to support employees in their career journey. The following are examples of how we can partner with employees:

• Facilitate connections with other Rice professionals, both in small group settings and one-on-one (including individual Career Coaching)
• Provide workshops that enable employees to assess strengths, explore possibilities, and utilize tools for planning (example-Career EXPO)

Assess and Align

The most critical aspect of career development and planning includes completing some level of self-assessment and alignment. Assessing skills, interests, talent, etc., and aligning with values, preferred work environment, etc. will enable Rice professionals to make thoughtful decisions about career options and potential positions to consider in the future.

Resources for assessment and alignment:

• A Career Conversation Starts With a Single Question
• 5 Ways to Take Initiative in Your Career Development
• Personal Brand Assessment Worksheet
• Strengths and Talent Identification

Learn more about individual career coaching and small group career coaching options.

Develop and Plan

Once assessment has taken place, the next step is to develop and plan of action which may include acquiring training and/or other development including but not limited to identifying a stretch assignment, participating in the Career Development Circle program or one-on-one coaching, and/or connecting with professionals across campus who currently occupy a position of interest.

Connect and Accelerate

Identifying a Coach or Mentor

Career Development Coaching Circles | Apply HERE

The Career Development Coaching Circles will be facilitated in small groups (8-10 participants) for 7 sessions / 2 hours each. The goal is to provide a space for peer, action-oriented coaching for career planning and development; facilitate peer connections, and expand each participant’s network.

Additional outcomes anticipated include:

• developing skills about effective career development;
• increasing self-awareness and accountability for self-development;
• building relationships across schools/divisions through peer learning and collaboration;
• sharing practices and tools that are conducive to career development; and
• brainstorming techniques and solutions for career development-related issues.

Cost: TBD

Careers At Rice

Visit Careers At Rice

Apply for:

• Individual Career Coaching > This program is currently on pause
• Career Coaching Circle > This program is currently on pause

Strategy and Organizational Development | Organizational & Team Effectiveness

The goal of Organizational Development is to increase a team or organization’s ability and capacity to motivate, inspire, and improve performance and ultimately increase overall organizational effectiveness and health. Our team works with leaders, teams, and schools/divisions to identify problems or needs, collect and analyze data, and provide feedback to help identify priorities and develop and implement a plan to achieve goals.

Performance Consulting & Coaching

Consulting and Coaching support can occur in many different ways, such as the following:

Leadership and Career Coaching

• working with individuals or groups to enhance leadership skills and behaviors and/or provide a space for career development conversations

Team and Group Coaching

• facilitating small group and/or team coaching (e.g. competency-based) to promote peer learning and sharing strategies to work more effectively

Change Management and Communication

• collaborating with leadership to implement and manage organizational change. Using proven strategies and tools, teams can work through adapting to change, managing resistance, and ensuring optimal communication takes place during a change event. See Organizational Change and Strategy.

Engagement and Retention Strategy

• leading the process of identifying intentional strategies, practices, and interventions (e.g. effective onboarding, Stay Interviews, etc.) specifically to retain engage employees at an individual, team, and group level as well as leverage talent and retain top performers at Rice

Role Clarification and Optimization

• partnering with leaders and teams to clarify roles (e.g. role conception, expectations, and role reality) and develop a plan to optimize talent (e.g. individually and structurally) and identify related changes needed in processes, systems, etc.

Performance Improvement and Coaching

• partnering with supervisors/managers to clarify expectations, set goals, identify targeted performance interventions, and provide feedback for improved and sustained performance

Employee Engagement & Organizational Culture

Employee Engagement

Employee engagement is the result of implementing intentional practices and optimal conditions for employees to give their best each day, commit to the organization's mission and goals, to be motivated to contribute to the organization's success with an enhanced sense of their own well-being. Simply defined it is the relationship between the employee and the organization and it represents the levels of enthusiasm and emotional connection employees have with their employer.

Contact your HRBP or send a message to hrbp@rice.edu to learn more about support, tools, and resources for increasing employee engagement in your department, division, or school.

Organizational Culture

Organizational culture consists of shared beliefs and values established by leaders and then communicated and reinforced through various methods, ultimately shaping employee perceptions, behavior, and understanding. Why is organizational culture important? Strong, positive organizational cultures can have a positive impact on:

• employee engagement
• elevated productivity
• decreased turnover
• employer brand identity

Assessing and defining organizational culture is the first step in the process of identifying and developing the desired culture for your group. Please contact your HRBP for additional information.

Team Assessment, Coaching & Development

Team Assessment

Based on the unique needs of the team, a range of assessments can be used to identify the critical challenges facing the team. Assessment results are used to guide discussion and develop an action plan for the team leader and team overall.

Team Building

There are a variety of different approaches to building stronger, more cohesive teams. The primary focus of team building is strengthening team spirit and cohesion and deepening personal connections and trust. Team building can be a part of an event or done consistently over time.

Team Coaching

Team coaching is a comprehensive and systematic approach to support a team to maximize their collective talent and resources to accomplish the work of the team. The process provides a space to gain clarity, improve communication, surface disagreements, and resolve differences in order to make decisions and execute plans.

Team Facilitation and Development

Team members learn and practice skills through demonstrations, exercises, and facilitated discussions. While they may bring in real work issues to practice with, the primary focus is on developing new skills, rather than achieving results.

Example of a facilitated exercise:

• Exercise: What's Working/What's Not Working

See the Team Coaching and Development page

Organization and Succession Planning

Organizational Planning

Organizational planning constitutes all of the activities which are utilized to set priorities, focus energy, resources, and assets, reinforce tasks, and guarantee that employees and different stakeholders are moving in the direction of a common objective. This process takes a comprehensive view of current and future goals, and ensures that you have the right people in the right jobs with the right agility today and in the years to come.

Organizational planning is a partnership between Rice HR and the school/division. It can be initiated for several reasons and usually includes one or more of the following priorities:

• Ensuring the organizational structure is aligned with short and long-term goals
• Identifying critical positions and highlighting potential vacancies
• Selecting key competencies and skills necessary for service delivery and operations
• Ensuring the organizational structure is aligned with short and long-term goals
• Identifying critical positions and highlighting potential vacancies
• Focusing on the development of employees to meet future needs
• Modifying staffing needs based on current external circumstances or modifying the structure in order to be more agile in the future.

Succession Planning

Succession planning is the process of identifying critical positions within your organization and developing action plans for individuals to assume those positions. This process ensures you have the right people in the right jobs today and in the future. Overall, succession planning strengthens the capability of the organization by:

• identifying critical positions and highlighting potential vacancies;
• selecting key competencies and skills necessary for operational/business continuity;
• identifying high-potential employees using a performance-potential rating process; and
• focusing development of individuals to meet future business needs.

Rice HR can assist leaders in the succession planning process, including how to leverage the Talent and Succession Planning module and tools available in our human capital management system, Oracle Cloud (iO).

Facilitation (Focus Groups, Retreats & Design Thinking Sessions)

Rice leadership and teams can request support in the form of facilitation, such as meetings, retreats, etc. enabling teams to make progress toward desired outcomes while encouraging interaction and mutual understanding. Examples of events or activities that may be conducive to facilitation support include:

• Focus Groups
• Design Sessions
• Meetings and Retreats
• Survey Administration