Programme blueprint · version 1.0 · 5 November 2026

Hi-Po

A complete process for an organisation's high potentials: how they are identified, involved, enabled, monitored, and supported, so they grow into its next leaders.

Critical thinkingLeading changeLeading with AI

5stages, from identification to the next move

12competencies, rated on five levels

3leadership pillars: thinking, change, and AI

6active months, with 6 months of follow through

24 to 30high potentials per cohort

1shared standard, in every unit and country

Executive Summary

From identified to ready.

Most organisations already identify their high potentials and agree a development plan with each of them. Hi-Po is the process that turns those plans into leaders who are ready for bigger roles.

It runs in five stages. High potentials are identified against one shared standard across every unit and country. 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 three leadership pillars: critical thinking, leading change, and AI. Everything is measured against a framework of 12 competencies. The process is designed to be light for a small talent team: Wordsburg runs the programme office, and every material is built for translation and local use from the first draft.

The Hi-Po Profile

What a high potential looks like.

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 the talent team during Discovery.

Role levelMid level managers and senior specialists, typically one or two levels below business unit or country leadership

ScopeLeads a team, a function, or a significant cross functional area, in any business unit or country

ExperienceAt least 12 to 18 months in their current role, with a track record across more than one challenge

PerformanceStrong results sustained over at least two consecutive years

HorizonReady for a bigger role, one level up or broader in scope, within two to three years

MindsetWants to lead, learns fast, and is open to moving across units or countries

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 organisation 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
Corporate 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.

Objectives

What Hi-Po is designed to achieve.

One standardIdentify and develop high potentials consistently across every unit and country, 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 organisationTurn 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 organisation's best people.

Design Principles

Six principles behind every design choice.

Built on what is already there

Uses the talent processes already in place, such as assessment, development plans, and talent review, and adds what is missing.

Real work first

Most development happens through real stretch work on the organisation'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 the talent team low.

Local and accessible by design

Designed for translation from the start, with materials accessible on any device and live sessions in two time slots for different time zones.

The Hi-Po Framework

One framework, built around the organisation.

The organisation'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 organisation needs come out on the right.

Outer ring: the five stagesBubbles: five key conversationsInner ring: the four week coaching loopCore: 12 competencies in four clustersBase: evaluation

Capability Architecture

Three layers of capability, with clear ownership.

Hi-Po develops the foundation and leadership layers at organisation 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.

LeadershipThink Clearly, Lead the Change, and Lead With AI: the priorities for future leaders. Developed by Hi-Po.

FunctionalThe technical and functional skills each role needs. Owned by business units and country teams, and included as goals in the development agreement.

FoundationLead Self and Others: learning agility, resilience, and influence. Developed by Hi-Po, alongside the organisation's core values and any growth mindset programmes.

Five Stages

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; existing assessment and a critical thinking scenario; calibration in units and at organisation 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; business challenge teams	4 weeks before start to week 1
3 · Enable	Grow capability through real work	Stretch work; business challenge; nine live labs; nudges; mentoring, coaching, and peer circles	Changes led; AI use cases; decided business 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

Where It Sits

It strengthens the cycle the organisation already runs.

Hi-Po keeps the existing assessment and development plans, adds what turns them into growth, and returns results to the talent review that names the next cohort.

Competency Framework

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 cover critical thinking, change, and AI.

Cluster A · FoundationLead Self and Others

A1Learning Agility
A2Resilience Under Pressure
A3Influence Without Authority

Cluster B · Critical ThinkingThink Clearly

B1Frames the Real Question
B2Tests Evidence and Assumptions
B3Decides Under Uncertainty

Cluster C · Change ManagementLead the Change

C1Reads the Change
C2Brings People Through It
C3Makes Change Stick

Cluster D · AILead With AI

D1Uses AI With Judgement
D2Finds Where AI Adds Value
D3Leads AI Adoption

Proficiency Levels

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.

Level 1Emerging

Shows the competency occasionally, mostly when prompted or in familiar situations.

Level 2Developing

Shows it in routine situations, but not yet consistently or under pressure.

Level 3Applying

Shows it reliably in their own work, without prompting. The expected standard for a high potential.

Level 4Leading

Shows it in difficult, unfamiliar, or cross unit situations, and helps others do the same.

Level 5Shaping

Shapes how the wider organisation works. A role model others learn from; signals readiness for a bigger role.

Behavioural Indicators

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 organisation 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 organisation.
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 organisation 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 restructures and integrations.	Reads change at organisation 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 organisation 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 organisation'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 organisation'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 organisation.

Participant Journey

What a high potential experiences, from nomination to next move.

Before startNominated

Career conversation, assessment, and the outcome from their manager.

Week 0 to 1Committed

Three way agreement, mentor matched, and two days at launch.

Months 1 to 6Stretched

Real work, labs, coaching, and a business challenge with peers.

Week 24Recognised

Showcase to senior leadership and a final competency review.

Months 7 to 12Advanced

An agreed next move, alumni network, and mentoring others.

How Development Happens

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.

70 · real work

20 · people

Real work

A change led in their own unit, an AI use case for their own area, a weekly decision journal, and a live business 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 existing online learning libraries.

Three Leadership Pillars

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 different time zones. Each lab gives one tool that participants use straight away in their real work.

Pillar 1 · weeks 2 to 8

Think Clearly

Framing the real question
Evidence, assumptions, and bias
Deciding under uncertainty

Pillar 2 · weeks 9 to 15

Lead the Change

Reading a change
Leading people through it
Making it stick

Pillar 3 · weeks 16 to 21

Lead With AI

AI as a thinking partner
Finding the right use case
Leading AI adoption

Real Work

Every pillar is put to work on the organisation'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 a restructure, agreed with their manager.

An AI use case

Each person shapes and tests one AI use case for their own area, using tools the organisation already approves.

The business 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.

The Coaching Loop

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.

Five Key Conversations

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 talent team	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 talent team, in month 7	An agreed next move, with a date

Roles and Responsibilities

Who does what.

Each activity has one accountable owner. Wordsburg carries the operational load, so the talent team can focus on decisions and relationships.

Activity	Talent team	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
Business 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

A AccountableR ResponsibleC ConsultedI Informed

Manager Enablement

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 organisation 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.

One page playbookThe manager's role in every stage, on a single page.

"This month" cardEach month, three actions for that month and the tool to use for each.

Short stage videosA three minute video before each stage, as a reminder or for those who missed the session.

Office hours and huddlesA monthly drop in for questions, and a quarterly huddle with other managers.

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.

Sponsors and Mentors

Senior leaders with a defined part to play.

Executive sponsors

Four to six senior executives. Each sets one business 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 organisation. Six sessions over the programme, supported by a mentor guide and a short briefing.

Live Programme Dashboard

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, talent team, 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.

Hi-Po live dashboardCohort 1 · week 14 of 24 · updated weekly

High potentials267 units · 9 countries

On track73%19 of 26

Lab attendance91%across both time slots

Average competency gain+0.7levels since baseline

Competency progress by cluster

A · Lead Self and Others2.4 → 3.1

B · Think Clearly2.3 → 3.0

C · Lead the Change2.0 → 2.7

D · Lead With AI1.8 → 2.6

Average level on the five level scale: baseline to latest review

Business challenge

Team	Sponsor question	Checkpoint
1	First 100 days of a new team	Test
2	AI in monthly planning	Test
3	Keeping talent through change	Frame
4	Simpler shared services	Test
5	One decision, many countries	Test

On track19no action needed

Needs support5action within two weeks

At risk2action within one week

Agreement actions on time82%across the cohort

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

Your high potentialParticipant 14Operations · Mexico

StatusOn tracklatest pulse

Next action for youMonthly 1:1due this week

Next reviewWeek 16milestone review 2

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

Change led at home60%

AI use casestarting

Business challengeTest

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, talent team, 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 the talent team. Others see the cohort as a whole.

Who sees what

Stakeholder	What they see	Level of detail
Steering group	KPIs, competency progress, business challenge status, and risks	Cohort level
Talent team	Every participant's status, open flags, actions, and pulse trends	Individual and cohort
Executive sponsors	Their business 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

Measurement Framework

Fifteen KPIs at four levels.

Baselines are taken from existing assessment results wherever possible, so high potentials are not assessed twice. Targets for each KPI are agreed with the talent team 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 organisation
Changes landed	Changes led at home that are complete and still in place	Month 9 check	Month 9
Briefs decided	business challenge briefs adopted or adapted by leadership	Showcase panel	Week 24
AI use cases	AI use cases taken forward by a business unit	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	HR data	Month 12
Retention	High potentials still with the organisation	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

Evaluation Calendar

When each measure is taken.

Governance and Reporting

A simple cadence, with clear decision rights.

Steering group

The talent team 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.

Quarterly

Programme office

Run by Wordsburg. Schedules every session, runs the pulse and reviews, keeps the live dashboard current, and produces the monthly report for the talent team.

Weekly operations · monthly report

Country alignment

Country HR teams are kept informed through existing country meetings, so the programme adds no new meetings for them.

Monthly, existing meetings

Escalation when someone is struggling

on track

Normal rhythm

Mentor, coach, peers, and the monthly 1:1 continue as planned.

needs support

Within two weeks

Manager and coach agree one change to scope, cover, or support.

at risk

Within one week

A three way conversation with the talent team; the steering group is informed of patterns.

Localisation and Accessibility

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 the talent team.

Culturally adapted

Examples and cases drawn from the organisation'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.

Implementation Roadmap

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 organisation.

Actions and Materials

Every action, who leads it, and what it uses.

Wordsburg prepares every material listed, in English and the agreed languages. Existing assessment tools and online learning libraries are reused where they are in place.

Action	Who leads	Materials and templates
Identify
Brief managers on the four criteria	Talent team	Nomination guidenomination form
Career conversation with each nominee	Manager	Career conversation guide
Assess nominees	Talent team	Existing assessmentcritical thinking scenario
Calibrate in units, then centrally	Unit heads; talent team	Calibration guidenine box templatecalibration record
Share outcomes with every nominee	Manager	Outcome conversation guidefeedback note
Involve
Three way conversation	Participant; manager; talent team	Conversation guidedevelopment agreement template
Manager orientation, 60 minutes before Involve	Wordsburg	Orientation sessionone page manager playbookmanager toolkit (ten tools)
Match sponsors and mentors	Talent team; 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
Business challenge	Teams; sponsor	Challenge briefHi-Po Brief templateshowcase scoring sheet
Monthly development 1:1	Manager	Monthly 1:1 guidefeedback cards
Keep managers engaged	Wordsburg; talent team	"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 existing online learning libraries
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; talent team	Support response playbook
Next move conversation	Participant; manager; talent team	Next move guide
Talent review input	Talent team	Talent review summary per person
Alumni network and giving back	Talent team; Wordsburg	Alumni session planmentor handover guide
Impact report	Wordsburg	KPI scorecardimpact report template

Risks and Mitigations

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, organisation 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 business information	Sponsors approve every case; details are anonymised where needed, with a confidentiality note for participants
Confidential data in AI tools	Only 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

Assumptions

Planning assumptions.

One cohort of 24 to 30 high potentials, timed to the organisation's talent calendar
Results from an existing 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
Existing online learning libraries and approved AI tools are available to participants
Languages for local materials are agreed during Discovery

What We Need From You

To get started.

A named talent team 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
Your AI use guidelines and approved tools
Dates for the talent review and the launch

Next Steps

Three steps to the first cohort.

Step 1

Review

Walk through this blueprint with your talent team and agree any changes to scope or emphasis.

Step 2

Agree

Confirm the scope, the first cohort's timing, and the start of Discovery.

Step 3

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 as a sample blueprint for multi-unit organisations.