Annex 5 TALENT DEVELOPMENT AND PROFESSIONALIZATION (TDP) AT DSM IN THE NETHERLANDS. Learn and work together in order to achieve strategic objectives

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1 Annex 5 TALENT DEVELOPMENT AND PROFESSIONALIZATION (TDP) AT DSM IN THE NETHERLANDS Learn and work together in order to achieve strategic objectives Fons Bonekamp, PhD Gerard Ensink, MMO Hennie Stegen Pim Paffen, PhD Summary: This article describes the ten fundamental design principles of the innovative Talent Development and Professionalization (TDP) program currently being implemented at DSM in the Netherlands for operational and middle management. These design principles also include the following, amongst others: the program must be explicitly linked to the strategy of the organization, it must be based upon the roles that individuals fulfill, as opposed to the position held, and professionalization must be implemented in a manner that includes those working in immediate proximity to the person concerned. The program has now been operational for a year, which means that an initial evaluation can be carried out and TDP scores favorably, both in terms of hard criteria, such as financial returns, as well as in terms of soft criteria, such as motivation and commitment. Nevertheless, a number of learning points can also be drawn from the program. 1. Introduction Organizations spend enormous budgets training people without it having directly noticeable effects in the workplace. Individuals follow training courses, during which they acquire new knowledge and new skills, only to realize afterwards that their working environment is not developing in line with them or that the theory is often still too far removed from everyday practice. Senior managers would like training and development programs that help to implement the strategic direction of the organization and programs that contribute towards the development of the organization (Bensdorp & Halbertsma, 2002). Young talented individuals, on the other hand, find training courses valuable, but as far as personal development is concerned, they still find that they benefit most from talking to their line manager, as well as from the chances and opportunities that they gain from this (Paffen and Damen, 2002). Line managers are predominantly aware of their responsibility for the development of people, but lack the necessary skills, support, motivation, facilities and clarity in terms of policy to tackle this job effectively (Nehles et al, 2006). The Talent Development and Professionalization (TDP) program, as developed by Allign under the authority of DSM Nederland, seizes upon all those issues and provides an alternative solution for all those organizations that are looking for a new and innovative design to their training structure. What is more, the TDP can also be used as a model for all those organizations that wish to forge a powerful alliance between learning and working, as well as those that wish to make strategic changes to learning processes within the line management structure.

2 2. The design principles of TDP The DSM Talent Development and Professionalization program (TDP), which has now been running for a year, was chosen from a number of proposals that had been put forward for the reorganization of the training structure for operational management to middle management inclusive within DSM in the Netherlands. This design was chosen because it was judged the most innovative proposal. The TDP is built upon some ten design criteria, upon which the entire program has been built. Instructing and training people forms just a single part of the overall TDP program. TDP is actually much broader in scope and attempts to achieve larger and more comprehensive objectives. These include making a specific contribution to the strategic objectives of the organization, a clear (horizontal and vertical) connection between the necessary tools and a focus upon the professionalization of the working environment. The ten design principles of this TDP program will now be elaborated upon in further detail. 1. Strategy of the company as the starting point Talent Development and Professionalization (TDP) within DSM Nederland is directly linked to Strategy Deployment. This is understood to refer to the systematic translation of vision into strategy and subsequently into actions and ensuring that all systems and processes that exist within the organization are in alignment with this. First and foremost therefore, TDP must be placed within the context of strategy implementation and its objective is to contribute towards the realization of strategic objectives. The implementation of strategy, however, also requires a focus upon other issues too, such as an appropriate project portfolio, an effective communications infrastructure or suitable information systems 1. In that context, Talent Development and Professionalization forms just one of the pre-conditions that must have been fulfilled, if a strategy is to be implemented in a systematic and methodical way within the organization. 2. Business cases as a starting point The second design principle under the TDP program relates to the fact that the program is developed on the basis of business cases that are in keeping with the strategy and its implementation. Business cases are used in order to provide a clear justification for an improvement process that is in keeping with the strategy of the company, by presenting a clear indication of the cost/benefits involved. Business cases can be formulated at any desired level, i.e. at project level, departmental level, plant level or business unit level. Business cases also always include a client and a contractor. The business case is the tool that is used to establish the (vertical) connection with the strategic objectives of the company. In the TDP model, the business case focuses upon the realization of the strategic objectives, which forms the starting point for Talent Development and Professionalization. Examples of business cases that have been carried out to date include: the reduction of transport costs, reduction in the costs involved in turnarounds, the transshipment of liquids (chain management) and integrated ICT service management. 3. The holistic perspective Adopting a holistic perspective forms the third parameter that was used when devising the TDP program. It is also with regard to this particular parameter that TDP stands in contrast 1

3 with more conventional programs for developing talent. Aside from the fact that Talent Development and Professionalization forms one of the ten points of focus when implementing strategy and must therefore also be viewed in context, TDP was also developed in such a way as to establish a direct connection between talent development and the development of the individual s immediate environment and by way of extension, the entire organization. An explicit connection between structural changes that are generally made by line management and the development of different and new skills that are generally arranged by the HRM department in the form of training also form part of this design principle. TDP therefore contributes towards vertical alignment (from vision to strategy to action) and horizontal alignment (with objectives and evaluation and reporting systems). 4. The system as the starting point A fourth design parameter underlying the TDP lies in the fact that the program itself is based upon a view of the system. The purpose of the TDP program is to bring about the professionalization of the individual, but also the professionalization of his/her working environment. In conjunction with the business case, this is referred to as the performance environment. In some cases, the performance environment takes the form of a project environment, whilst in other cases, it takes the form of a line management environment or a chain environment. Adopting a particular view of the system means that the primary questions then become - who fulfils what role in this performance environment, how competent is everyone in that role and what will everyone have to develop for themselves in order to be more effective in their role in that environment? TDP is therefore also concerned with professionalizing the performance environment that is involved in the business case. It relates to the collective performance of everyone who is involved in a business case. In other words, the TDP model is therefore also a matter of the (group) dynamics during the competition, what everyone s role is and how everyone can individually ensure that their role, combined with the roles of others, is carried out as effectively as possible. 5. The distinction in roles within three fields of activity A fifth and very essential design principle of TDP is that the program is not based upon the position that someone occupies or should occupy in the future, but that the individual s roles within his/her current position form the starting point. The idea is that people perform a variety of roles within one position, but they are frequently unaware of this. Those roles are related to the three types of working environments in which most people contribute, i.e. in the line management structure, in the chain and in projects and each of those three has its own roles and rules. In the line management environment, formal power plays a part; in the project environment, which is a primarily a matter of reaching agreement, this is not the case and in the chain environment, in which several departments interact with one another, formal power also does not play a part between the parties involved. Professionalizing individuals in terms of the various roles that they play in all of those environments forms the basis for making greater achievements at supra-individual level. Differentiating between the role(s) that people play in those various fields therefore forms an important principle within TDP. As far as the individual participant in the program is concerned, Talent Development and Professionalization is then intended to focus on enabling him/her to grow within the role(s) that he/she is fulfilling, in the context of realizing the business case. 6. Expertise as a means of support The sixth parameter upon which the TDP program has been built takes the form of expertise in relation to the issue regarding the specific competences that are necessary for the roles that have to be fulfilled in the three fields (line, project, chain) at a specific level within the

4 organization and with a certain degree of complexity. This expertise is used to support the discussion that takes place between the line manager and his/her team member with regard to the development of individual talent. This expert knowledge was developed during a year of preliminary research before the TDP program became operational at DSM. The knowledge itself was accrued on the basis of extensive (inter)national literature study, which also included a study of APICS, a global standard for supply and chain management, as well as of the Dutch competence base for project management in which all roles and tasks are summarized in projects. The current appraisal criteria for project directors and project managers, for example, were also examined. From that point onwards, it was a question of establishing a link between those (inter)national standards and the operating procedures, language and systems in use within DSM as an organization. The design was validated afterwards by means of discussions with experts in these fields within DSM. The outcomes of this entire initiative are contained in three large planning books, one for projects, one for the line management system and one for the chain environment. 7. Discussion within the line management system forms the pivotal point The seventh parameter takes the form of another type of discussion which is being implemented within the line management system. As far as the learning and performance objectives of an individual employee are concerned, both the employer and the employee are prepared and enabled to derive the maximum possible benefit from these discussions. With this in mind, a protocol for planning the intake interview is being implemented and the consultant who attends the interview will contribute expert knowledge with regard to the competences that form part of the roles of the individual concerned. The result is a Learn- Perform file in which it is recorded what the individual is going to achieve in terms of performance objectives, what competences are necessary for this and which ones he/she will have to develop and the education and training within TDP that he/she will have to follow in order to do this. An additional element will also be added to the regular appraisal cycle at the same time. The innovative aspect of the discussion lies in the fact that at the start of the learning and performance period, and by means of effective questioning and follow-up questioning by the employee, a clear idea will be gained of what the (prospective) employer understands to constitute an average, good or excellent evaluation. The individual will also be prepared for a dialog of that type. The ultimate evaluation that you will receive at the end of the regular appraisal cycle is therefore something that can be influenced and predicted. 8. The client may choose This is the eighth parameter and constitutes a further fundamental design principle underlying TDP. It relates to the idea that it is every contractor s job to deliver what a client actually wants. As far as this is concerned, TDP focuses upon professionalizing the interaction between the what and the how levels, whereby the issue as to what is a matter for the client (the employer, project leader etc.) and the how question applies to the contractor (the employee). What is common sense at home is not common practice within a corporate environment. If, within the context of our home environment, we commission an architect or estate agent to design or find a house, we expect that as an expert in his/her field, either professional will first of all draw up a clear list of our requirements and decision-making criteria in order to then come up with a number of options. This does not always happen in organizations, however. In the TDP model, however, it is a requirement that the contractor for a business case first of all verifies what the client s requirements are, what his decisionmaking criteria are and what valid options will then apply before proceeding to work out a number of options that fall within those criteria. At a later stage, the contractor must be able to indicate what the consequences will be of all of the options. Instead of just being able to say

5 yes or no to a proposal, the client is now able to choose from a range of options. This is what we mean when we speak of professionalizing entrepreneurship at the how level. 9. The professional decision-making process The ninth parameter that was taken into account during the development of the TDP takes the form of a more professionalized decision-making process. In order to make the right decisions, it is necessary for a contractor, who is responsible for the how level, to have a clear idea as to what exactly the client wants. It is therefore the task of the contractor to ask the client detailed questions about what he/she wants. Once it is clear what the client wants, it is then the contractor s job to flesh out the how. Asking questions in this way also helps the client to get a clear idea of what exactly he/she is trying to achieve. The decision-making process is being professionalized because this will enable more effective options to be presented, the criteria underlying the decision-making process will have been clearly established in advance and the consequences of the decisions will be clearly set out. The second reason why the decision-making process is being professionalized lies in the fact that when carried out vertically, more effective questioning also brings to light a series of implicit assumptions made by clients and contractors. If those assumptions are unclear or no agreement exists in that regard, it will constitute risks for the client. In that sense, the how' level is now being required to take professional responsibility in its own right, in order to ensure that whatever is delivered also fulfills the client s requirements. 10. Sustainable change and embedding The final design principle under the TDP program relates to sustainable change and embedding. This claim is partly achieved by combining and integrating all kinds of interventions upon which the program is has been built. It is also achieved by endeavoring to ensure that in time, everyone will speak the same language, the language that comes from taking part in competitions in three fields in which everyone plays his/her own part within each field. On average, some 5 to 10 additional people working in the immediate or wider vicinity of those who have followed the TDP program so far are also involved in the program, either directly or indirectly. These are the people who belong to the performance environment, but do not personally participate in the individual talent development programs that from part of TDP. In terms of sustainable change and embedding, this means that quick and critical mass will be created that speaks and acts in terms of roles, performance and development objectives. Sustainability is also pursued by linking talent development to other HR tools, such as appraisal, as well as by embedding in the realization of strategy, we have now completed our survey of the most important design principles underlying the TDP program. 3. How does TDP work? What should people expect now if they choose TDP and not a more conventional program or course that focuses upon the development of talent? As far as the participants themselves are concerned, the procedure as it is used at DSM in the Netherlands is implemented step by step. This means that following the initial enrolment and selection, a Kick-Off meeting is held, to which the employee in question, together with his/her line manager, will be invited. The intake interviews and the compilation of a learning and performance file will follow afterwards. The individual learning process then takes place, in parallel to the performance environment. At the end of the period, an evaluation will be made on the basis of the performance and learning objectives formulated during the intake at individual and group level. Everything takes place within the context of working on the business case.

6 Enrolment and selection Enrolment for participation in the TDP program is generally carried out by the employee s line manager or on the recommendation of the HR department. As described above, the starting point for the TDP is the role/roles currently being fulfilled by the person concerned within his/her current position. TDP focuses upon professionalizing the current roles and not (as in many MD programs), upon preparing the individual for future positions. The Kick Off meeting If you choose TDP and successfully pass through the selection phase, a Kick-off meeting will follow to which the talented individual, together with his/her line manager, will be invited. The specific purpose of the Kick-off meeting is to bring about an awareness of the idea that in practically every case, people are fulfilling roles in several individual fields, i.e. within the line management system, the chains and in projects, irrespective of the level of one s position in the organization. Whatever that position may be (operator, HR Manager, departmental employee), people are practically always contributing towards three working environments and in a number of different roles. The result of this is that everyone realizes that he/she is fulfilling different roles and is also aware of when he or she is playing what game (chain, project, line). An additional purpose of the Kick-Off meeting is to make people aware of what they are letting themselves in for by choosing TDP. If, in the next stage, the individual chooses to undergo the TDP program, intake interviews will be held. Intake interviews The participant in the TDP learning process, his/her line manager who is responsible for the development and evaluation and the client of the chosen performance environment (line management, project or chain) are involved in the intake interviews that subsequently take place. Also present is the program manager, who fulfills the role of expert with regard to the desired competences and also supervises the entire process. The intake interview takes place at several levels. 1) An intake takes place under the new model, based upon the (holistic) idea that professionalization focuses upon individual, group and organizational levels, 2) an intake takes place with the client of the performance environment, insofar as this relates to the group, 3) an intake takes place with the individual and his/her line manager as far as the development of his/her personal talent is concerned and 4) an intake in relation to the bolting on of TDP to the work processes and systems of that working environment such as the appraisals of individuals and groups. It is also a matter of obtaining commitment from everyone. Compilation of a learning and performance file The next step involves compiling a learning and performance file with the TDP participant. During a meeting with those involved, the factors that determine success or failure for the role(s) that he/she is undertaking will be identified. It will also be made abundantly clear to everyone that the subsequent appraisal will not take place on the basis of the position but of the role(s) that they fulfill in those three environments. The learning and performance file will define in further detail what will later be understood by an A, B, C or D appraisal; something that line managers generally find difficult to express effectively in advance. Deliberately aiming to explain this in explicit terms will also increase the result focus. The compilation of the learning and performance files with the participants is supported through the use of the expert s knowledge with regard to the necessary aspects of different roles. Furthermore, the individual s perception as to what constitutes key success factors is also of importance. The line manager then meets with the participant in the TDP program in order to formulate a plan for the development of his/her personal talent.

7 Specifiek (vaardigheden) Generiek (cognitief) Three professionalization workshops This development of personal talent includes following a number of professionalization workshops. A learning pathway, which has been divided into 3 modules, i.e. Working in projects, Working in the line and Working in the chain has been developed for this purpose. Each module begins with awareness of the game being played here, the roles that can be identified, the individual role that a person plays and the factors that determine success and failure. The issue as to what people would like to or may have to develop in that context is also being discussed. The second section of the module consists of skills training courses that are available as options. Examples of these include the training in consultancy skills or in team building (figure 1) that forms part of the Working in projects module. Each module takes approximately 3 to 4 days, the first half being generic and the second half specific. The generic part is mainly cognitive in nature and provides knowledge relating to the roles and rules that apply when working in the line, a chain or a project. The specific part focuses upon the skills that apply to the different roles. In figure: Blok 1: Werken in projecten Blok 2 Werken in de lijn Blok 3 Werken in de keten Awareness spel,spelregels en rollen Bepalen persoonlijke ontwikkeldoelen o.m.: Teambuilding Awareness spel, spelregels en rollen Bepalen persoonlijke ontwikkeldoelen o.m.: Situationeel Leidinggeven Beoordelen Awareness spel, spelregels en rollen Bepalen persoonlijke ontwikkeldoelen o.m.: Onderhandelen Contractvaardigheden Adviesvaardigheden Figure 1:The three modules with examples of skills training Key Blok 1: Werken in projecten Module 1: Working in projects Blok 2 Werken in de lijn - Module 2: Working in the line Blok 3 - Werken in de keten - Module 3: Working in the chain Generiek (cognitief) Generic (cognitive) Specifiek (vaardigheden) Specific (skills) spel, spelregels en rollen game, rules and roles Bepalen persoonlijke ontwikkeldoelen Determining personal development objectives o.m. incl. Teambuilding Team building Contract vaardigheden Contract skills Situationeel Leidinggeven Situational Management Beoordelen Appraising Onderhandelen Negotiating Adviesvaardigheden Advisory skills

8 During the intake and depending on the roles being fulfilled by each individual and the objectives in terms of professional development, agreements will have been made with regard to the training that each participant will follow as part of the learning process. The depth and the level of the training will vary, depending on the level in the organization. Intercollegial consultation Intercollegial consultation for the TDP participants involved in the learning process takes place in parallel to work being undertaken on the business case in the performance environment and following the training in the learning environment. In a certain sense, you could call this intervision, but the two things are not entirely comparable. The intercollegial consultation takes place in groups of 4 to 5 people from the same course and of the same level. One supervised session will take place after every module. Groups may choose to attend several sessions at their own initiative. During this intercollegial consultation, critical situations will be discussed, potential solutions considered and recommendations shared with regard to the approach to specific challenges. Consultancy support Aside from the learning pathway for the participant in the TDP course, the clients of the performance environment and their entire team will be offered consultancy support. That consultancy focuses upon the issues that apply at supra-individual level. The main intention of this support is to safeguard the group effect, i.e. the realization of the business case and the establishment of a common language. A practical issue may involve the way in which a manager can restructure his organization. Another issue may relate to the fact that the projects of the project director regularly are not achieved by the deadline. In the one case, the support will be provided by a consultant who has specific expertise in the field of project management; whilst in the other, it will be someone who is an expert in supply chain management or organizational development. 4. What are the benefits of TDP? The Talent Development and Professionalization (TDP) program at DSM in the Netherlands for operational to middle management inclusive has now been operational for a year. During that time, the courses that form part of the TDP plan at DSM have been run once or twice and initial experiences with the TDP program are positive. One of the participants experiences illustrates the variety of results: Experiences of a Technical Support Engineer If I look only at the savings that I have managed to achieve, the TDP program has saved us in excess of 350,000. What is more, the fact that this method was also adopted at the level below me generated significant extra savings. On a personal level too, the TDP program benefited me considerably, as it not only increased my self-confidence, but it also enabled me to build up a better relationship with my line manager, gain a better understanding of the problems experienced by management, greater awareness with regard to implicit assumptions and a more detailed awareness of my role in the chain/project/line. What is more, I have learned ways of progressing initiatives through to completion (separating what and how ), an understanding of my weaknesses (mainly attitude) and an understanding of the things that energize me and therefore make my work more enjoyable. In a recent interim report on the results of the TDP program for these operational target groups within DSM in the Netherlands (Ensink & Stegen, 2009), the same outcomes were identified. The interim report included an account of a number of very different business cases and those accounts also included testimony from both clients and contractors. In all of the business cases concerned, the costs incurred under the TDP program were overshadowed by the returns. In this regard, the distinction referred to under principle no. 10 above also applies,

9 namely that this only applies to working environments in which it was actually possible to implement the TDP principles successfully. Other returns, such as those that have already resulted from the quote above, appear to lie in the domain of motivation. The aspects that the interim report is drawing attention to are several-fold. The first of these is the fact that the TDP program has improved collaboration between individuals. Secondly, people feel more involved in the strategic objectives. Thirdly, TDP has brought the employees closer to one another and finally, the performance environment is growing in tandem with the development of the individual and is sharing in the success. In addition, the report draws attention to benefits in the form of increased enthusiasm, the feeling of being faced with a collective challenge, greater mutual understanding and increased support for changes. The interim report ends by concluding that a successful performance environment results in improved communication on the shop floor between everyone concerned, provides tangible financial returns and results in improved understanding of one s own role and position, and those of others. Operational managers and the other individuals involved are also able to identify greater empowerment in TDP (Ensink & Stegen, 2009). The benefits referred to so far represent only some of the initial benefits of TDP that have been identified during the first year of the program. A more thorough evaluation study has just begun and is being carried out in collaboration with Maastricht University. 5. Evaluation of the professionalization model How can TDP now be evaluated from a theoretical and academic point of view and in terms of return upon investment, transfer, sustainability, motivation and leadership, and how should it also be measured against the expectations that senior management and high-potential individuals have with regard to training courses and the need of line managers for manageable tools that will enable them to implement their HRD responsibility in a methodical manner? Without considering this in too much detail, we would like to illustrate a number of matters briefly. Returns Whereas in many cases, it can be difficult to measure the return on the investment made in conventional forms of employee training, assessing the return on the investment made in the TDP model is considerably easier. After all, the TDP model was set up with the effects of the investment in mind and not with the returns upon training investment in mind. The initial evaluation of this new approach revealed that the effects of the investments made in developing talent go hand in hand with demonstrable financial returns that are achieved as a result of the realization of the business case. Transfer TDP also distinguishes itself favorably by means of the effective transfer between theory and practice. The participants in the TDP program also reported this in the interim evaluation. An important difference is that training usually takes the individual as the starting point, whilst the TDP approach is to take the performance environment as the starting point, along with the strategic objectives that are linked to the business case. Another encouraging factor is that education and training now form part of a multi-dimensional design in which coaching, intervision and consultancy support are deployed together, in order to focus upon changing the entire system and not just the individual. Furthermore, the commitment of the immediate

10 line manager and the client of the performance environment, the participation of other colleagues and the attachment to the DSM language and DSM (best) practices have an encouraging effect upon the transfer. Implementation of strategy More than is the case with traditional training, in the TDP model there is an explicit relationship between individual Talent Development and Professionalization and the strategic direction that the organization is taking. The common link between these two aspects is formed by the business cases and the associated performance and learning environments that ensure that the development of not just the individual but also of his/her immediate environment are explicitly linked to the implementation of the strategy. Learning is now also more closely associated with performance and is embedded more in the line. Motivation and commitment At TDP, senior management, line management, the performance environment and the TDP participant him/herself are showing high levels of motivation and commitment when it comes to investing in developing individual talent. The TDP model appeals to the need to perform, to develop and to want to contribute. Furthermore, the collective efforts increase the feeling of we and commitment to one another s work and team spirit. The achievement of the performance objectives also gives rise to an increase in self-confidence. The professionalization of the role play between the what and the how level encourages empowerment and responsibility at the how level. Sustainability The TDP program is aiming to achieve a sustainable change, however only time will tell whether this will actually be the case in the long term. Measured against the model presented here that forms the basis of this, we have to accept however that this will indeed be the case. The claim, in any case, is continuation and embedding and therefore involves knowing to retain the higher level of performance. In view of the integrated design, this is also something that we can reasonably expect. Leadership The TDP program promotes leadership at all levels in the organization and the approach is characterized by the emphasis that is placed on personal leadership of clients, contractors, direct line managers and last but not least the participants in the TDP courses themselves. Ultimately, it is the strength of the collective leadership that ensures that talent development and business development, as well as professionalization and organizational development are linked together to the advantage of all the parties involved. Organizations such as DSM Nederland and other organizations that have so far chosen this new way of developing talent have opted for this approach because it represents a different and innovative way of looking at the layout of the training structure for the development of talent. They also chose this because TDP provides a response to the question as to why they have not succeeded so far in improving performances in line, chain and project environments by means of the many investments they have made in talent development. Now that a year s experience has been gained with TDP, two further learning points can be drawn from this.

11 6. Learning points after a year s experience with TDP Whilst TDP was in its design phase, it was already recognized at the time that the implementation of TDP implicitly involves organizational development and would therefore also require that attention be paid to change management, but now, 1-2 years after the implementation of TDP began, it can be established that the importance of this has actually been underestimated with regard to several points. The learning point that we are drawing from this is that further attention is required to create explicit expectations of TDP, for the explicit positioning of TDP, for support with structural communication and for the division of roles between the line and HR etc. A second finding is that it has not been possible to implement the TDP design principles in all locations. There are also environments where this has not been successful and where people have participated as if it were a regular training course. It must be argued, however, that although the business case was not being implemented in these environments, an effective transfer of individual learning to performing in one s own working environment was indeed reported. As far as this is concerned, the learning point is that further insight is still necessary among higher management with regard to what TDP involves and what the results of it may be.

12 Literature: A. C. Nehles, M. van Riemsdijk, I. Kok & J.K. Looise (2006). Implementing Human Resources Management Successfully; A First Line-Management Challenge. In: Management Review, volume 17, issue 3. B. Bensdorp & L. Haltertsma (2002) Het perspectief van de CEO op management development; een rondetafelgesprek (The perspective of the CEO in relation to management development; a round-table discussion). In: P. Paffen (Ed.), Management Development; de praktijk ter discussie (discussing practice). Kluwer, 2002) P. Paffen & B. Damen (2007) Het perspectief van de high-potential op management development; een rondetafelgesprek (The perspective of those with high potential in relation to management development; a round-table discussion). In: P. Paffen (Ed.), Management Development; de praktijk ter discussie (discussing practice). Kluwer, 2002). G. Ensink & H. Stegen (2009) Talent Ontwikkeling en Professionalisering (TOP); tussenverslag van een innovatief opleidings- en professionaliseringsprogramma voor operationele doelgroepen binnen DSM in Nederland (Talent Development and Professionalization (TDP); interim report of an innovative training and professionalization program for operational target groups within DSM in the Netherlands). HR DSM Nederland, November. The authors: Fons Bonekamp, PhD Gerard Ensink MMO Hennie Stegen Pim Paffen, PhD Bonekamp consultant; founder of Allign, designer/owner of the TDP ideas Learning Officer of DSM Nederland, TDP client and responsible for TDP design within DSM Program Manager Learning DSM Nederland, initiator and co-designer of TDP. Responsible for utilization of TDP within DSM Partner of CDC Nederland and Core teacher of Personal Development & Leadership at the TSM Business School. Author of works including - Loopbaanmanagement; leidraad voor individu en organisatie (Career development; guidelines for the individual and the organization_ (2007), Management Development; de praktijk ter discussie (ed.) (Management Development; discussion in practice) (2002).