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How we develop our leaders at every stage of their career
We run a wide range of learning initiatives to develop leaders at all levels, from new managers to experienced leaders.
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New leaders
We support new leaders as they take on new people management responsibilities. Within weeks of becoming a new leader at the Bank (either through internal promotion or as a new hire) new leaders receive an email from the Global Head of HR which sets out clear expectations for their new leadership role.
They will be given access to an interactive guide tailored to their needs. The guide covers organizational culture, processes, systems, risk management and general responsibilities such as fostering a climate where employees can voice their concerns; it also provides a springboard for further personalized learning opportunities.
In 2020, the guide has been made available to 3,124 leaders who were new or first-time leaders. Follow-up emails from the learning team during the first six months provide ongoing support as they navigate their leadership transition.
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Experienced leaders
In 2020, our leadership offering followed a modular approach to provide more personalized training for experienced leaders, allowing them to choose topics such as conflict management, leadership style, coaching and change, as well as learning methods such as facilitated virtual classrooms, videos, articles or podcasts.
The portfolio of available learning opportunities is constantly evolving based on continuous feedback from leaders and reflecting strategic needs of the Bank and its Divisions. More leadership topics in interactive and self-learning formats are planned for 2021.
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Senior leaders
We continue to deliver bespoke senior leadership development to high performing individuals within the succession and talent pipelines. This process is based on intensive leadership diagnostics which incorporates a psychometric, structured interview to explore schemas, and feedback from key stakeholders. Based on outcomes, action plans are agreed which includes measures such as training, executive coaching or mentoring and exposure to Management and Supervisory Board members.
In addition, given the transformation at the Bank, many of our senior leaders are experiencing a transition in their responsibilities. To meet this challenge we offer special support for new appointees in senior positions, enabling them to reflect and intentionally define individual, team and operational priorities to accelerate their performance in a new or expanded role.
In addition to our digital offerings, our Germany-specific programs for the home market are an important part of our learning infrastructure.
We run two mentoring programs that focus on developing female high potentials. These include our cross-divisional program, which supports talented female high performers and high potentials in taking on their first leadership role (AVP level), as well as our cross-company mentoring program for high-potential women in management or responsible specialist positions (VP level). The latter aims to improve their own leadership performance, get to know other corporate cultures and structures, and exchange know-how and experience.
In 2020, we entered into partnerships to exchange ideas and know-how on a range of business and leadership topics. We also offer the Discover DB program (supra-regional support group Germany), an 18-month journey for high-potential young talent to gain broad, cross-functional experience; and the Discover Leadership and Discover Project Management programs, for high-performing employees on their way to potentially becoming leaders or project managers.
