COLUMN - Spotlight On Change
Either way, the investment in the management produces benefit for all parties: extra revenue for the managing company, a higher level experience for the customer and extra opportunity for the talent’s development.
How often are examples of this perspective of talent management observed in organizations today? Sadly, the number of examples that align to this would be small to say the least.
Today’s application of talent management is often confused with preparation and training for a promotion into a new role, creating a pipeline of ready, willing and able jobholders. This often occurs because one competency that the new role requires aligns with the talent, yet many others do not. So the development time and plan tends to be invested in the weaknesses and little or no development of the talent or strength exists. Rather it is placed in a box called ‘skills required’ and normalized to contribute along with all others equally.
Opportunity for change
What might happen if talent management was considered through a new lens. Rather than the talent fitting into a position, how could the talent drive new iterations of the position, creating new versions and perhaps even new positions?
To achieve this, talent needs to be spotlighted and ‘advertised’, appreciated from all parts of the organization and invited into diverse opportunities. Let it be admired by those who don’t have ready access to that talent, and openly embraced due to the value others observe it brings. Each party privy to this may even perceive the value differently; the steering committee level may see an entirely different value than those who are equally excited about it on the operation level.
Where I’ve seen this come alive is at parties when one person is famed for their singing prowess or even an ability to perform bodily contortions never seen before. This fact amazes people, the knowledge of it goes ‘viral’ and at any opportunity the talent is ‘challenged’ to perform, as people await the value, laughter or even awe it shall bring.
Translate this into a workplace environment, and the same applies. I’ve once worked with a lady who had an innate ability to not only capture the reality of complex problems but also create ‘packaged experiences’ that helped people prosper through the problem.
While the majority of the workforce would be stumped by what was going on, she would be calmly spreading the word of the opportunity in the challenge, building a new product or process, communicating with ‘first adopters’ building her own viral marketing team, openly demonstrate the benefits of what had since been created and sit back and watch magic happen. That is talent in action.
In addition to her purchasing role, she was often seen partnering with marketing, research and development, engineering and even finance too! At her farewell gathering, a memoir of achievements was presented, which I believe was later turned into a book that marketed her amazing growth and contribution.
There was only one person in the organization who both effortlessly fell into, and reveled in, the challenge each new situation presented, while all parties benefitted.
Changing environments present such great opportunity. As the old adage goes, if we keep doing what we’ve always done, we’ll always get what we always have.
In your organization, how does talent show up; a buzz word, one freely drawn upon for PR purposes, or as a true win-win-win with development at its core?
Debbie Nicol, the managing director of Dubai-based business consultancy and learning organization ‘business en motion’, working with strategic change, leadership and organizational development, assisting businesses and leaders to move ahead.
http://www.businessenmotion.com