Talent management is about getting people to feel good about what they are doing, focused on some clear outcomes, and getting things done that they can point at with pride. This is engagement. Recognition programs gone the wrong way end up with a powerpoint slideshow or a physcial ‘recognition toolkit’ that become symbols of checking the box, not engaging the heart.
Talent management is about having conversations. It is also about people bringing self awareness to the conversation and using that information to have a more effective conversation. This post uses a TED talk about introversion to explore what we (leaders and followers) need to do to make this a rich conversation. Great talent management is enabled by self awareness.
Talent management is not about training, it is about awareness, individual ownership, and an ongoing partnership between leaders and followers to get better. I joined an HBR study on happiness and here is some reflections on what I have learned.
Talent management is about great conversations. In order for it to work, an individual needs to bring an awareness of who they are so decisions made can reflect the needs of the team, the individual, and the organization. Assessments are helpful in giving the talent (people) in your organization a baseline of information to build that self awareness. Here is my opinion of how those assessments stack up.
Three question process for the selection piece of talent management? Not likely, but it highlights a good way to have a final discussion about the fit of a candidate to a role/organization and for a candidate to asess their own alignment with the role. Good talent management and leadership development topic.
Assessments in talent management – whether it is selection, high potential development, career development, leadership development, or any of the other pieces – is important. Here are 4 traps and a truth around using asssessments so you can make a good buy instead of being sold something that will not work.
Career development planning is about choices. It is about thinking about what we want to be doing in the future, and preparing ourselves to meet a goal for prepare ourselves for a different path. At the heart of talent management is preparing the individual to bring an awareness of self to this conversation and helping the leader listen, guide, direct, challenge, and ultimately partner. Talent management is about great conversations, and at the heart of those conversations is ultimately a choice.
What are you most proud of. Talent management and leadership is about understanding people and engaging them in the process and problems of running an organization. Of getting work done. Here is a question to renew energy and share what matters to them.
Talent management is a lot of things, but great conversations during transition is a big part of it. Chip Conley shares an equation in his book Emotional Equations that captures the essence of Selection AND Onboarding the right way. Whether it is an internal leadership transition or a new hire, use this formula to manage your talent to a successful start.
The #1 question to ask in any talent management process, and probably the most difficult to answer. Great Leadership / Followership starts with a clear target, and this is it.
Talent management and leadership is about lots of things, but at the core it is about an understanding of ourselves, a willingness to share our perspective(and listen to the perspective of others), and a commitment to the time it will take to get a solution. The habits are core to the talent calendar.
Professional development and talent management is often focused on the skills we need at work. Many of those same skills apply to our lifes/roles outside of work. I was reminded of that recently when I went to a parenting seminar and learned something that most leaders need to know – managing conflict and teaching your children to do it well.