Random Thoughts on Talent Management

When one has spent close to a Saturn year in the corporate world, one of the job hazards is that you get asked to give your ‘wisdom’ on a variety of topics, including on topics which you do not have any formal training! Following are my random thoughts on “Talent Management from a Leader's Perspective”?given to a group of Mangers.

We often consider talent a natural ability to be good at something, especially without being taught. If that is the case, is there any merit in spending hours on Talent Management?

Yes, because

1. ?Even if someone has talent, they may still have to work very hard to perform well.
2. Even if someone does not have any talent, they can become quite good at something if they are willing to work very hard at the skill for some time.

Talent Management has been in existence from ancient times – the Gurukul concept of ancient India is a classic example. The great Indian epic, Mahabharat, talks about Dronacharya and Kripacharya as gurus of royal children.

In the corporate world, there is a misconception that talent management is only for freshers, and any lateral entry, especially at senior levels, needs no talent management. However, if you dig deep, you will find that one of the critical reasons for attrition at senior levels is the mismanagement of talents.?

Following are my perspective on the topic

1) Talent Management starts from?Hiring?

• Do not hire clones. Hire people more intelligent than yourself
• Hire people who bring a diversity of thoughts and experience

2)?Know the person?- more than their names & qualifications

• Personally
• ?Professionally

3)?Mentoring?

• Take them out of their comfort zones.
• Handhold. Get down to the trenches. Spent extra hours.
• Invest in the intellectual growth of people. Fear of people leaving the job should not deter you from sending them to the best training. People will leave if they have to. It is better to equip them to face any challenge by giving the best training possible.

4) Give?Feedback?

• Both positive & negative.
• Same day if possible, but without delay. Do not wait for the half-year or annual appraisal cycle.

Word of caution – when you have to mentor people elder or of the opposite gender, be sensitive to health/personal issues and be extremely mindful of your communication. Ensure that you do not cross the invisible Rubicon’s of social norms and your organization's visible code of conduct.

5)?Let Go

• Pass the talent to other groups. Because not all knowledge resides in one place, it is essential to let go (even the best person in your team) once you realise that you have hit the plateau of knowledge sharing.
• Do not hold people for your own or their comfort.

6) After letting go,?Stay Out

• However, tempting it is to keep advising, overseeing, and guiding in their new assignment stay out of their new domain.
• If asked, give general guidance and not specific inputs because you are not managing their new environment.

Training is a bitter plant, but its fruit is sweet??- The Archer, Paulo Coelho.