Talent is mobile (Part 2): Talent is linked to Potential
In the previous post , we looked at why organisations need to be more skilled at managing their talent pipeline as this talent becomes more and more mobile. The first of the challenges was reviewed – Demand outstrips supply for Top Talent. In this post, we explore how to identify and realise potential in the talent hired. In the next post , we will explore a new generation of talent in the workforce.
A fundamental premise of talent management is the ability to identify, and then realise the potential in people. This leveraged model is the real economic driver for businesses in focusing on effective talent management. Tapping into real potential links to higher levels of productivity, which is underpinned by the 80/20 principle. 20% of your workforce drive 80% of your results.
Individuals who believe they have potential to achieve more, and base their aspirations on this potential are key drivers within our talent pipeline. It is this inherent motivator between where I am and what I want to be that is required to drive our organisations aspirations.
Based on this we need to recognise that individuals who believe that they have the potential to achieve more are the real talent that will drive our future leadership pipeline and organisational aspirations. These are also the individuals that we need to actively manage and ensure that they see the opportunities and alignment of their potential with the organisations future.
Based on this the first element of managing a “mobile” talent pipeline is to ensure a consistent conversation that links the potential in talented individuals to the organisations future. Often the experience is that when assessing an organisations bench strength against the future competencies required to run the business linked to the strategy. It is the next tier and not the current leadership that tend to have the pre-requisite potential to lead the business in the future.
If you are not having conversations with your talent about their potential someone else will, and ironically we hire for potential, but pay for performance. The trick is to ensure that we are creating the opportunity for people to see how they can grow their performance linked to potential in our organisation, and not have to look externally for those opportunities.
Written by: John Brodie