Learning & Talent Management

When I was a little boy I never heard of the word talent associated with anything other than special abilities - daninge, singing, painting etc. And since many of us were not exceedingly good at these things we often referred to as "the talentless". It is heartwarming therefore that companies these days see the potential of employees as “talent”. It connotes a creative component - a will to offer freely and with a sense creativity and engagement.  I remember receiving an offer letter once in which the last line said, “Should you choose to decline this offer kindly let us know at the earliest so we can continue our search for suitable talent”. Wow! As a prospective employee to me it implied that I was not being seen  (anymore) as a person from whom work would be extracted but rather as a free man who was being offered the opportunity to contribute my knowledge, experience and creative abilities. It made a world of difference!

 

Managing the sum and total of all such abilities/potential within an organization through the employment cycle Acquisition, engagement, development, leadership, retention has come to be known as Talent Management.

The Talent Management Challenge

Talent Management (TM) discussions a few years ago centered around issues of impending talent shortages, grooming suitable replacements (succession planning) etc., However presently it is about enhancing productivity and competitiveness here and now. This is because today’s organizations have smaller workforces as a result of which there it the need to develop new hires at an accelerated pace and to cross train experienced staff so they can handle multiple tasks/responsibilities. In addition the scarcity of critical skills (such as IT) in the job market and fierce competition in sourcing talent from abroad also presents a formidable challenge to talent management.

You need Learning

While TM software can help in streamlining processes and automating time intensive components (viz performance reviews), automation itself cannot improve performance. You need learning. Human capital needs to be systematically aligned with the organizational needs to ensure sustainability. A brilliant business plan business without the workforce to support it is not going to achieve the intended results.

 “In organizations with an integrated talent management strategy, the learning function serves as a partner or facilitator to every talent management function but one — compensation and rewards”

1 Learning’s Critical Role in Integrated Talent Management, ASTD Research, 2011.

Knowing that alignment of learning initiatives with your organizations TM strategy is of paramount importance, what would you do differently?

The Learning Organization

Organizations are increasingly focusing on "learning" as an effective way to deal with change. What is learning?
The Merriam Websters dictionary describes learning as the act or experience of one that learns. Learning refers to knowledge or skill acquired by instruction and may result in modification of a behavioral tendency. Heres a description of whats happening within our minds as we learn.

We've discussed in an earlier blog the "hows" and "whys" of making learning a "conscious" habit. Lets now look at why it is all the more important to focus on learning in the present day than ever.

1. It helps us deal more effectively with competition
2. It helps us deal with change more effectively
3. It helps enhance our Employability
4. The worlld expects us to take responsibility for our leaning
5. The Learning Organization is Emerging (will discus this in detail)
Points 1 through 4 are easy to understand so lets focus on point 5 - emergence of the learning organization.
Innovative organizations are shifting focus to “learning” rather than “adapting” as an effective way for dealing with change, . Why? here's why?
The basic problem with the idea of change is that of resistance. For example, I come up to you and tell you - "Hey, you should change" ...what would your immediate response be? - mostly on the lines - “Me! why should I change? Maybe you should change!”
Peter Senge - a leading theorist on the concept of the learning organization says, “Learning taps a different source of motivation, a source of motivation that’s actually much more likely to produce change”
Learning results in change plus “something”. And that something is "capacity"- capacity to sustain the change.
In other words, when you learn to ride a bicycle, you don’t just change - as in, one day you weren’t able to ride and now suddenly you do. Instead you have built capacity - meaning, "from now on" you can not only ride a bicycle (which was the original idea) but you have also built capacity to use all the other benefits of "knowing" how to ride a cycle (such as perhaps go cycling with your girlfriend or enhance your fitness). When we focus on learning we get change as a natural byproduct and we get something which is more likely to endure.
Humans are satisfied by purposes which have perennial rather than limited advantage. Learning is a skill which helps us gain something which is of value both for ourselves as well as for others for a longer time period. The skill improves with practice. There is so much to gain in committing to a life of learning.
And learning is a skill that leaders cannot ignore. Kennedy’s words, “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other” strings a chord. Happy learning!

Leadership and Influence

Consider two professionals:  the first, despite having significant positional power unable to create a vibrant lively environment and a voluntary commitment to team goals.  And  the other who has no position power yet able to foster en environment where people act with commitment to purpose. Whats the difference between the two? The answer lies with Martin Luther King Jr.

Why do you think Martin Luther Kings' 1963 - "I have a dream" speech - a most distinct symbol of leadership influence in Modern History actually moved masses and resulted in a remarkable change in the social reality of his times?

Was it because of the singleness of Kings purpose or clarity  of his message? Or was it because Mr.King spoke to the values of his contemporaries?

Whatever be the case, King got a lot of people to willingly do what they might otherwise have found difficult to commit themselves to-  which is  - put up a strong and united fight aginst discrimination. As as result Kings "influence" influences us even now in 2012.

We live in a time when its absolutely critical for us to posses the ability to influence  in our role as a leader - be it at work or in our personal lives. This is so because organizations and relationships have changed. I shall confine my discussion to organizations predominantly.

The most important difference in which organisations are managed now versus earlier - is in the use of influence and not control to motivate people. One of the the reasons for this in the shift form labor intensive to knowledge intensive industry. Often employees dealing with knowledge/skills possess unique information that only they know about about- they are in control and if they don't voluntary contribute, none will know. If you use position power, although you may be able to bring about compliance you may not be able to inspire commitment.

Commitment can be inspired only through influence. So we come back to influence. What is influence?

In the context of work relationships while control is the use of force, influence is the use of good communication, persuasion and respectful-harmonious relationships to get things done.  Persuasion is when you use logic/evidence to communicate. Neither influence nor persuasion involves, power tactics, bullying, being pushy or coercing. Instead they are characterized by the principles of equality, care and mutual respect. They may be used to inspire, motivate, sell ideas or to empower others.

I'd like to ask you, what do you think are powers you or your respected leaders/friends posses which agrees with you as acceptable sources of influence? An example may be "credibility". Please reflect and share.