Every week, I review blogs that cover talent development to find the very best talent development posts. This week, you’ll find pointers to pieces about succession planning, Apple, easy talent management, and deciding whom to promote. There are also pointers to lists and such.
From Laura Schroeder: Seven Leadership Competencies for Succession Planning
“Let me say up front that the succession management program at his company isn’t perfect. It’s complex and convoluted. Succession candidates are subjected to the political whims and reorganizations of the executive team. Some worthy people get passed over, others benefit from favoritism. Like anywhere. Nevertheless, if the primary mission of succession planning is to put ready, qualified people into leadership roles his company is doing something right. And what they are doing right lies less in the mechanics of their succession planning process and more in the overarching purpose behind the process, which is to identify and develop leadership candidates with the following competencies:”
Wally’s Comment: The test of succession planning is whether there are competent and prepared people who have been identified before an opening occurs. Laura Schroeder suggests some things to look for.
From John Baldoni: What Apple Can Learn From Walt Disney
“Finding a replacement for Steve Jobs, as the Times noted, the breakthrough innovator, dealmaker and person of influence, is frankly impossible. And so Apple would do well to forget trying to find one. Rather, as many have pointed out, it would be wise to turn to a committee of people to do what Jobs has done. Steve Jobs is irreplaceable as was another innovator-entrepreneur, Walt Disney.”
Wally’s Comment: Here’s another look at succession planning, this time through the lens of the Apple experience. John Baldoni thinks that there’s a lot Apple can learn from the experience of Disney and their experience replacing an iconic founder.
From Paul Hebert: Managing Talent Should Work Like Pandora
“If you’re not up to speed on Pandora, it is a web-based (and mobile) music service that helps you find new music – music you will like. You put in your preferences (ie: music you like) and then it plays that music AND through a proprietary algorithm (love that word – makes ya sound so smart) it finds other music similar to what you put in and plays that as well. You then have the opportunity to vote “yes†or “no†on that new music to help the algorithm fine tune its recommendations. Over time Pandora learns what you like and continues to serve up musical goodness with a lot of new music that you already like but weren’t aware of. It is eerily accurate.”
Wally’s Comment: After you read this, you will never judge your talent management efforts the same way ever again.
From the NY Times: Are You Cut Out for Management?
“You’re very good at your job and although you didn’t ask for it, you have been promoted into a management position for the first time. How different will it be from your current job?”
Wally’s Comment: This is one of the best short articles I’ve ever read on the transition from individual contributor to boss.
Carnivals, Lists, and Such
Latest HR Carnival at Omega HR Solutions
From Fortune: 100 Best Companies to Work For
From i4cp: New Year’s Resolutions from Leading Human Capital Executives
