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 on talent management in Asia, the business case for talent management, preparing managers for the future, talent “portfolios,” and mobile learning and ROI.
From Kate Sweetman on the HBR Blogs: One Talent Strategy Isn’t Enough for Asia
“I posed this question to a group of executives in a successful Asian-headquartered bank during a recent consulting engagement: ‘Considering for the moment only our current set of employees, where do we devote development resources to get the leadership talent we will need in the next three to five years?’ The bank operates in almost 20 Asian countries, employs tens of thousands of employees and makes very good returns on a substantial asset base. The company’s strategy is to take full advantage of being a local player in emerging Asian growth markets while deepening their leadership pool and strengthening their talent pipeline.”
Wally’s Comment: Don’t pass this up just because you’re not doing business in Asia. Kate Sweetman (named an “Emerging Guru” by the Times of London) points out that managers in different countries have differing perceptions of their talent development needs. Your company has countries, too. There may be a “marketing country” and a “manufacturing country” for example, or, perhaps, a “New York country” and a “Kansas City country.”
From Josh Bersin: The Business Case for Talent Management: Steve Ballmer Agrees
“Talent management makes money. If you are trying to build a business case for a corporate talent management program, here is some astounding data: Of the 700+ organizations we studied in 2010 and 2011, only 7% told us that they have a “strategic talent management” program.”
Wally’s Comment: Read this post to find out how big the difference is between those with a “strategic talent management program” and the others. You’ll also see how talent management plays out at Microsoft.
From Hay Group: Converting existing managers into future-ready leaders
“For future-ready leaders, there is a critical need for organizations to convert their existing managers into leaders who can leverage their team’s potential and ensure a proactive workforce. Companies need to redefine their business models, customer relationship models and workforce models to translate future business expectations into results.”
Wally’s Comment: This post is here because of the term “future-ready.” The best talent development programs prepare people to be able to succeed in whatever future shows up, not in a single, painstakingly-specific future predicted by the planning department or a high-priced consulting firm.
From Ron Thomas: Managing Talent: Why You Should Treat it Like a Marketing Portfolio
“While reading a recent issue of Advertising Age, I came across an interesting article about branding — not from a qualitative state but from an analytical and quantitative approach. The article was based on work done by Stengel (along with Millward Brown) identifying the 50 fastest growing brands in terms of value and consumer preference.”
Wally’s Comment: Portfolios have been a staple of strategic planning for a few decades now. Ron Thomas suggests they’re an effective tool for talent management, too.
From TLNT: Maximizing the ROI on Employee Training with Mobile Learning
“No executive in their right mind would argue with the fact that employee training is a basic business necessity. When organizations experience growth, change or competitive pressure, gaps emerge between what employees know and what they need to know in order for the company to remain relevant in the marketplace.”
Wally’s Comment: “Mobile learning” is one of those buzz phrases with substance. Mobile learning is also a way to summon information when you need it.
