From Andy Headworth: Does the problem with talent communities start with the word ‘talent’?
“Have you ever referred to yourself as talent? [aside from as a descriptor on your CV/Resume – a talented …….. looking for a new opportunity etc] “
Wally’s Comment: This post is not about “talent development,” but it is about the way we use the word “talent.” It’s always important to pay attention to the language we use, how it opens up some vistas and closes off others and how it shapes our thinking. Thanks to William Tincup for pointing me to this post.
From Jon Ingham: What is now business critical on the HR Director’s agenda?
“We’ll be following up on the issues raised in the HR Directors Business Summit unconference, and discussed in the final unpanel, at the organisers’ new community forum, HR InSights. However, I thought my summary as chair at the beginning of day two covered both days of the unconference quite well. The three main issues for me were:
Performance. Of the business, and of the HR function too (eg in Ed Lawler’s presentation, and also demonstrated in the HR with Distinction awards).
Leadership development. In business (particularly given the passion expressed in the unpanel about ‘toxicity at the top’) and in other areas, particularly sports (eg in Sir Clive Woodward’s presentation on coaching in rugby and basketball which suggested some interesting opportunities for business coaching too).
Planning and analytics. Eg I liked the way that David Clutterbuck suggested that we need to be analytical in order to remain caring for our people.”
Wally’s Comment: I love Jon Ingham’s posts from various conferences because they’re like having a good and knowledgeable friend tell you want the presentations were like and what the key ideas were and what that friend thought of it all.
From Fortune: Executives to new grads: Shape up!
“Note to recent college grads and the Class of 2012: You may not be as ready for the working world as you think you are. At least, that’s the opinion of about 500 senior managers and C-suite executives in a study by Global Strategy Group, on behalf of worldwide architectural firm Woods Bagot.”
Wally’s Comment: OK, let me drive a couple of stakes in the ground on this one. I don’t think it’s the job of a college or university to pop out pre-formed graduates with all the relevant skills that a CEO could want. I do think it’s the job of parents and the educational system to develop young people in a way that lets them show up at their first job with reasonable communications and critical thinking skills. Now, go read what the CEOs think.
From Sean Conrad: A Lesson from RIM’s Succession Plan
“The announcement that the Blackberry maker’s co-CEOs Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie were stepping down from their shared top post was not only interesting because of what it did to the stock volume and value, or the buzz it generated, but also from the perspective of a strong, internally groomed successor being named.”
Wally’s Comment: You may not think that Thorsten Heins is a great choice or even the right choice for CEO of RIM right now. Fine. You’ll still learn a lot from Sean Conrad’s post about how Sean thinks a good succession plan should work.
From Charles Jennings: MANAGERS AND MAD HATTERS: WORK THAT STRETCHES
“In this final article I want to address the challenge with which many L&D and HR departments struggle. This is how to enroll managers in the practice of people development, how to engage with them, and how to ensure learning activities are aligned with their priorities.”
Wally’s Comment: Over the last couple of months, Charles Jennings has rolled out three thoughtful posts about how learning should work in your talent development scheme. I’ve highlighted each of those posts as Jennings published because each one was superb on its own. Now that the series is finished, I suggest you read all the posts, one after the other, to get the full impact. The other two are “Learning in Wonderland: the untapped potential of workplace learning” and “Through the 70:20:10 Looking Glass.”
