Every week, I review blogs that cover talent development to find you the pick of the lot for the week. In this post, you’ll find pointers to pieces about what you can learn (yes, there is something) from the Cleveland Cavaliers, executive derailment, managing the toxic high performer, distributing scarce rewards, and some thoughts on management practices for the 21st Century.
From the Fordyce Letter: What We Can Learn About Recruiting From the Cleveland Cavaliers
“There are several recruiting lessons to be learned from the bomb that LeBron James dropped on Cleveland late last night about his departure to the Miami Heat. Before we get into those lessons, let’s take a quick look at some of the highlights of LeBron’s NBA career with the Cavs.”
Wally’s Comment: Yes, yes, I know. There have been a gazillion posts on LeBron and Rantmeister Dan Gilbert. But this post is about the Cavaliers’ recruiting and what you can learn from it. It’s worth a look.
From DDI Talent Management: Executive Derailment – It Doesn’t Have to Happen
“Maybe you’ve noticed too – it seems that not a week goes by without a story on the front page or in the business section about a prominent and respected leader who has flamed out, derailed, driven his own bus off the cliff. That is, a smart, capable and seasoned executive in the private or public sector does or says something which puts an end to his/her career and embarrasses the organization. Their choice “derails†what had been theretofore a successful and high profile career. “
Wally’s Comment: The key point here is that most top talent or top executive career derailments have nothing to do with basic competence. Often, as Mike Hoban notes, the failures result from a strength becoming a weakness or overuse of a strength.
For some other takes on this same issue, check out Marshall Goldsmith’s excellent book, What Got You Here Won’t Get You There and Dan McCarthy’s recent post, “Beware of the Dark Side of Leadership: 11 Tragic Flaw Behaviors.”
From Great Leadership: Managing the “Toxic High Performerâ€
“In a recent post, I was surprised by the number of SmartBrief leaders (11.74%) that chose “The high performer who is rapidly rising†as their most challenging team member to lead. My response was “really?!†Yes, it can be somewhat challenging to keep a high performer challenged and motivated, but come on, that’s the fun part of leadership. When you have an employee that handles every challenge you throw at them, is thirsty for development, and consistently exceeds your expectations, that’s leadership nirvana. I once heard these employees described as “self licking lollypopsâ€. Give me a team of “A†players ANY day, and I’ll gladly accept those “challengesâ€. Yes, true “hipos†tend not to stay in one place for a long time – they get “pulled†into larger and better roles – but so be it. I’d rather have 1-2 years of outstanding performance from one of these “A†players than a team of average performers or slackers and no turnover.”
Wally’s Comment: Here’s another Dan McCarthy post. This one hits two of the big challenges of managing those high performers. You may not have them for long. And some of them are high performers on one scale but also self-serving and toxic.
From Compensation Cafe: Who Do You Love?
“A recent Harvard Business Review article ‘How to Keep Your Top Talent’ warns that 25% of your top talent plans to jump ship in the next year. The results for engagement and effort are even more alarming, since about a third of employees surveyed admit to phoning it in at work. That’s bad news if you believe that staying competitive relies on the passion, drive and creative energy of talented people. But perhaps these people have tuned out because one in five believe their personal goals are completely different from the company’s plans for them.”
Wally’s Comment: Here’s one more look at high potentials. This one’s from Laura Schroeder. She notes that “an estimated 70% of ‘high potentials’ are false positives” and suggests you review how you distribute scarce rewards. You may have to read this post more than once because it will spark lots of ideas.
From TLNT: Are Your Managers Prepared for the Seismic Shift in the Workplace?
“It’s not just that employers will soon have their recruiting world rocked by a growing labor shortage. It’s also the fact that managers are already having their world rocked by their Gen Y or Millennial employees. More specifically, they’re discovering that “old school†management practices and mediocre people skills no longer cut it, if you’re serious about attracting, retaining, and engaging Gen Y employees.”
Wally’s Comment: If Scott Fitzgerald was right and “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function,” then David Lee must have a really first-rate intelligence. He considers several forces affecting the working environment including a talent shortage, social trends, and management practices. Then he suggests nine leadership practices your company should be using.
Thank you, Wally, for the mention and the great list.