“O wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as ithers see us!
It wad frae mony a blunder free us,
An’ foolish notion”
That quote from the poet Robert Burns should be a talent development mantra. Write it on a rock as my friend Jim Blasingame would say. Tattoo it on your arm. At the very least, put that quote where you can see it.
One of the hardest things in the world is to see ourselves as others see us. The longer we work inside our organization, the harder it gets to understand how candidates see us. We get so familiar with our systems and our rules that we’re puzzled when other people who work at the company don’t know what development options are available or even how to find out.
If you can look at your organization’s talent development with fresh eyes, you’ll find ways to make it better. Here’s how to gain perspective.
Go and see. Get out of your office or cubicle. Wander over to where the front line workers are. Spend a day in the field with a salesperson or service rep. While you’re there, ask a few questions. Here’s a grossly incomplete list to get you started.
What would you like different so you could do your job better?
What’s your biggest pain in the rear?
What does the company ask you to do that you think is a complete waste of time?
What would you like us to do to help you have a better life and career?
Those are just the beginning. What other questions would you ask?
