You’ve heard the classic oxymorons. There’s “military music.” There’s “postal service.” And let’s not forget “jumbo shrimp.”
Add “talent management” to that list. If it’s talent, you can’t manage it. And if you’re managing it, it’s not talent.
Received management wisdom, attributed to gurus from W. Edwards Deming and Peter Drucker, through Robert Kaplan is that: “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” And you sure can’t measure talent in any meaningful way.
You can’t count talent or weigh it. Talent isn’t a separate thing. It always comes encased in people.
When those people show up at work, they bring their talent and their knowledge and their relationships with them. And when the people go home at night, those things go home with them.
And using “talent” as a synonym for “people” is just wrong, unless you’re in the entertainment business. There “talent” is a term of art to identify performers.
Everywhere else, talent is something people have, not something people are. Treating people as talent treats them as something less than human.
You recruit people, not talent. You train people, not talent. And, you evaluate people, not talent. If there is that “war’ you’ve heard about, it isn’t for “talent.” It’s a competition for people who can help your company succeed.
Dave Watkins, CEO of SoftScape, gets the credit for coining the term, “talent management.” In 1998 he used it in an advertising piece for his company.
But today, the company is “Softscape People Management.” And the SoftScape web site claims that the company offers “More than Talent Management, Complete People Management.” So, maybe it’s time for the rest of us to ditch the phrase, “talent management,” and get back to talking about people.
You’re probably right about that oxymoron, Wally…but people do need to use their talent more. To bring it to the forefront. To make it a part of their unique contribution to the world. Talent is not always apparent. And you can manage to hide it. 😉
Bravo Wally!
I would also add that you can’t manage people. You manage tasks, you coach people.
You can’t manage your way to success either, you lead and coach your way to success. After all it’s the people that will lead you to success not the tasks and processes.
Cheers!
Kelly
True enough, Monica. People do need to use their talents more. But it’s an individual choice, not something that companies manage. Thanks for commenting.
You’re right, Kelly. I guess I’m thinking of taking it one step at a time. Thanks for adding your thoughts to improve on mine.
Where does getting the right people on the bus, the wrong people of the bus and the right people in the right seats fit into all of this? Is that talent management, people management or task management? Language certainly matters, so what would be the best descriptive ‘term’ for something like that?
What you’re describing can go by many names, Werner. My picks would be recruiting or staffing depending on whether the people were coming to the bus from inside or outside the organization. I’d keep the word “talent” out of it, though. Thanks for commenting.