If you want great performance you need great people. They won’t show up fully formed. You need to develop them. And that can’t be the job of one person, deep in the bowels of HR. It must be the way you do business, not something bolted on. It should be pervasive.
Talent development should be for everyone, not just “high potentials.” You say that people are your most important asset, well, develop them. Not just some of them, all of them.
Managers should do most of the work, not specialists. Routine teaching, coaching and counseling should be the core of every manager’s job.
Talent development should be planned and monitored and not left to chance. Someone who works for you shouldn’t have to depend on the luck of the draw to develop their talent.
Talent development should be part of every day, not a special event. The best and most powerful learning happens on the job. Use systems and people to facilitate learning.
Talent development should be part of the culture, part of everyday work. If you believe that people are the only real source of sustainable competitive advantage, act on it. If you believe that a person’s value to the company grows along with their knowledge and their network develop them.
Additional Reading
Excerpt from Toyota Talent – Chapter 1
Everything is a Project, Every Project is an Opportunity to Develop Talent and Increase Engagement
