Leadership – The Only Talent Programme that Actually Works

Time to Listen:  4 mins 38 secs

Time to Watch:  2 mins 27 secs

1. Realise that the word “competency” is quite simply the most boring HR word there is, so throw out your competency based anything, and remove the word from your mind set, forever.
2. Your new mind set is one in which everyone has value, and craves to be valued. That is everyone in your organisation who chooses to show their value, through their behaviour. Those that don’t – get rid. Equally, forget Talent Programmes that select only your “Top XX” – they are at best divisive, and at worst you will be preparing your best people to leave.
3. Talent is a combination of strengths, ideas, passions and personalities. The “strength based agenda” is really cool at the moment. In an ideas-led economy, ideas are quite… well… important. Contrary to what the media tell us, most people do not care about their pension as much as their passion and personality because, have you ever noticed, wherever you go, there you are?
4. The fastest way to unlock people’s talents is to match your Talent Programme around the way people actually are, and not the way we want them to be. Everyone shares three top drivers at work – A desire for freedom, to use a strength they already have and to be a part of something bigger than themselves.
5. Ask everyone who works for / with you, what is their number one strength that they do not use each and every day, when (and where) they come up with their best new ideas, and ask them what they are really passionate about in the organisation (it will often match with their strength).
6. Ensure they have a chance to use their number one strength on a day to day basis, and put in place an incubator for new ideas in a way that keeps them alive, even if they are not implemented straight away (more on that at our conference), and combining passion and personality, stop your people taking work home, and start ensuring they bring themselves to work.
7. Replace or complement Job Descriptions with People Descriptions – rolling CVs.
8. Allocate a mentor, or “personal manager” to everyone in your organisation, outside of their line reporting, who is responsible for ensuring that person’s full talent is unlocked, focused and then unleashed.
9. Keep this a living, breathing adventure – and measure its effectiveness in hard financial terms.
10. Finally, what has this got to do with “diversity?” – everything – we are all different, indeed, each and every one of us is unique. Yes, we share common drivers and similar characteristics, however the holy grail of unlocking talent is to identify, unlock and unleash that unique quality in each and every one of your people. As a leader, it is the most important job you have.

#nldiversity

With my love and best wishes

David
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