The Seven Deadly Sins of Talent Management

Instructions: This briefing material is based upon an article by the same title published by the Human Capital Institute; circa November, 2009. In its present form the best use is to brief a leadership team about the issue of talent and talent management. It provides a forum for a team to address some of the issues in talent management.

Link to full article:http://www.humancapitalinstitute.org/hci/external.guid?_articleID=90375&_sponsorID=164&_forwarder=tracks_talent_management_execution

Before you begin make enough copies of Slide 12 (Sin Rating Scale) for each participant .As you start suggest that the participants assess their organization against the Sin Rating Scale. This allows you to make your points at the same time have some fun with the participants. The last slide lists a number of solutions for the ‘sins’.

By:

Patrick R. Dailey, Ph.D.

Charles H. Bishop, Jr., Ph.D.

2

TODAY

Overall, discuss the art and discipline necessary to manage the talent pipeline…and win

Sins – Faulty Processes and Ineffective Accountability

Symptoms – Diagnostic Clues

Solutions – Practical Recommendations

Assess where we are… Levels of Sinning

3

“WHO” COMES FIRST

Leadership is at the heart of what differentiates those who consistently “Win” from those who perennially fall short.

4

SEVEN SINS

1. Tolerating Protectionism

- Is there unwillingness to share top talent across organizational boundaries?

2. Loose Accountability

- Is there accountability for ensuring our leadership pipeline?

3. Failure to Re-Invent the Wheel

- Do we “force fit” another company’s solutions into our culture?

4. Settling for “Good Enough”

- Do we consistently challenge ourselves to be “best in class“?

5. Inept Assessment

- Can hiring managers differentiate “great” talent from “good”?

6. Playing it Safe

- Are we willing to take short term risks with the business as emerging leaders learn their lessons of experience?

7. Creating Credenza Ware

- Is talent planning an ongoing, ingrained process that drives results?

5

TOLERATING PROTECTIONISM

Symptoms

Inability to move talent across organizational boundaries

“States Rights” Mentality & Practices…”my people”

Cronyism

Outsiders have difficulty breaking into the culture

6

LOOSE ACCOUNTABILITY

Managing (only) from the heart

HR’s job…”Not my job”

“One horse” races for key appointments

Senior leaders not accountable for “bad calls”

7

FAILURE TO RE-INVENT YOUR WHEEL

Seduced by facts & technology

Legacy programs that are no longer aligned to business needs

Creation of that “special” task force

Borrowing not building; not owning

8

SETTLING FOR “GOOD ENOUGH”?

Compromise candidates are appointed into key roles

Operating units rarely sticking their necks out

Units unable to review their performance capability

Belief in Management Alchemy

9

INEPT ASSESSMENT

Senior leaders don’t agree on what success looks like

Appointments are not made from your scrubbed promotability lists

Performance is used as a proxy for assessing potential

High-Potential talent is left out of the “career equation”

10

PLAYING IT SAFE

Setting up low risk learning & development plans

Promotions are delayed until talent is “over ripe”

Holding steadfastly to a promote-from-within practice

11

CREATING CREDENZA WARE

A “once a year” mindset dominates

Talent Review meetings are a “road to nowhere”

Plans are not tracked for on-time, on-target results

Retrospective reviews are praised; proactive plans are not advanced

12

SIN SCALE

Tolerating Protectionism

Loose Accountability

Failure to Invent

Settling for “Good Enough”

Inept Assessment

Playing it Safe

Creating Credenza Ware

YeahGuilty

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Guilty OftenWe’re

ChangingGuilty

InfrequentlyNot Part

of our DNA

13

SOLUTIONS

Protectionism Know your pipeline

Create a “air-traffic control” capability

Accountability Participate in selection decisions, two levels down

Score your process accuracy

Invent Your Wheel Put a personal stamp on the process

Get involved

Listen to your pipeline

Settling for “Good Enough”

Build talent pools ahead of demand

Recruit “game changers”

Supplement internal pool with great external talent

Make it someone’s job that great talent sticks

Assessment Create competency models

Train managers to assess competences and learning ability

Playing it Safe Ensure real business and personal risk in development

Stretch your best talent into key roles, early, often

Break some compensation rules

Deal with de-railed talent

Credenza-Ware Focus on the Business Issues that great talent can solve

Put plans in writing

Discuss actual talent issues at your meeting