| The search for talent is ongoing. Individuals seek | | | | firm, admired by staff, relied on by the entire |
| to develop their talents, companies seek to | | | | organisation, inspirational and respected. Talent: |
| identify talent and retain it, succession planning | | | | Artist! Executive Head Chef, world famous, |
| requires it, politicians plan for it, and the world | | | | near-worshiped by other chefs. Talent: Calculus! |
| wants to find it. But what is it? | | | | The COO of an International Bank, greatly |
| I was having dinner at a friend's home and the | | | | respected, charismatic and exceptional innovative |
| subject came up because their 11 year old son | | | | customer service. Talent: Acting! Innovative |
| had recently brought home his school report card | | | | Entrepreneur, adored by staff, gregarious, fun and |
| which stated from his art teacher: "[His] talent is | | | | incredibly creative. Talent: Comedian! |
| yet to be fully developed." His mother, always one | | | | There are many other examples, some obvious, |
| for a quick tongue responded "His only talent is | | | | many not. What is common to most of the |
| making excuses for not doing his homework." | | | | people we have interviewed is that their talent |
| The young boy sat at the table grimacing and | | | | itself is not what enables them to do what they |
| whilst his mum meant it in jest, there was an | | | | do, it is how they do the talent. |
| element of truth in it. I said "I see a glittering | | | | I suggest that we do something a little different. |
| future as a political spin-doctor." The boy's eyes lit | | | | Why not find what the underlying and true |
| up. This so-called talent had a purpose. | | | | individual's talents are and then leverage them |
| The word "talent" is bandied around for so many | | | | towards the leadership or management attributes |
| things and we don't always truly understand what | | | | you need? Or perhaps, we can identify their talent |
| is meant by "talent". So to the trusty dictionary... | | | | and find out where they best fit in your |
| Talent: innate mental or artistic aptitude (as | | | | organisation and for some, outside it. |
| opposed to acquired ability); less than genius. | | | | Leveraging Talent |
| So what is innate? Innate: existing in one from | | | | Taking someone's talent and leveraging it into the |
| birth; inborn; native: innate musical talent. | | | | workplace requires a little creative thinking. |
| Now, my core business is experiential training and | | | | Fortunately, creative thinking is something that we |
| a behaviouralist, so if talent cannot be acquired... | | | | can develop. It's part de Bono's lateral thinking and |
| Better find a better definition... | | | | part conceptual mapping. Some connections make |
| Talent: natural ability to do something well. | | | | absolute and logical sense, others require us to dig |
| That nasty word 'natural' | | | | into the talent and how that talent is done by the |
| Natural: based on the state of things in nature; | | | | individual. Using the examples cited above, I shall |
| constituted by nature: Growth is a natural process. | | | | briefly outline the main connections that the |
| The Thesaurus, always illuminating, and find 'talent' | | | | individual leveraged - either on their own 'naturally' |
| associated with words like 'ability', - 'adeptness', | | | | or through coaching. |
| 'adroitness', 'charisma', 'facility', 'gift', 'knack', | | | | "Running was all I ever wanted to do. I'd get up |
| 'wisdom', 'gumption', 'capacity', 'brilliance' and 'genius' | | | | early every morning and race the postman on his |
| It seems that you are either born with a talent or | | | | bike. For me, it was freedom. Now, I run with my |
| not. No acquiring a talent, developing it certainly, | | | | team, we race the competition and we enjoy the |
| but if the foundation is not there... | | | | freedom we gain from our bonuses and |
| Companies seek 'talent' for succession planning, as | | | | commission." |
| do politicians. It is most often associated with | | | | "As a kid, I was always drawing. I loved to draw. |
| leadership or management 'talent'. | | | | Cartoons especially, and comics. When I was at |
| Companies are also hooked on retaining talent. | | | | primary school I drew my first comic which |
| And surely that's right, once you have talent in | | | | turned into a series and a long story - intricately |
| your organisation, you really don't want to lose it. | | | | entwined with sub-plots and different characters. |
| Many, inspired by a Mckinnsey article in 1997 "The | | | | By the time I went to university, I'd all but |
| War for Talent" took this to extreme, indulging | | | | stopped drawing, taking accountancy because |
| 'talent' and doing everything they could to keep | | | | that's where the jobs were. Today, I guess I'm |
| them engaged, satisfied, even delighted. Malcolm | | | | still drawing comics in a way. I look for the |
| Gladwell, author of The Tipping Point, wrote an | | | | sub-plots in the accounts, what's the other story |
| article in the New Yorker magazine in 2002 | | | | behind the main one and that's how I teach my |
| entitled "The Talent Myth". By then the whole | | | | staff. Look for the sub-plots - it makes auditing a |
| 'War for talent' was under a dark, ominous cloud | | | | whole lot more fun." |
| called Enron. The McKinssey article had, after all, | | | | "Calculus was easy. Everyone else thought it was |
| been largely based on what Enron was doing at | | | | really difficult and stupid, but I found it easy. I'd |
| the time and how everybody should emulate it. | | | | get a thrill from finding the right answer. It's |
| The trouble is that 'talent' is most often ascribed | | | | obvious to me now, my recipes are just a form |
| to the very brightest, highly motivated individuals | | | | of calculus, you take ingredients A and B and turn |
| who are very driven. And being bright (intelligent) | | | | them into X. I don't 'think I'll tell my chefs that, |
| does not, necessarily, mean talent. Being 'driven' is | | | | they might think I'm a nerd and not the great |
| not the only criteria for success. | | | | artiste." |
| I have met and worked with many talented | | | | "I first acted in a play at kindergarten. I was a |
| individuals. In fact, I believe that every single | | | | tree. But I was the best tree ever. My parents |
| person has talent. What that talent is and how it | | | | adored my acting, always encouraging me, in fact |
| can be used by companies is another matter. | | | | they wanted me to continue through drama |
| If we accept that talent is something that you | | | | school and everything. I think they thought I |
| are born with, surely we need to know how do | | | | would be a movie star. I did try for a while when |
| we identify talent, and how do we leverage that | | | | I went to university but I never had any money. |
| talent? | | | | After uni, I joined a local drama club, met my |
| Identifying talent | | | | wife and we soon had our first child. So I left the |
| I've seen this in many organisations. The brightest | | | | acting world and joined a local bank - great |
| and best are identified as part of the talent pool - | | | | prospects, regular wages and, a subsidised |
| there's some fanfare, a suite of training programs, | | | | mortgage. I suppose that a COO is rather like a |
| perhaps MBAs are taken and the talent are | | | | director in a play, making sure that the right |
| promoted. Meanwhile, the non-talent morale has | | | | people are in the right place at the right time with |
| sunk, many have quit or actively seeking new | | | | the right script. Brilliant!" |
| positions, commitment has dropped and | | | | "I was always the joker of the family. My brother |
| performance suffered. The talent, being highly | | | | bore the brunt of most of my wilder practical |
| driven, take this upon themselves and make up | | | | jokes - and some of them weren't really funny at |
| for the loss, working extra hard and many burning | | | | all. It got me in a lot of trouble at school. In the |
| out. There follows a new initiative to regain the | | | | end I quit and worked on a market stall. I worked |
| work-life balance and a big drive to retain talent. | | | | for this really sour faced bloke selling vegetables - |
| An alternative | | | | blimey he was miserable. He hated my joking with |
| We can talk to the existing talent - the best | | | | the customers, but they loved it and kept coming |
| leaders, managers, the best individual contributors | | | | back, so he didn't 'stop me. I'm still a joker, I like a |
| - not just from your own organisation but others | | | | laugh and I like to keep the guys happy. I suppose |
| too, and uncover their foundational talents that | | | | being the centre of attention does something for |
| enable them to be all that they are. It really can | | | | me. That's why I set this up (the company), being |
| be quite surprising: | | | | the centre of everyone's' attention and we make |
| The Sales head of a global telecomms company, | | | | money. I always say, if you can't have a laugh |
| highest sales, driven, emulated by staff. Talent: | | | | while your living life then life will laugh at you." |
| Running! The CFO of a globally renowned auditing | | | | Find your talent and find a way to use it. |