Talent management is becoming a major business system as companies look for ways to improve workforce effectiveness, knowledge transfer, succession and leadership. However to become a truly value-added system talent management initiatives must move beyond routine assessments and sporadic performance discussions to integrated talent management leadership. Following are five leadership imperatives that will transform talent management activities into a successful talent management business system.

Collaboration

Managing talent requires working with individuals, teams and organization processes. However, organization complexity, specialization and competing department goals can create company silos, which are the natural enemies of collaboration – a fact of organizational life! Talent management leaders must integrate collaborative behaviors and practices into performance management, recruiting and development planning as well as operational processes. Behaviors that encourage employee participation and challenge in addition to commitment and buy-in.

Coaching

Studies show that people learn faster and deliver higher quality results when coached effectively. Therefore leaders must allocate a significant amount of time to coaching. Moreover, coaching has to become an integrated part of leadership style and everyday practice. There are various techniques and methodologies for coaching, but they are not all simply common sense or necessarily intuitive. Many are situational, require careful planning, and may even warrant outside assistance. However, good leaders continually learn about coaching and evaluate their own coaching ability, i.e. the ability to move individuals and teams to the next higher level of performance. Simply put, a leader who can’t coach really can’t lead or create the environment for people to grow and succeed. Good leaders are always looking for opportunities to coach and to become even more effective at coaching.

Leadership Agenda

Talent management is a subset of an organization’s leadership agenda. One could also argue the reverse of this relationship but the point is they must be integrated. A leadership agenda identifies:

· Skills, practices and behaviors expected of leaders.

· The Leadership Quotient (strengths, challenges and needs of the current leadership team)

· Leadership learning focus (workshops, forums, seminars, action learning, coaching, dialogue, etc., required to nurture and expand the current leadership quotient from where it is now to where you want it to be)

· Collaborative assessment processes to ensure continuous improvement.

The leadership agenda must also be brutally honest at balancing management expectations with the organization’s short-term needs and long-term goals, i.e. there must be realistic planning, opportunities to learn, and consequences for not meeting leadership expectations.

Culture

Moving from good to great or even from excellent to outstanding (substitute your own superlative) is not easy. It requires change. Doing what we do now but just a little better is not change. It’s simply a reinforcement of the status quo. To make talent management work successfully requires cultural change regarding the ways managers and leaders work with people. All would agree that honesty, openness, trust and respect are roots of organization culture. However, demonstration of such cultural roots varies from company to company and all too frequently within companies. Inconsistencies or confusion within these areas is what actually defines culture, not a philosophical acceptance of their importance. Therefore dynamic organizations that face a constant barrage of new and challenging issues must determine if their company cultures are keeping up with the rate of change. Change that requires leaders to address new issues, do new things, walk the talk, and fundamentally change relationships with subordinates, peers and bosses – to demonstrate honesty, openness, trust and respect.

Chief Talent Officer

Every business system must have a system owner and for talent management the system owner is the CEO. Certainly there are major roles others must play, particularly human resources as coordinator and senior managers as process experts, but the CEO is the organization’s chief talent officer. The CEO models the way in making talent management a top priority for all leaders, and redresses those who don’t.

Making talent management work is not easy. It requires a deep understanding of these imperatives and a willingness of leaders to move from concept acceptance to practicing new behaviors. It requires individual change. However, the outcome, - great people, great quality and great business results - is well worth the effort.

1. Discriminate - your time that is. Be very selective of how and where you spend your time. You only have so much of it, so don’t let people take it from you. When people are asking you for your time be sure to do a quick triage before engaging and don’t be afraid to say no. When you do engage in the priorities of others, as leaders sometimes must do, make sure they understand the value of your time.

2. Plan. Don’t get involved or participate in anything if it doesn’t have a plan - a written one. Even an impromptu meeting should have an agenda. So don’t go to a meeting without one. Large projects and initiatives should all have at least a rough but clear purpose, objective, time and action plan. Review it, decide where you can add value and move on if you can’t.

3. Outsource Time Drainers. Are you routinely doing things that someone else can do? Don’t kid yourself. We all get pulled into the routine sometime. Keep a log occasionally of everything you do for a week. Review it and then decide to outsource those routine things that someone else can do. It may cost you a few dollars, but how much is your time worth? How many more important things could you complete if you didn’t have to do the routine?

4. Facts. Keep your decision-making fact based. Accept reality for what it is and don’t spend time wishing it were something else or complaining about the way it is or how it happened. Rather, call out the subjective when you see it, advising folks to move on - and adopt a practice to keep your individual discussions and group meetings fact based and reality focused.

5. Respond versus React. Newton’s Third Law of Motion states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Although this is a law of physics we all too often see the parallel in business. However, it doesn’t have to be so. For example, when presented with a difficult situation, particularly one involving feelings (see above) or people, hold off your immediate reaction. Give yourself time to assess the situation as best you can, ask a few questions, and formulate more than one alternative. This will generate a much more useful and objective response rather than a knee-jerk reaction.

6. One Thing. You’ve heard this so many times before but work on one issue or project at a time. As a business leader you have multiple priorities, but you really won’t get the best possible result unless you give all your attention and brainpower solely to the issue at hand. To do so, simply make a list of those important issues you must address today, begin working on the first and don’t move to the second until you have completed the first. Reject the phone calls, emails and interruptions, close your door, work at another location, and hide if you have to. Just do it.

7. Take the best and leave the rest. While you may find a couple of these focus tips useful, perhaps a couple won’t work for you. If so, don’t debate them. Just use the ones that work for you, discard the rest and move on. Similarly, when managing your business and you find yourself struggling with a set of less than perfect alternatives, select the best workable one, put your energy and resources behind it and execute. You’ll be happy with the progress you make - and even happier to move on.

1. Work Quickly - When you’re stuck start thinking quantity and speed rather than quality, small steps versus large ones, and how many things can you get moving today. Start by listing those small or simple things you can do and then quickly work on them one at a time. Don’t move on to item two on your list until you’ve completed item one. Challenge yourself to get at least five things on your list done today and don’t go home until they’re done. Don’t worry about tomorrow. Meet the challenge you set for yourself today.

2. Get Feedback - Frequently all that is required to solve a problem or get unstuck is a fresh perspective or a simple idea. Trusted colleagues and associates can often give you those fresh perspectives and ideas, but only if you ask! So when you’re feeling stuck pick up the phone and call, or set up a luncheon with a few of your colleagues. Explain your condition and ask for their feedback. Be direct, explain your condition thoroughly and make it clear you value and want their feedback. They will be flattered that you asked, and you’ll get some good ideas as well.

3. Bust Bureaucracy - Anytime you’re working with or leading a company with more than one individual you have bureaucracy. No doubt about it, when some things have to be done according to ridiculous archaic procedures or your actions must conform to a presumed yet unnecessary degree of political correctness – you can get sidetracked or stopped in your tracks. So if bureaucracy is keeping you stuck, simply ignore it! Do what you think is right, add the value you think needs to be added and take action in the pursuit of your objectives. Do not spend a moment thinking about how to explain your actions. If your actions are valuable they speak for themselves. Debating ridiculous procedures never makes them go away. Ignoring them will.

4. Talk to a Customer - Similar to Tip No. 2 above, talk to a customer and get some feedback. However, rather than explaining your problem to them, have them explain their problem to you. Regardless of the reasons for you being stuck, the simple act of vigorous engagement with a customer will unleash creative energy within you (and if it doesn’t you may be in the wrong business). That creative energy will then produce a few ideas that will enable you to get unstuck.

5. Focus on Progress not Perfection - If you’ve been stuck for a while don’t worry about finding the perfect solution. Great ideas are often the result of trial and error. So get those first steps going now. Do so by defining the problem that has you stuck and then identify a few alternative action steps to address the problem. Understand that these initial action steps are not the complete solution to your problem, but by executing them you will be gaining the experience and knowledge you need to solve your problem. Set a goal of taking a certain number of actions per day, week or month and you will soon make the progress you need to get unstuck.

Stop Thinking Negatively

Regardless of how you rate the power of positive thinking most agree that negative thinking is a complete waste of time and energy - your time and your energy! Moreover, negative thinking creates both physical and mental fatigue, which in turn reduces your ability to communicate effectively and think creatively, which of course are two very important ingredients for solving problems and improving results in your business. So when negative thoughts do enter your head (and they will) – e.g. when a colleague lets you down, when your new system crashes, or even when a car cuts you off on the highway - immediately shift to neutral thinking by asking questions rather than rushing to conclusions. For example, “What don’t I know about this event?” “What causes such behavior?” “What are all the possibilities that could cause such a result?” etc. Neutral thinking will stop negative thinking in its tracks and keep your mind functioning effectively.

Insist on Alternatives

Negative thinking is often characterized by a lack of satisfactory options, or any options at all, to address a problem or challenge. However, there is always another and maybe even better way to do something - you just may not know it! If you find yourself thinking negatively because the only option you have happens to stink, switch to neutral thinking immediately by brain storming as many alternatives as you can. Be sure to focus on quantity of options not quality (that comes later), solicit ideas from others, and even attempt to redefine the problem (you might be very surprised to find a change in perspective after doing this). Once you have a list of alternatives prepared, review them objectively and determine which ideas you can eliminate, combine or simplify. You will most likely have a new or revised option, maybe even several.

Focus on What You Can Do - Not on What You Can’t Do

Solving problems and taking advantage of opportunities can be difficult to say the least. But thinking negatively about difficult tasks all to often leads to procrastination, more negative thinking and the lack of any action at all - a vicious cycle. However, there is always something you can do constructively even if it’s a miniscule action – you just have to look for it. So if you feel stuck with a problem or challenge because you don’t have the resources you need, your supplier doesn’t agree with you, the HR department doesn’t have time to help you, etc., make a list of those little things you can do regardless of their individual impact on the problem. Start doing them now, one at a time, and keep looking for more. By focusing on what you can do and taking action, you will stimulate your creativity, increase your confidence and discover more solutions to the problem - a virtuous cycle.

Accept reality.

Let’s face it. Sometimes reality stinks. But in running an operation or business, the brutal truth is that some problems can’t be solved. They can only be managed. That means you have to understand and play the cards you are dealt. Wishing things were different (a lack of focus) is a complete waste of two of your most precious assets, your time and your energy. Now that doesn’t mean you have to accept second best, absolutely not. It simply means you have to clearly identify the limitations and imperfections of your environment and then determine how to best work within it. To do so, first identify what you think you can’t do and ask yourself why and if your answer is based on fact or speculation. If speculation, you have some more questions to ask – be brutally honest. Second, identify what you can do and find ways to produce similar actions - think quantity. Third, take personal accountability for making the condition better even if you can’t resolve it now – blaming anyone or anything else is merely sticking your head in the sand.

Progress Not Perfection.

Silver bullets and magic wands don’t exist in business, none that work anyway. Most significant challenges and opportunities are complex or at least multifaceted and require a methodical approach for resolution. For example, a methodical approach that may not resolve your problem immediately, but will get you moving towards resolution quickly can be accomplished in four steps. One, make a checklist of the specific actions you can take regarding the problem. Two, solicit input from others regarding your checklist. Three, prioritize your action list and set dates for execution of each item. Four, focus on completing one item at a time before moving onto the next.

Take Action.

Managing is a contact sport and therefore requires a good deal of action. If your issue is significant though not resolvable in the short term, you still need to address it with specific actions so you can build momentum for future resolution. Once you’ve determined what you can do based upon the steps listed above, it’s time to execute. Decide to take some form of action today, tomorrow, next week and next month. Take action relentlessly regardless of the size and impact of the action and you will soon transform that un-resolvable problem into a very manageable situation.