When nurturing talent, build on positives not negatives: an employee's potential for growth lies in their greatest strengths, not weaknesses says Louise Hill.
Many organisations now have some kind of talent management strategy in place, and chances are that if you don't have one yet, you're planning to start one soon. Relatively low unemployment, economic growth, the changing nature of work, skills and succession gaps mean organisations face increasing challenges and competition to attract, retain, develop and deploy talent.
There is a strong emphasis in the industry on attracting and recruiting talent, yet still too little emphasis on long-term development. Organisations now need to shift their focus from 'managing' to 'developing'. To do this effectively, L&D should focus on nurturing individual strengths. Coaching is key to encouraging and unlocking individual potential.
Focus on the individual
To develop talent effectively, L&D needs to be individualised. Investment in your individuals needs to be well targeted. A 'sheep dip' approach is unlikely to produce the benefits an organisation is looking for and does not recognise the different skills and strengths of the talent population. Learning and development needs to recognise individuality and encourage people to work with their own unique strengths in their own unique environments. One of the most effective learning approaches to support this is coaching, and using coaching as part of a blended programme with other activities can make learning both more effective and more valued by learners themselves.
"Research found that an environment where people can 'do what they do best' was related to lower employee turnover, higher customer satisfaction and higher productivity."Coaching talent
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development's 'Reflections on Talent Management' found that 43% of organisations frequently use coaching, a further 38% occasionally use it, and yet 87% felt that it was an effective or very effective method.
A survey of participants in talent management programmes found that coaching was ranked the most effective element of any programme in terms of its impact on performance, motivation and commitment (Phillips, 2006).
Coaching can really help to engage individuals and develop their agility as well as ability to learn, a key indicator of leadership performance and potential (e.g. Lombardo and Eichinger, 2004). Coaching encourages individuals to take responsibility for their own progress and actions and can play a pivotal role.
Bersin research into talent management practices in the US reveals: "What we found was very enlightening (and somewhat surprising): the talent process which delivers the single greatest overall business impact is coaching – implementing a process for executive and management coaching throughout the organisation. This process scored higher than many of the things we consider sacrosanct: setting goals, aligning goals in the organisation, understanding critical competencies, and high performing recruiting."
Build on strengths
When nurturing talent, we need to encourage individuals to build on and leverage their strengths rather than simply focus on the weaknesses or gaps. This challenges the traditional approach to development – that a person's greatest room for growth is in his or her greatest area of weakness – in favour of a more balanced approach, that a person's greatest potential for growth is in his or her greatest area of strength. A recent Chartered Management Institute research report suggested that this typical over emphasis on weaknesses may explain their findings: that many people identified as having 'high potential' felt under-utilised. The report recommends the introduction of differentiated and tailored routes that meet individual needs and strengths to help improve the engagement of those who perceive their talents to be under used.
An increasing body of evidence supports the value of a strengths based approach. Buckingham and Clifton's Gallup research found that an environment where people can 'do what they do best' was related to lower employee turnover, higher customer satisfaction and higher productivity. A clear view of strengths enables individuals to avoid overplaying them and turning them into weaknesses (e.g. Kaplan & Kaiser, 2006).
So with more emphasis on strengths, we can support the development of learners by encouraging their self-awareness and awareness of their surroundings. This not only builds their talents, but also creates opportunities to maximise their impact in their organisation and beyond.
For more information you can contact Louise at: louise.hill@academee.com
Louise Hill has extensive management experience and worked as a consultant for several years before taking up her current role as Academee's knowledge architect. An accomplished academic, she has researched organisational behaviour and processes and applies this knowledge to key organisational challenges.
References
Bersin J (2007), 'High Impact Talent Management: Trends, Best-practices and Industry Solutions'
Blass, E., 'Talent Management: Maximising talent for business performance', Chartered Management Institute report, November 2007
Buckingham, M. & Clifton, D.O., (2005) 'Now Discover Your Strengths', Simon & Schuster.
CIPD Change Agenda 'Reflections on Talent Management', 2006
Eichinger, R.W. & Lombardo, M.M. 'Learning Agility as a Prime Indicator of Potential', Human Resource Planning, Vol. 27, No. 4, 2004
Kaplan, R.E., & Kaiser, R.B. (2006). 'The Versatile Leader: Make the Most of Your Strengths - Without Overdoing It', San Francisco: Pfeiffer
Phillips, P.S. 'What value does coaching add to talent management programmes?', Selection & Development Review, 22 (5) 2006
