I've come to the current view that some organisations just don't really get what talent in the workplace is all about. Gordon Brown stated - "Each and every one of us has a talent and every one of us ahould be able to use that talent". Marcus Buckingham has put forward the case for allowing people to focus on their strengths. I'm not sure I get it fully yet as my thoughts are continuing to evolve but I truly believe that it is far too easy to get trapped into a linear approach of focusing totally on short-term learning and application of skills, knowledge and behaviours. L&D responds and delivers to this and that's great but how do we know that we are truly getting the best from our people? For that matter, how do we identify their potential? Managers in my current organisation are similar to others I have worked for in that they don't make the time to engage employees and draw out their best qualities and abilities, let alone develop them. They are too stretched and focused on the now.