DDI’s Talent Management Intelligence

You Built It - Did They Come?

By Mark Dembo

Recently, I’ve been working with a large organization helping them identify the development needs for key executives in a part of the business, with the desired end goal of ensuring that they are creating a solid plan for succession management, and that they have a steady stream of ready-now leaders. This organization prides itself on the quality of its leaders, and has received wide recognition for its leadership development programs.

I've worked on many projects like this and they are particularly rewarding, especially when you see adoption of programs throughout the organization. However, sometimes organizations subscribe to a “If you build it, they will come” school of thought when it comes to creating talent management processes

Instead of excitement, leaders ask—“Why did you build this? Who asked for this? Ugh – yet another thing I’ve got to deal with! I’ve already got enough on my plate: I’m working harder than ever before with fewer resources: now you want me to do this development planning thing, and also coach all of my team on how to take charge of their careers? Why do I want to develop my people so they can go and leave for another business unit, or for another organization altogether? I’ll do it because I have to–so I can check the box and say it’s done. Another HR “flavor of the month” fad that will fade soon enough."

When greeted with this type of response, what’s the missing link that could truly have business impact? Involving the business line leaders in the formulation of the strategy? Enlisting their active support by articulating clear links between talent management and the needs of their business? Demonstrating how developing organizational talent provides overall organizational benefit?  

Unless talent management initiatives are linked to the needs of the business, showing a logical path from business strategies and goals to processes and tools to desired outcomes, any initiative is destined to be a “check the box” activity rather than one that can truly impact the business.

Mark Dembo is a manager for Development Dimensions International (DDI).

Cultural Imagination Meets Talent Strategy

By Philippe Cavat

On October 6th I chaired the fifth meeting of the Club des Talents (in French, or view the English description), a French Club for HR professionals to share, enrich and develop an innovative approach to talent management.

The Club now brings together 45 heads of talent management from multinational organizations (such as Accor, Axa, Gdfsuez, EADS, Lafarge, Renault, SNCF, Total). Each event offers the opportunity to ‘Think Outside the Box’ and re-think talent management from an artistic, political, sociological, economic or philosophic point of view and allows members the time to challenge, reflect and consider their talent management strategies from an alternative perspective.

Let me tell you more about our last get together (in French, or view English transcript).

From the setting to the speakers, everything was coordinated to disconnect members from their daily reality and take them out of their comfort zone. We met in the movie theater of the French civilization museum, “Le Quai Branly”, and listened to storytellers from different continents. Questions were put to anthropologist, Marc Abélès, well known for his work on globalization, in an effort to explore and understand unusual cultures and mythologies.

I then asked the club to think about the impact of ‘cultural imagination’ on the way we think and its effect on individual and collective performance within our own organizations. This sparked some energized conversations and members were able to break-away from the constrained European centric ways of thinking and look at cultural diversity in a more creative way.

Valérie Languille (BPCE Head of Talent Management) said: “I am in an organization which is currently in the middle of a merger. Listening to storytellers from African or Inuit communities, shows us the importance of story-telling. To illustrate what we are doing together, what we want to be together, and also reminisce together about our past to imagine a common future together.” 

Please share--how have you examined culture in your talent programs?

Philippe Cavat, Managing Director Development Dimensions International (DDI) France & President of the Club des Talents

A Country Music Classic Turned Workplace Reality

By Craig Irons

The workplace is a demoralizing environment. Bosses are jerks. Employees feel trapped. Their debts are piled high. There’s trouble on the home front. 

Sounds like the plight of today’s American worker. But, as you may remember, we’ve heard it all before:  More than three decades ago in the late Johnny Paycheck’s country song, “Take This Job and Shove It."

Paycheck’s rowdy workingman anthem, which was written by fellow country music outlaw David Allan Coe, was a huge hit in the late 1970s, in no small part because it gave voice to an undercurrent of workplace angst that rang true for millions of people. 

Now, “Take This Job and Shove It” is again reflective of the times. In fact, any leader who really believes all of his or her team members are just happy to be working in this down job market, and are therefore engaged in their jobs, needs to revisit and listen closely to this song. 

The crude proclamation of the chorus is the hook, but the real story is revealed in the verses. The protagonist has toiled in the job for 15 years, and he harbors genuine disdain for his foreman he describes as “a regular dog” and the line boss with the flattop haircut who “thinks he’s cool.” He’s busting to get out and relishes the thought of seeing the look on his supervisors’ faces when he announces that he’s walking out the door for good.

When all is said and done, however, our disgruntled worker doesn’t go anywhere.  Because he lacks the guts? No. It’s because he can’t afford to quit. He stays in the job because he needs it. And our recent “Pulse of the Workforce” survey demonstrates that most people will only stay until something better comes along.

And that is the lesson modern-day leaders need to take from this timeless country song.  Your silently unhappy employees aren’t going to tell you what you can do with the job. At least not today, anyway. But once the job market rebounds, all bets are off.

What are you doing now to prevent it from happening?

Craig Irons is the editor of GO magazine for Development Dimensions International (DDI).

Trick or . . . Recognition?

By Matt Collins

Halloween - scary costumes, decorations, pumpkins, hay rides and CANDY!  If you’d polled children on Saturday to find out their favorite aspect of Halloween, they'd almost assuredly have put candy in the number one spot.  But wait a second—why are the kids so excited? Don't they have candy all the time? 

Think about how this relates to employee recognition. You've probably been to houses during Halloween that load up your kids pillowcases with fistfuls of penny-a-piece hard. In these cases, the quantity of candy your child is receiving is much greater than average. But whoa! The next guy gave them each a king size candy bar!  Squeals of delight from the pirate and princess for something really memorable.

How much "candy" does it take for workers to feel they are valued?

For some employees, receiving frequent recognition is important to help them stay engaged in their job.  For others, they value the type of recognition more so than how often it occurs. The important thing is to ensure that you are determining the proper blend of recognition needs for your culture and individual employees. 

Now that Halloween is over, and the candy has been put away, are the kids in sweets withdrawal? Do your employees feel that same void when recognition for their efforts is overshadowed by economic worries and survival mode commentary? 

DDI's recently released survey, "Pulse of the Workforce", indicated that 42 percent of individual contributors feel as though their efforts are going unrecognized.  Of those, three in five say they will look for another job when the economy improves (four times the amount of those who do feel recognized).  What is your organization doing to avoid falling into this trap? 

Recall the reactions of kids you know this weekend as they received their favorite or not-so-favorite types of candy.  Then think about how your coworkers will react if you can identify the type of recognition that motivates them, and supply them accordingly. Don't just shower your coworkers with a bag of mixed goodies—send them their favorite sweets every now and then. They'll appreciate it, and maybe even send you some back. 

Matt Collins is marketing and sales coordinator for Development Dimensions International (DDI).