Pete BoyleTwo things sprung to mind while watching the X Factor this weekend with the family. Firstly, the realisation that this is now the countdown to Christmas (better start stocking up on the tins of Roses!) and secondly, with the absence of a talent framework, how do organisations assess who has got the X Factor?
Viewers have now been exposed to the final twelve contestants. These range from the ultra-talented sixteen-year-old Ella to the dramatic Rylan and everything in between, all people selected by their Mentors as having the ‘X Factor. However, if we apply this to the working world, the talent range in organisations can also be as vast due to the filters that we personally assess through. It’s scary that talent without parameters can have such varied connotations.
As Leaders, there is a risk that without a robust talent framework, talent can be defined in many ways, including personality, potential, capability, confidence, and capacity. All of these sound like perfect talent headlines on paper, but the detail behind these is of the utmost importance. So taking personality for example, the behaviours that someone exhibits may be perceived as high energy by some, but annoying by others. What one person sees as a character strength, another person can see as a weakness when it’s overplayed (something SDI focuses on really well).
Convincing a Board to sit and define the wider talent agenda can be a difficult task for many. It is often a talked about subject that keeps moving down the priority list, and without the defined framework, judgement calls are made on ‘talent’ on a daily basis. Or at its worse, it’s a conversation that happens once a year and is forgotten about until the appraisal cycle is complete the following year.
Real talent management defines, identifies, develops and retains the high-performing players that will enable and sustain organisational growth and success. Nurturing this pool of people provides the greatest return on investment operationally, financially and behaviourally if gripped properly. This is no different to the Simon Cowell approach to talent development – assess them, develop them, make them compete, keep them on their toes, see who can win hearts and minds and finally, find the one that will give you the greatest commercial return.
But in all seriousness, what can organisations learn from the X Factor?
I believe it’s simple: make the talent framework public knowledge and allow people to apply. Benchmark the talent and encourage people to compete for a place and work hard to maintain that position. Provide good Mentors who can maximise their potential and be honest with them, no matter how brutal the feedback is. Finally, keep assessing the organisation’s talent to ensure the best people are in position.
So if you are an HRD struggling to get their CEO and Board to buy into an agreed talent agenda, ask them, “Do you want the equivalent of an Ella or a Rylan on your team?” that should drive some action!!!
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