Talent Development

We changed the name of the personnel department to Talent Management Group so now let’s change the term we now call Succession Planning to Talent Development Group or Talent Management Development. It is our job, at Innovative Leadership, that we wake companies up to the fact that there is a shortfall in the skills of our newly appointed managers or our hires with management potential.

Talent Management Development, as we now call Succession Planning, is an overall process that focuses on the commitment to productivity, performance, and passion with the overall effectiveness of the organization and peopled development as the defined outcome.

Let’s look at the facts:
• One in five C Level members are eligible for retirement right now
• Almost 50% of the US Government workforce is eligible to retire now
• 55% of today’s registered nurses can be expected to retire within three to fifteen years

The statistics coupled with the fact that a January 2006 study by Manpower finds that 44% of employers are experiencing difficulty today finding employees with the right skills. These facts along with the ever-changing demands of a highly competitive marketplace will not solve our problems or satisfy our needs. We need to focus on the development of people not the replacement of bodies. This is the only way a company will be able to sustain growth and be competitive.

Some of the tell tale signs for needing a Talent Development Process are:
• Workers complain that promotions are made unfairly
• The time it takes to fill positions is too long
• Company does not know when the key employees plan to depart
• Key employees leaving at a faster rate than the average performer


It is important that Talent Management and Development processes start now. Do not wait to start developing this process, START TODAY! Here are my highly recommend steps:

1. Create a vision and expectation from your leadership team regarding people development.
2. Develop competency models that will focus on the core skill set that will lead to the success of the individual and the effectiveness of the company.
3. Make sure that you have a Performance Management System in place that focuses on performance and development, not just one.
4. Implement a Performance Coaching or Mentoring Program to foster individual growth and development coupled with shared knowledge
5. Use a variety of assessment tools designed for individual and organizational development coupled with the use of competency and leadership modeling.
6. Implement the use of a Developmental Plan (or Achievement Plan as I like to call it) and incorporate it as the most important aspect of the Performance Appraisal Process.
7. Formalize a plan that uses quarterly developmental counseling sessions with the individual and their manager and his manager
8. Create a Talent Management Pool based on strengths or the individual and the potential of the individual.
9. Monitor the Talent Development Process to make sure the pool is growing or the flow of talent achieving higher positions and reaching their goals
10. Make Talent Management part of your annual Strategic Planning process with analysis and progress noted no less than semi-annually.

I really believe that our under-estimation of this Talent Management Process will be the downfall of many a small to mid-size company. Don’t over-look your need for talent and it’s the talent in the management and leadership positions that will make the difference.


Article written by Richard J. Hohmann Jr., Senior Business and Management Consultant for Innovative Leadership, a performance improvement company that integrates business consultation, training and development, and coaching with Leadership and Strategic/Forward Thinking to enhance organizational effectiveness and people development. Richard is a member of the Collaboration Team for Leadership Management International and a strategic partner with the accounting firm of Fitzpatrick, Bongiovanni, & Kelly, PC.For more information visit www.ILDV.org