Our People Are Our Leaving Assets

Spotting and developing talent within organisations By Steve Botham

Have you ever been to a hotel or restaurant where everything they do convinces you never to return? They actively turn you into a non-customer.

Some managers are like that - they turn staff into leavers, creating team conflict, low energy levels, and resistance to change - and often lose all credibility with their teams. They become huge risks to their organisation, losing customers and opportunities and creating inefficiencies.

Persuading potential stars to stay

The demographic challenges described elsewhere in Catalyst are such that good organisations are seriously re-assessing the critical role leaders must play in spotting and releasing talent. These 'new' leaders are authentic, trustworthy and credible. They envision, inspire and energise. They create a dynamic work environment and foster a development culture - employees are given objective feedback, poor performance is challenged, and jobs are learning opportunities.

The performance of these leaders needs to be measured, not in terms of their personal contribution to projects or meetings, but in the contribution of their team. With the increasing diversity of our workforces this becomes a growing challenge. They need to be more humble, more questioning, more involving to get a team from a wide variety of backgrounds to gel and contribute strongly. To do this they should recognise that, not only are relationships with the whole team essential, but their real impact comes from finding the particular way to motivate and challenge each of the individuals within that team.

A new perspective on potential

Given the new business imperative to retain and develop talent, organisations need to take a different perspective on potential. It is no longer simply about someone with the ability to be promoted in twelve months - important as this is. Nor should the focus be just on younger workers. The vast majority of the 2025 workforce is already in place - most of the untapped talent lies in the people already employed but previously overlooked. It also includes people with technical skills who may no longer be suited to a management role but whose technical mastery needs encouraging. It may be someone who is two to three years away from promotion, but will always be two to three years away unless action is taken now. It may simply be someone who can be stretched in their current role. Most development comes on the job - it is hands on, practical and stretching - and is made really valuable when the experience is thoroughly reviewed.

Getting the best out of people

People development and a broad use of talents needs more impactful leadership. Some organisations will only change when it becomes a matter of survival; but changing people, cultures and ways of working take time - let's hope it's not too late! Those who aspire to lead must give more time to getting the best from their people - it is an essential part of the job and not something that can be squeezed into discretionary time. Southwest Airlines in the US has been a great commercial success for many years in a most competitive market. Their success is driven by their high capability as employers - former CEO Herb Kelleher says "I always felt that you shouldn't have to change your personality when you come to work, so we decided we are going to hire good people and let them be themselves - let them be individualistic."

Steve Botham, a Director at Caret, has a background in senior roles across many sectors, including Financial Services, The Motor Industry and Higher Education.  In his work with Chief Executives and their teams he believes success comes through effectively managing the people elements of change and growth.

For any enquiry please send us an email at enquires@caret.co.uk

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