What
kind of people do you like to have around you? Do you have enough confidence in
your ability and knowledge to have people around you that will challenge your
thinking, look at things from a different perspective, and help you develop the
most comprehensive and effective strategies for the future of your
organisation, department or team.
Or
would you prefer people around you who will do as they are told, just focus on
their job and be good, solid followers? Since you know your job, business and
industry best - that’s why you’re in the job in the first place.
It
seems in a tight economy, when you’d think executives and managers would be
looking for the best talent to help them challenge their thinking and maximise
the sustainable growth of their business, that organisations are in fact
preferring to play it safe and are recruiting and developing ‘talent’ that will
‘toe the line’, get on with their job and do as they are told, making
them feel better about themselves in these difficult economic times.
Let’s
face it part of the problem with corporate boards over the last fifty odd
years, is that the CEO and Chairperson often don’t want people on the board who
will actually challenge their thinking, but people who will look good on their
letterhead and who can bring some good business, publicity and/or finance there
way, but who otherwise will simply rubber stamp their strategic and
executive decisions, without asking too many questions.
There’s
no doubt that this short sighted, self-preserving way of thinking is one of the
main contributors that has stopped boards diversifying and being more
demographically representative.
When
Jim Collins wrote about having the right people on the bus, the wrong people
off the bus and the right people in the right seats – he’s left it up to the
reader to define their definition of ‘right’ – which appears to be slightly
dangerous in today’s business world.
If
organisations want to optimise their growth, the right people on the bus will
be people who besides other things, will challenge the organisations thinking;
people who will be innovative and look for ways to improve their performance
and that of the organisation. This doesn’t mean they are arrogant or rude
people who’ll burst into the CEO’s office, telling them that they’re an idiot
and ‘this is the way’ things need to change or be done.
Far
from it, as these are professional individuals, people who are ‘talented’,
which is why you recruited them in the first place and why you should want to
hear what they think. In the right organisational environment, with the right
culture, they are skilled and confident enough to give their opinion about a
subject they know something about, but talented enough to listen to other
opinions and agree on the ‘leaders’ preferred way forward after a transparent
debate.
It
was Albert Einstein who said, “I have no special talent. I am only passionately
curious” and that’s what organisations need – humble but talented people who
are passionate and curious, talent that through their curiosity will question
and challenge the way things are done – not in a nasty self-centred way, but in
a positive way that will enhance the organisations performance.
In
a fascinating article in the Harvard Business Review in May, 2010, Jean Martin
and Conrad Schmidt highlight how, “our recent research on leadership
transitions demonstrates that nearly 40% of internal job moves made by people
identified by their companies as 'high potentials' end in failure. Moreover,
disengagement within this cohort of employees has been remarkably high since
the start of the recession: In a September 2009 survey by the Corporate
Executive Board, one in three emerging stars reported feeling disengaged from
his or her company.”
If
you don’t employ talented people who you want to challenge the status quo in
your organisation, don’t be surprised when your bubble bursts. You might be
successful now, but it won’t last, as your competitors with the right
organisational approach and culture focused towards embracing talent will grow
faster and more effectively in your market place. You will probably have
forgotten about this article by then, blaming the bank for lack of financial
support or your sales team for lack of progress – but unfortunately it will be
due to your lack of effective leadership and your unwillingness to be challenged
for the right reasons – that of the growth of your business.
Finally
I’m reminded of the words of the American basketball coach, John Wooden who
said; “Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit
is self-given. Be careful.”
References
Martin,
J. and Schmidt, C. (2010). How to Keep Your Top Talent. Harvard Business
Review. [On-line: http://hbr.org/2010/05/how-to-keep-your-top-talent/ar/1: accessed
25.11.12]