What is your talent management strategy?
Several years ago, I attended a conference for all things to do with Human Resources. In the exhibition area, one vendor was handing out packets of seeds. The idea was that planting them was a good metaphor for how to help people grow. Provide a good environment; support them during their early stages of growth, give them nourishment and stimulation, and watch them mature.
The problem with the seed packets was that the information about the types of seeds was printed in tiny type on the back of the packet. I kid you not: I only just noticed them as I prepared to write this blog.
That said, there was still some vital information left off of the packet. For any seeds to benefit from the TLC (tender-loving cultivation) advised by the vendor, they must be planted in the right kind of soil, in the right place and at the right time of year. For example, acid-loving plants, such as Japanese maple, camellia, or rhododendron, die in lime-rich soil. If I wanted to plant these seeds, then I would have to search the Internet for each one to discover the optimum pH, the time of year that I should sow them, and whether they preferred full or partial sun, or shade.
What I’ve just explained sounds very familiar in business, too. Adopt a cute and catchy training method, pump up the troops, and throw some money at it. This approach won’t work for everyone, but some of it is bound to be beneficial. Then we can congratulate ourselves for taking an interest in our employees and get back to business as usual.
If this is your approach, then it’s no small wonder that your troops are demoralized. They’ve already been through several other ill-thought out training programs, just like this one.
Bruce Hoag, PhD, CPsychol
Work Psychologist
http://www.p-advantage.com
