Marc Effron’s Post

Great points raised here Marc Effron! Too many talent strategies lack depth and actionable steps. One question to consider: How can people leaders ensure that their talent strategies not only address immediate needs but also anticipate future challenges in an evolving workforce landscape with AI being so disruptive in the talent space?

The best way I've seen to develop leaders to deliver strategic business results is through bottom line results-focused action learning. To be more specific, to "increase product innovation within each brand" as in your example, you could run a 13-week action learning program where three teams of 5-7 emerging leaders each deliver a product innovation outcome, while at the same each individual time takes on a role or task on their project that is more personally developmental for them. Each team has an executive sponsor who has crafted the bottom line outcome, and works with the team throughou the 13 weeks. The teams all launch together, regroup in the middle to share experiences and feedback, and all present together at a closing workshop. The individuals learn about achiving that strategy through hands-on experience, and the organization learns from them about how it is blocking product innovation. Having emerging leaders deliver bottom-line results cuts through the "activity focus" of most strategies, where everything is focused on setting the stage (analyze processes, improve culture, develop rewards, etc.) and no actual results are achieved.

Pretty good Strategic HR Management concept called as Talent Strategy. This is real HR work, of impacting business rather than performing laundry list of HR Activities with no connection to business impact or where they are going. One important lesson is HR needs to have that weight to ask and probe business strategy to uncover ultimate talent strategy that will define real HR Performance Goals. Goes without saying, it will be easier said than done…

Totally agree with this 4 step approach to developing and executing a talent strategy. I have also often seen HR “solutions” that are assumed to produce business results. You have to start with the business results and move backwards from there to define the valuable outcomes whoch will lead to the desired business results. I have also found the practice of developing a talent management scorecard with objectives, KPIs, and targets mapped to the organizational scorecard a good way to ensure alignment, track progress, and demonstrate value. The biggest challenge I have faced is the leadership team typically tries to push many more objectives on the people team than they can realistically accomplish with their resources. It’s critically important to keep pushing for the top 3 measurable outcomes and agree to the resourcing and support required.

Marc, thanks for bringing this to the top of our minds. Starting with the business strategy, drivers of success and the talent needed to develop it and execute on it is always job #1. Socializing the plan and involving senior leaders (from all functions) in developing the plan, could perhaps even be elevated to its own critical step.

Great advice!