Do you know where your missing talent is?

Internal marketing is often overlooked in strategy sessions and top management priorities.  Marketing your message to employees, supply chains, investors and current customers are often neglected if not avoided altogether in the mad dash for new customers.  But organizations thrive because of their  CURRENT stakeholders and many of those stakeholders resent being taken for granted. 

They need reassurance, talking points to virally market your company to the many, many people they can influence face to face.  Including themselves!  Do you face a talent shortage in an innovative marketplace?

Many organizations continue to face a talent shortage even when the headcount is right. There are enough people, but not enough of the right talent mix. Great talent comes into the organization and a few years later, if not properly developed and trained, that talent will be out the door. Not a lot of discussion about it, they will just leave and take their skills to an organization that cares about who they are and how they can develop their talent.

According to the Wall Street Journal (1/28/08), “Companies haven’t been grooming talent and training enough employees for promotions and now have a mismatch of talent.” It is like the organization is wearing mismatched socks, right colors, wrong pattern.

Retaining, motivating and developing talent is the job of a good leader.  And good leaders are needed at every level of management -- from the board room to the maintenance room.  With today's high tech platform, every job has become (or should become) more talent based as tools are leveraged with insight, observation and innovative problem solving.

Ten Talent Tips

1. Understand future needs of the organization and business units
2. Have a method in place to identify key talent
3. Give existing talent stretch assignments for development
4. Reshuffle roles in the organization, people will learn new areas
5. Make training and development a priority, even in the tough times
6. Find out what skills are missing and fill the gaps
7. Acknowledge and appreciate the great talent that you have
8. Re-look at your mission and vision, are they bold enough to attract and retain?
9. Implement coaching for development
10. Become a mentor to aspiring talent

These talent tips from Valarie Willis at Bluepoint Leadership Development are part of the internal marketing -- part of social responsibility to your own family.  Don't let your company or organization suffer from the "cobbler's family had no shoes" syndrome.  Bringing your message to your people can reap long term profitability and vitality far beyond the marketplace!  

RESOURCE:  Bluepointleadership.com