TALENT MANAGEMENT 101
Jack Ovel is the new market president for Bank of America’s Kansas City region. In an interview with the Kansas City Business Journal , James Dornbrook asked Ovel about how the new opportunity came together. I found his response to be quite interesting (“Newsmaker: Honesty Will Take You a Long Way” December 6, 2013, p. 11):
“ My goal and the goal of the company . . . is if I’m effective and contributing and things are working the way we want them to, I’m excited to be a part of it. If at any time it’s not working the way it should be, then I need to face that reality. ”
In Ovel’s response, I see three excellent fundamentals of talent management:
Common Goals. If a potential employee’s goals have no overlap with a potential employer’s goals, then entering into a work arrangement would have no lasting value. Both employers and employees probably need to do a better job articulating this. When shared goals exist, then tremendous synergy happens and everyone goes further together than they would have alone.
Genuine Excitement. When employees are effectively contributing to their employer, genuine excitement arises. Employee engagement is maximized because people are working well together and there is a sense of fulfillment. Teamwork, productivity, company growth, and professional growth all increase. This is the ideal situation.
Talent Transitioning. Nothing lasts forever. Both employers and employees need to initiate talent transition when necessary. The impetus might arise more from one party than the other, but either way, the situation must be engaged. It might be a mutual decision. Even if it is not, both parties must respect each other enough to embrace the change in a positive manner.
