Comments on: The indicator http://managingleadership.com/blog/2008/03/27/the-indicator/ The strategic role of the senior executive Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:35:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: The value of managers from the employee ranks | Managing Leadership http://managingleadership.com/blog/2008/03/27/the-indicator/#comment-4084 The value of managers from the employee ranks | Managing Leadership Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:56:21 +0000 http://managingleadership.com/blog/2008/03/27/the-indicator/#comment-4084 [...] As we noted yesterday, military officers - whatever may be their path to commissioning - tend to have self selected for their dedication to organizational vision and the personal desire to be a part of advancing it from leadership positions. In the military, mustangers do not distinguish themselves from those who follow normal commissioning paths by their superior dedication or drive - they all share that. [...] [...] As we noted yesterday, military officers - whatever may be their path to commissioning - tend to have self selected for their dedication to organizational vision and the personal desire to be a part of advancing it from leadership positions. In the military, mustangers do not distinguish themselves from those who follow normal commissioning paths by their superior dedication or drive - they all share that. [...]

]]> By: Jim Stroup http://managingleadership.com/blog/2008/03/27/the-indicator/#comment-4046 Jim Stroup Thu, 27 Mar 2008 18:50:40 +0000 http://managingleadership.com/blog/2008/03/27/the-indicator/#comment-4046 I saw that, Cam - it seems AT&T committed in 1996 to bring 5000 call center jobs back to the US from India, but they've only been able to source fewer than 2000 of them so far due to the shortage of the necessary skills - must be tech support, but how hard could it be? What's more, is there no training? Most of the tech guys I get are only reading pre-formatted solutions off of their computer screens, anyway. The item I saw didn't provide enough detail to address questions like these. Would be interesting to learn more. I saw that, Cam - it seems AT&T committed in 1996 to bring 5000 call center jobs back to the US from India, but they’ve only been able to source fewer than 2000 of them so far due to the shortage of the necessary skills - must be tech support, but how hard could it be? What’s more, is there no training? Most of the tech guys I get are only reading pre-formatted solutions off of their computer screens, anyway.

The item I saw didn’t provide enough detail to address questions like these. Would be interesting to learn more.

]]> By: Cam Beck http://managingleadership.com/blog/2008/03/27/the-indicator/#comment-4043 Cam Beck Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:55:24 +0000 http://managingleadership.com/blog/2008/03/27/the-indicator/#comment-4043 Here's something to chew on: AT&T CEO says it's hard to find "workers" with the right skills to perform basic jobs. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080327/tc_nm/att_workforce_dc Here’s something to chew on: AT&T CEO says it’s hard to find “workers” with the right skills to perform basic jobs.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080327/tc_nm/att_workforce_dc

]]> By: Jim Stroup http://managingleadership.com/blog/2008/03/27/the-indicator/#comment-4031 Jim Stroup Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:53:35 +0000 http://managingleadership.com/blog/2008/03/27/the-indicator/#comment-4031 Hello Gannon, I just read an article that underlined the international concern among senior executives about talent management. Their solution? Review their compensation and retention packages. It just never ends. Designing a thorough and intelligently structured management (and professional) development program such as you propose is the ultimate solution. And it isn't even rocket science, although it does take thought and attention. Even your suggestion that many larger companies can find ways to fill their regular requirements for positions that have no internal development pipeline is doable with creativity and confidence in your own staff - and the military does that all the time, also. All sorts of positions that have special technical or command aspects to them, and no natural career path developing potential occupants, are nevertheless filled from within. Typically, the military only brings in outside civilian specialists under particular circumstances where they want to be sure valuable external perspectives are captured and exploited. Doing this on a by-exception - rather than routine - basis may be optimal for a lot of civilian organizations as well. Still, a lot of these large organizations are going to view such an effort as effectively redundant, as they believe it can be more cheaply "outsourced" to educational institutions or candidates' own previous work experience. This is a false economy. Then, there are a lot of other firms which believe (usually due to a lack of effort) that they can't afford their own internal program - so they feel forced to shop for talent from outside. So, we probably have two issues here: 1) how to help organizations screen for good talent, and 2) how to encourage them to cultivate as much of it from within as possible. Thanks, Gannon, for your visit, and for injecting this into the conversation! Hello Gannon,

I just read an article that underlined the international concern among senior executives about talent management. Their solution? Review their compensation and retention packages.

It just never ends. Designing a thorough and intelligently structured management (and professional) development program such as you propose is the ultimate solution. And it isn’t even rocket science, although it does take thought and attention.

Even your suggestion that many larger companies can find ways to fill their regular requirements for positions that have no internal development pipeline is doable with creativity and confidence in your own staff - and the military does that all the time, also. All sorts of positions that have special technical or command aspects to them, and no natural career path developing potential occupants, are nevertheless filled from within.

Typically, the military only brings in outside civilian specialists under particular circumstances where they want to be sure valuable external perspectives are captured and exploited. Doing this on a by-exception - rather than routine - basis may be optimal for a lot of civilian organizations as well.

Still, a lot of these large organizations are going to view such an effort as effectively redundant, as they believe it can be more cheaply “outsourced” to educational institutions or candidates’ own previous work experience. This is a false economy.

Then, there are a lot of other firms which believe (usually due to a lack of effort) that they can’t afford their own internal program - so they feel forced to shop for talent from outside.

So, we probably have two issues here: 1) how to help organizations screen for good talent, and 2) how to encourage them to cultivate as much of it from within as possible.

Thanks, Gannon, for your visit, and for injecting this into the conversation!

]]> By: Gannon Beck http://managingleadership.com/blog/2008/03/27/the-indicator/#comment-4019 Gannon Beck Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:38:04 +0000 http://managingleadership.com/blog/2008/03/27/the-indicator/#comment-4019 Perhaps part of the solution is to take another tactic from the military; instead of looking for leadership talent, work to develop it through training and mentorship. Perhaps not every business has the entry level positions to give employees a place to start and develop, but I bet most businesses can think of ways to accomplish this if they give it active thought. Perhaps part of the solution is to take another tactic from the military; instead of looking for leadership talent, work to develop it through training and mentorship. Perhaps not every business has the entry level positions to give employees a place to start and develop, but I bet most businesses can think of ways to accomplish this if they give it active thought.

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