Marshall Goldsmith Library: A Conversation About Talent Page 1 of 3

TALENT MANAGEMENT MAGAZINE

A Conversation About Talent

by Marshall Goldsmith

I recently participated in an online discussion with readers of The

Washington Post, in which I answered questions about business
leadership strategies. I want to share some of my distilled
thoughts from that conversation about what I feel are some of the
most important workforce issues.

The Next Generation

A few inquiries related to the people who are entering or are

about to enter the workforce. One of the folks in the discussion
asked a somewhat pointed question about how to manage this
“me” generation (I thought baby boomers had the rights to that
designation) which is “used to being coddled” and only has “the
desire to do what they want.”

Needless to say, I don’t necessarily agree with this

characterization. In fact, I think it can be challenging and
refreshing to manage people who are honest about having self-
interest. After all, this is supposed to be a capitalist country, and
the essence of capitalism is self-interest. Thus, why shouldn’t this
group focus on its own?

Also, the world they’re growing up in is far different than the

world of their parents, and even older siblings. Younger workers
face global competition that is far different than the competition
we faced. For example, I recently went to India, where there are
hundreds of thousands of very smart, very hungry young people
who speak fluent English.

Young workers in the United States, India and around the world
have a realistic view of the business environment. It’s tough out
there! They’re well aware of the current economic turmoil and the
challenges of globalization. They have no belief that corporations
will “take care” of them, nor should they. The key to building
teamwork with this group is to focus on building positive, win-win

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relationships so both parties see the benefit.

Leadership Development

Another popular topic was how to develop top-notch leaders. One

of the participants in the discussion asked about specific
individuals who exemplified what business leadership should be.

I get this question a lot, and I invariably point to Frances

Hesselbein, former CEO of the Girl Scouts of America, who
management expert Peter Drucker called the best executive in the
world. Her leadership traits included caring more about her
mission than herself, involving everyone around her in the
success of the organization and caring about her staff and her
customers -- in this case, young girls.

Related questions touched on the subject of which qualities make

for great leaders. My response: Great leaders should ask for
feedback, not just from their superiors, but even their colleagues
and direct reports. They listen to what others have say, learn
from their comments and follow up to ensure positive, long-term
change.

Employee Motivation

Correlating to the previous areas, a third theme emerged in our

conversation: motivating employees. One person asked how to
inspire workers to continue doing well and to let them know
they’re appreciated, especially when they get larger workloads.

Given this challenge, it’s more critical than ever for organizations
to have high-quality management. One of the most important
factors in employee morale is the person’s immediate manager. A
great manager can make a huge difference in employee
motivation. Managers should recognize people, treat them with
respect, show appreciation and let employees know how much
they care about their priorities and concerns.

The key to success in leading people is not the just the qualities of
the leader; it’s also the people being led. One of the best
executives I ever had the pleasure of working with had a sign on
his desk that said, “Leadership is not about ME. It is about THEM!”
This is why he is such a great leader.
Although I only had so much time to devote to this very
interesting and engaging discussion, I’m always interested in
talking about the way people interact, improve and perform within

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organizations. If you have any questions or comments, shoot me

a note anytime

Dr. Marshall Goldsmith's 24 books include "What Got You

Here Won't Get You There" - a New York Times best-seller,
Wall Street Journal #1 business book and Harold Longman
Award winner for Business Book of the Year. His latest
book "Succession: Are You Ready?" - is the newest edition
to the Harvard Business 'Memo to the CEO' series. His
personal website,
http://www.marshallgoldsmithlibrary.com/, contains
hundreds of his articles and videos.

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