“Talent Conversations and Leadership Development” - Professor M.S.Rao

"As leaders shift their focus to customers and quality, they realize that the old authoritarian leadership style does not work anymore. To achieve quality, service, and rapid response, leaders must utilize all available talent. They must find ways to inspire, involve, and empower employees. They must create a work environment that encourages commitment, innovation, and cooperation. Instead of evaluating, leaders now coach. Instead of doing, they delegate. Instead of telling, they facilitate. No one is expected to boss anyone. Everyone is expected to participate." - Dr. Suzanne Willis Zoglio

The term ‘Talent Conversations’ sounds strange right! It has been highlighted by Roland Smith and Michael Campbell, who authored the book titled, Talent Conversations: What They Are, Why They’re Crucial, and How To Do Them Right.

Talent Conversations is a subset of talent management. It is the process wherein the superiors have a dialogue with their subordinates by handholding, motivating and grooming them as leaders and managers and also by imparting various skills, abilities and knowledge. It is also known as touch time as superiors stay in touch with their subordinates by investing their precious time to raise the spark among their employees and develop them as competent professionals. It helps employees grow well, and deliver goods effectively within the organization.

Importance of Talent Conversations

Talent Conversations help connect superiors with subordinates at the workplace quickly. It is the need of the hour as these days most of the bosses talk about performance and results rather than guiding their subordinates. Hence, emphasizing on the career growth of employees though Talent Conversations builds bridges between superiors and subordinates and it ultimately paves the way for organizational excellence and effectiveness. Nowadays, employees prefer to work with supervisors and leaders who handhold them, guide them and groom them as leaders.

Talent Conversations is a win-win for both superiors and subordinates as superiors not only earn respect but also get the tasks executively successfully from their subordinates and subordinates can also grow quickly in their careers by working with such superiors.

Current Scenario

It is unfortunate that most of the entrepreneurs are presently more interested in generating business and less interested in developing the talent. There are some companies who grew in terms of generating their revenues but failed to nurture their precious human resources thus hitting the rock bottom later. Therefore, the leaders, entrepreneurs and supervisors must focus on Talent Conversations to encourage their talent and retain the same for their organizational excellence and effectiveness. It helps in building the leadership pipeline and encourages employee engagement and employee loyalty towards the organization.

Talent Conversations is an integral part of coaching and leadership development. Especially, coaches can make use of this tool to tap the hidden potential among the coachees and nurture the same thus bringing behavioral changes and enhancing performance. Hence, companies must engage passionate coaches to nurture the talent. To conclude, Talent Conversations is an amazing tool to develop the talent within your organization and build the leaders around you. Hence, use this tool effectively to achieve greater organizational success.

“The greatest good you can do for another is not just share your riches, but to reveal to him, his own.” - Benjamin Disraeli

Professor M.S.Rao

Founder, MSR Leadership Consultants, India

Email: profmsr7@gmail.com

Blog: http://profmsr.blogspot.com

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