In few companies has the senior team agreed on a clearly defined talent philosophy– their “rules of the road” for how talent should be managed. This means that every executive is managing talent according to his or her personal talent philosophy. The damaging consequence is that you are building very different cultures and capabilities across your organization. Some leaders may tell high potentials of their status while others may not. Some leaders may believe that poor leadership behaviors should be punished while others may choose to turn a blind eye. In short the lack of a talent philosophy means you’ll never be able to consistently produce the type of talent and culture your organization requires.

A talent philosophy is the foundation for every talent practice in your organization. It details your executive team’s point of view on performance, behaviors, accountability, transparency, and differentiation. That clear point of view means that managers can easily explain the outcomes of talent processes and employees know that talent decisions are made using a consistently and equitably applied approach.

We’ve built and implemented talent philosophies for large and small clients around the world and across industries. Contact us for more information about how to clarify your company’s “rules of the road” for managing talent.