Make talent management part of your business plan

You have a business plan and a strategic roadmap that outlines your key business priorities and goals.  You know which levers are the most critical to the success of your business.

You have a talent management strategy that discusses and reviews the capabilities and potential of your people.  This talent strategy identifies succession plans and highlights your top talent.

These are  two of the most important leadership cornerstones. And often, while we allocate time and attention to them in our planning process, we do so separately, as two distinct processes. Therein lies the trap.

The business planning cycle usually coincides with the budget, designed to launch at the begin of the fiscal year. The talent  management process is often scheduled at a different time - As managers we see talent management as a different priority. The fact is, it is part of the  same priority. Understanding the key levers and priorities which will drive the results of your business is step one.  Then understand which positions in your organization are critical to the success of those priorities.

Use your talent management work to assess if your best people are in the most critical jobs, and set a gameplan in motion for that winning formula!