“Our people are our most important asset.” I think most companies would agree with this statement, certainly those working in service industries. But how do we view our talent, as people deserving of Cultivation or Conquest?
If we look to Cultivate our people…
We see their talents and contribution as just a starting point. We look beyond today to imagine their future potential. We thoughtful consider the person’s interests and ambitions. And sometimes, the potential we see outweighs their own vision – those are my very favorite conversations!
I recently spoke with someone interested to join a different company. When I asked what drew him to explore new opportunities, this high potential leader said he wanted to learn and increase his comp. Well, he’d been here for quite a few years… his desire was understandable. But when I shared what I thought was possible for him here, he reconsidered! In fact, this guy hadn’t considered some of the avenues for growth that I saw for his future. He became reinvigorated and so did I, because now I get to cultivate his development in exciting directions.
On the other hand, if we see our people as Conquests…
We hire them and pay them for what they do today. People are viewed as resources who fill skill and capability needs in our business. It’s sensible and at a basic level, what we are paid to do. Yet I think this functional mindset is inevitably felt by people, and over time, it fails to inspire commitment. Because while folks are compensated for what they contribute, they can’t help but feel used. Right? That’s what we do with resources: we use them.
Do you find yourself using phrases like “Can we use him on the new account?” or “The client loves her, we simply can’t move her.” While there’s success to be had in matching people to fitting jobs and client needs, we should beware not to stop there. We must extend our sight lines and think longer term. Because if we don’t cultivate our talent, they’ll eventually go somewhere that does.
For related articles, check out:
- The power of communication
- The value of consistent leadership
- Why the good ones leave – how to retain top talent
#talent #leadership #peoplemanagement #agency