WK4 Discussion Board: Talent within an Organization

This week focuses on learning program strategies to help with managing talent within the organization.
Most executives would agree that identifying, retaining, and growing talent within their organizations is
critical for success.

 Is talent being overlooked within your organization?

 How would you advocate for continual talent development?
 Explain and provide specific examples to support your response.

Unfortunately, there is a tremendous amount of talent being overlooked, not being utilized, and not
reaching its full potential within or around the workplace today. I believe this to be due to the amount of
unavailable valuable, customary workers for hire, strong ideas or suggestions not being carried out by
executives, and employee talents’ not being explored in other areas for their skills to be improved
professionally. “In its study, i4cp found a total of five primary drivers, and three of those can be considered
bottom-line business issues: the need to execute strategies, the need to stay competitive, and the need to
serve customers” (Oaks, p. 787).
There have been a few individuals within my organization that have had their talents overlooked in the past,
with ideas they may have had to make changes to procedures or suggestions they made pertaining to the
construction of products. This was either un-noticed by supervisors because of a failure to see the worth in
all employees equally or miscommunicated by the stuffy atmosphere that is created by the individuals that
work within this organization. “The best performing companies are considerably more likely than average to
focus talent management on all jobs in their organizations, and they’re considerably less likely than
average to focus exclusively on senior executives or high potential talent” (p. 789). Although employees
have remained loyal to the company, some for many years, they still feel that they cannot express their
talents to their full potential and as a result, do not pursue advancing their skills any further within or out of
the organization.

In advocating for continual talent development, I would organize meetings where employees, team leaders,
and supervisors could meet in groups on a monthly basis to discuss talents that stand out within groups
and also individually on a weekly basis to discuss each employee’s talents for its benefit within the
organization as well. Not only would this allow the company to openly communicate about talents as they
are related to the future successes of cultural relations, performance, financial progress, and consumer
satisfaction, but it would give all workers within the organization the opportunity to come to terms with a
proper talent management system.
Oaks, K. (2008). ASTD handbook for workplace learning professionals. (pg.781-796). Alexandria, VA.
Association for Talent Development.