Going for Gold…Reflection on Talent Management in Organizations
Like almost every other Jamaican, I found myself in Doha, Qatar for the recent IAAF World Athletics Championships. The truth is that, as a doctoral student, I should really have been exploring the vast, evolving and somewhat contentious literature on talent management in businesses attempting to break into global markets from small countries like Jamaica. Instead I chose to conduct an unobtrusive study from my living room by painstakingly observing the performance of Jamaica’s outstanding athletes. In this article I will share some of my findings, for the benefit of my supervisor and other sceptics, and in the process make a scholarly contribution to a rather confusing area of scholarship.
The central thesis is that when it comes to talent management, there are useful insights to be gained from sports that can help us to better understand what happens or ought to happen in workplaces. To illustrate, I will focus on the two performances that had me ruminating on the more general implications of talent and talent management, that of Tajay Gayle and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. Let’s start by reflecting on Jamaica’s background in athletics.
Jamaica’s Athletics Roots
Jamaica boasts one of the largest and most famous athletic championships for boys and girls at the high school level. It is at these championship that high school students initially display their talents in hope of finding a path to fame and fortune. Traditionally, this came through the route of scholarships provided by overseas universities. However, with the improvement in our local athletic programs, some athletes elect to stay in Jamaica to continue their development. Interestingly, in recent years, I have observed that the star athletes at Boys and Girls Championships have not always transitioned to the professional athletic status that one would expect based on their performance at the high school level. These students clearly have talent as evidenced by the new thrust to not only win at ‘Champs’ as it is popularly referred but to break records. It leads to the question of how their talent is being managed especially in light of the rise of those who to the untrained eye showed far less promise at Champs.
Some organizations are more inclined to recruit persons who out rightly display star quality as opposed to those who have the potential to be developed. If an organization primarily aims to recruit stars, does it have the capacity to manage this talent thus facilitating growth which will engender continued high performance? Or will it encounter a situation similar to Champs where the star performers are eventually unable to achieve their full potential.
Within scholarly literature, there is a debate as to whether talent management is applicable to all or some employees. When talent management is applicable to all people it is considered an inclusive approach as it argues that each person has strengths which can be maximized. On the other hand, there is the exclusive view which posits that talent management is applicable to a specific group of persons considered talent. It is this exclusivity which justifies the investment of time and money on this special group. The Doha experience, however, suggests that there may be utility in organizations moving beyond the exclusive view and considering a talent management philosophy that focuses more generally on people development. This is evident for example in the story of Tajay Gayle.
In 2014, Gayle placed 26th in the long jump finals at Boys and Girls Champs. This performance would have given the impression that he does not have star quality. However, Stephen Francis of the Maximum Velocity and Power Track Club (MVP) had the perspicacity to recognize his innate potential. Francis and his team were willing to develop his talent, and both were able to reap the reward of that development on Saturday, September 28, 2019 when Gayle won the gold medal. I am not suggesting that performance is solely the responsibility of the coach. Certainly the athlete must play a role. However, the guidance of the coach is pivotal in honing the talent of the individual.
Defining Talent
Ulrich and Smallwood (2012) proposed a formula wherein Talent = competence x commitment x contribution. These three terms are multiplicative and as such all need to be present for talent to be evident. According to Ulrich and Smallwood (2012 p. 60), “competence deals with the head (being able), commitment with the hands and feet (being there), and contribution with the heart (simply being)”. Whilst the coach has a role to play in the success of the individual, the athlete also has a role to play if success is to be achieved. Two examples of talent on display in Doha using this definition can be ascribed to Tajay Gayle and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. In the qualifiers in Doha, Gayle placed 12th and barely gained a spot in the finals. However, in the finals he was able to get a place on the podium based on his competence and commitment thus making a contribution to the team. Fraser- Pryce was also able to display her talent, attaining gold after giving birth less than two years ago. This could not have been an easy feat considering what her body must have gone through. She was able to have one of the best performances in her career and this would be attributable to competence, commitment and contribution. In both cases, beyond belief in self the guidance of the coach would have been pivotal in the success attained. In my personal view, this is instructive for organizations. The leaders must have a vested interest in the people being led and create the culture that hones the talent, cultivates commitment and inspires a contribution from the team member.
Going for Gold
World Champs is over, Tajay, Shelly-Ann and Stephen (Francis) have passed the baton to those organisations willing to use the insights from sports to develop and execute their talent management practices. Organisations (large and small) should think of how they define talent, formulate a talent philosophy and put in place the processes and activities to support the development of its people. If this is done well, it should be able to maximize the potential of the employees which is the only way for businesses to get the gold medal.
