The organization-employee relationship has undergone, and continues to undergo, a profound evolutionary and generational shift. Thinking of organizations as machines and people as filling slots in them doesn’t fit with today’s fast-paced innovation economy. Employees at all levels need to take personal initiative and be nimble and creative. Younger generations are accustomed to being more independent and are able and eager to find needed information and create applications.

2. They try to “drive” results from the top down.

The idea of driving behavior as if people were cattle isn’t effective and promotes a culture of dependence. Such strategies focus on what management or the organization is doing to fire up its employees. The reality is that employees have the talent. Workers need a culture that encourages them to discover it and the self-motivation to apply it.

3. They focus on “high-potential” candidates and ignore others.

When talent development comes from the top down, management’s available time and resources limit its scope. As a result, resources focus on “high potentials.” Picking a few winners among a large
workforce creates an “us-them” dynamic, which undermines engagement and diminishes critically-needed contributions from everyone else.

4. They create transactional relationships, which prompt employees to withhold rather than offer their best.

The cash for tasks approach to encouraging employees to apply their talents triggers fearful behavior. In that kind of environment, people are loathe to take risks and often keep knowledge and inventive practices to themselves in order to keep a competitive edge. Everything is a negotiation that no worker wants to lose.

5. High levels of disengagement and unused talent remain.

If traditional approaches were working, we’d see better results. Instead, levels of disengagement remain persistently high. Based upon a Gallup survey of U.S. workers in 2011, 95 million employees are not engaged or actively disengaged. What’s more, even high performers in excellent organizations tell us that 30 to 40 percent of their talent remains untapped. Since people don’t join organizations with the intention of being unhappy or unfulfilled, it’s time for a change.

The Signs of Disengagement

Do you see signs of disengagement in your workplace? If talk around the coffee machine is more about a late-night TV show or latest sports event than about the business,  that’s a clue. Another sign is if employees look to the supervisor or manager for direction rather than taking the initiative themselves. Yet other signs are illness and absenteeism. Now, you may say, “But, that’s just typical for most businesses.” True, but as we note on page 7 of “Take Charge of Your Talent,” that’s why the latest Gallup survey results (2011) report 71% of U.S. workers are not engaged in their work or are actively disengaged. Disengagement is truly an epidemic in today’s businesses.

The Causes

What are the causes of disengagement? If people start off eager and enthusiastic, what happens? Disengagement frequently arises from traditional top-down management approaches. The more managers try to “drive” results, the less engaged people feel. Today’s workforce, especially up and coming generations, want to be in charge of their work.

The Solutions

What can employers do? First, recognize that it’s the employees who have the talent. Their self-motivation is critical for engagement and success. While managers can try to rally the troops, the inspiration and commitment needs to come from deep within the employees themselves. How do you unlock such talent and commitment? The first key is to engage employees in talking about their hopes and aspirations for their work and why those are important to them. The second key is to have tools to accelerate through obstacles in achieving their results. This isn’t about the manager taking responsibility for making everything easy for them and giving them the answers. That breeds dependency, which actually worsens disengagement. Rather, it’s helping employees think about the resources and opportunities that they can access to find the answers themselves. Finally, the third key entails employees focusing upon how to turn what they learn and do into concrete career assets for themselves and their organization. When people write up what they learn or create something that they can share with others, they boost their personal brand and provide value to the organization. This stimulates a spirit of shared responsibility, shared opportunity, and shared results. In short, the employees build a take charge talent culture in which everyone can win and engagement thrives.

1. Think it through–not just on your own but with someone else.

Left on our own, it’s easy for any of us to get caught up in wishful thinking or debilitating fears — or to vacillate unproductively between the two. Find a friend, coworker, or family member who is willing to listen to you and support your hopes without being judgmental or directive. It’s your talent, and you need to be the one taking charge of it. The latest insights from neuroscience and psychology and decades of experience have shown us that, carefully pursued, this conversation can explore the person’s hopes, identify opportunities, and initiate productive actions. We call it a Talent Catalyst Conversation because in about an hour it stimulates fresh thinking and accelerates action. (See Key #1: Power Up Your Talent Story.)

2. Plan how you will tap the resources and opportunities to pursue your aspirations.

Starting a second career in a different field is like a business making a huge shift into a new market. It takes thoughtful planning and diligent efforts to tap the resources you have and reach out to
others in creative and productive ways. You need what we call a Resource Power Up that expands your resources, makes more complete use of them, and, like fast track software development, creates ”mash ups” to connect them for faster results. When you are ready, take 15 or 20 minutes to prepare your action plan.

In answering a few key questions — what you want to accomplish, why, how, with whom, when, and with what resources and reports to others, you will have an outline that you can share with others and follow to get rolling. (See Key #2: Accelerate Through Obstacles.)

3. Create and test your new “brand” to see how it sells.

Will people perceive and support your new direction? It’s like Tony, an example in the book, who wanted to shift out of a management role in a specialized field where he’d been for decades into a broader general manager role. He had a personal “brand” problem. He needed to rebrand himself from a specialty line manager into a general manager. Tony used the following formula to shift
others’ perceptions and get the job he wanted. Personal brand + proof points = opportunities. We worked this equation backwards with Tony. He wanted general manager opportunities. So, what brand would he need to project in order to support that objective? Instead of Tony the specialty line manager, others would need to see him as Tony the problem solver with abilities that can cover a range of issues. He needed not only to express that brand but also to provide concrete proof points that would support it.

As an example, Tony wrote up a case study of one of the critical problems he led his department to solve. He highlighted how the problem solving approach worked and how others could apply it in different areas. This began to boost Tony’s credibility as a general manager and converted what was in his head into a valuable problem solving asset he brought to his new general manager job. (This is one of the tools in Key #3: Multiply the Payoffs for Yourself and Others.)

So, what are the problems with typical resolutions and goals? First, many goals stir fear rather than hope for people. “Will I be successful or will this be another failure?” Neuroscience research shows that a fearful frame of mind shuts down the creative and constructive thinking we need to develop new approaches and sustain our commitments. Second, consciously or unconsciously, people often adopt other people’s expectations of them as their goals rather than pursuing their own aspirations. “My boss really wants me to take that new job.” “My partner thinks I should do more with my talent.” In short, people try to live someone else’s talent story rather than be the hero of their own. As a result, their resolutions and goals lack the sustaining self-motivation for real staying power. Third, obstacles get in the way and people don’t find ways to get around them. “I could have accomplished my resolution or goal, but [I didn't get the resources I needed, my boss didn't support me, or any of a myriad of other impediments].”

Should people give up on setting resolutions and goals? No, they can be successful when they start from a different place with a positive frame of mind and the necessary support to create a solid foundation. How? First, they need to realize that their situations are stories, and they can write the next chapters in them. While the past is set, the future is theirs to design, and they, and only they, can become the heroes of their talent stories. Second, they need to articulate their own hopes and why those are important to them to become clear about what truly motivates them–not someone’s expectations for them. Third, they need people to be catalysts to stimulate fresh thinking and creative solutions. Setting goals is not done best as a solo sport. A colleague, co-worker, friend, or family member can be an effective catalyst. Such a catalyst needs to ask key, open-ended questions (such as “What are your hopes?”), reflect back what the person says, and support the person as he or she takes the initiative to identify desirable actions. Following a carefully-designed conversational script, participants can develop a clear direction and set of desired actions in about an hour.

Achieving real results is about more than setting goals, however. It also includes identifying the inner qualities, resources, and healthy stretches that the person needs to engage for true success and personal fulfillment. Translating personal growth into concrete career assets to share with others builds a take-charge talent culture that multiplies the payoffs for everyone involved.

May 2013 be your best year yet.

1.  I will connect with my deepest hopes. Fears block your best thinking. Your hopes encourage creative, constructive outcomes. Surround yourself with people and objects that remind you of your hopes. Choose your hopes over your fears. 

2. I will get my “but” out of my own way. Every time you express your hopes and add a “but” about why you can’t realize them, you drain your own energy and squash possibilities. Every obstacle you encounter is an opportunity to use your talent, not to negate it.

3. I will craft an inspirational story with myself in the lead. When you tell the story of where you are and where you want to be at the end of this year, what character are you playing? Are you a victim, a bystander, or are you the hero. We live by the stories we tell, so tell a good one.

4. I will grab opportunities to grow. Chances are that in order to realize your hopes for the new year you are going to need to learn and grow. Be willing to let go of some things to become more.

5. I will complete the 100 Resource Challenge. All of your accomplishments come through productive use of your resources: the people, places, and things that surround you. Start a master list of the resources you see; add to it daily until you reach 100. No matter limited you may feel, there are many resources you can tap.

6. I will use my resources to the fullest. Make sure you get the most from each of your resources. Learn what your technology can do for you. Tap into the skills you enjoy using. Make big requests of others. People love to contribute. Give them lots of opportunities.

7. I will challenge myself to stretch. Think of what you are comfortable doing and then go a little further. Find that place where excited meets nervous. Stretching increases your vitality and your sense of what’s possible.

Bob had been having financial challenges for years.  He got into trouble for unpaid taxes and, although he was able to keep an agreement for repayment by borrowing money from friends, things seemed be going from bad to worse.  This financial predicament and the fears it created cast a cloud over Bob’s life and work.

A Talent Catalyst Conversation guided Bob to step out of his fears – not ignore them, but rather to see what he really wanted for himself and others. In response to the question, “What are your hopes?” Bob expressed a deep desire to create a powerful mentor/coach program for young people who were having a difficult time moving from childhood to adulthood without getting into trouble.

Fueled by something he could work towards, Bob gave his all to the project. By the end of his third year, he achieved some major results: he could afford an office outside his home and had helped more than a hundred young people and their families. Parents were bringing their kids to see him from hundreds of miles away. He had even started a training program for other youth coaches.

The last time we spoke Bob acknowledged that finances were still a struggle. He found himself in a cycle where there would be one or two good months followed by one or two lean months.  He was proud of the work he was doing, but wasn’t sure what he could do to end the cycle of “being on the edge.”

As I often do when I work with people who find themselves stuck, I asked about his resources. He could think of many resources, but in each instance he stated that he couldn’t afford to do anything with them; there just wasn’t the money.

One of the things we spoke about was engaging a public relations firm to help him get newspaper and magazine articles, blog pieces written, TV and radio interviews. He realized that he was ready for that kind of media exposure, and that indeed, it could make all the difference, BUT there just wasn’t the money.

“Are you going to let the resources you don’t have, blind you to the resources you do have?” I asked.  “Who do you know that could at least help you have a conversation with a PR person; just to see if they thought they could help you?”

“Now that I think of it, my friend Alice is helping people at a couple of PR firms.”

Amazing!  Bob spoke with Alice that same day.  She thought it was a great idea and set up an appointment immediately.  She even thought it was possible that the PR firm would want to take on the project pro bono because it was such a worthwhile cause.

Alice, as a resource, had been there the entire time, just hidden behind money: the resource that he didn’t have.

Question: What amazing resources do you have that are hiding behind the resources you are sure you don’t have.

• alarm clock, shower, clothes, coffee, and keys
• car, train, traffic reports, roads, and parking lot
• arms, legs, eyes, ears, and hands

In so many cases where life has become routine, we take those resources for granted.  It’s only when we lose our keys, or the alarm doesn’t go off, or the car won’t start that we appreciate how important those resources are to our success.

What about situations that are not routine; things of a more creative nature that you are not sure how to accomplish?

Take the case of J.K Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, who 15 years ago was a single mom struggling to get by financially and now is one of the wealthiest women in the world.  What resources do you imagine she needed to use to accomplish that?

Certainly she needed writing equipment: paper, pen, computer, and printer. She also needed publishing  resources: an agent, editor, publisher, artist, bookstores, on line book sellers.  Of course, she needed all the resources related to the film industry. She needed her writing skills and  imagination.

She also needed her life experiences. By her own account, it was her reaction to her mother’s death that transformed the series from a simple child’s fantasy to a profound exploration of different characters’ relationships with death.

She also needed to call on important inner resources like persistence, courage, and creativity.

We often limit what we think is possible because we’ve lost sight of the scope and depth of the resources around us and within us.

Want to play with this idea?

1. Identify one of your “routine” accomplishments (i.e. making breakfast, taking a shower, arriving at work on time) and try to see how many resources you actually need to get it done.
2. Contemplate your deepest hopes and look to see what resources you need to realize them.

Please let us know what you discover.

But what’s the exchange rate for your talent? Foreign currency exchange rates change daily, but fortunately, when it comes to your talent, the exchange rate is constant.
Your talent = Your life

That’s right! It doesn’t matter whether you’re trading your talent at work, in the community, or with your family. When you exercise your talent, what you get in return is your life.

Fran felt impoverished. “I feel stuck in a staff job in the audit department,” she lamented. “The pay’s OK, but there’s so much more that I want to do in my career. I want to be a leader and know that I’m ready.” Fran didn’t settle for a lousy exchange rate on her talent. She explored options with a Talent Catalyst in a lively conversation. With a fresh perspective and focused action plan, Fran converted her hopes into results. She started acting like the leader she wanted to be. Within a year, she was a supervisor with five people on her team.

Are you getting a great exchange rate on your talent? Would you like something better? Think of a time in your life when you were exercising your talent. What were you doing? What parts of you were you using? Who was benefitting? What exactly were you feeling? Were you feeling fully alive?

You may notice that there is another very important aspect to your talent: it’s abundant. When you exchange it for your life, you still have plenty left.

So you’ve got choices to make with your talent: you can bury it and forget it’s even there, you can dole it out sparingly as though it were a rare commodity, or you can spend it freely know that it is a renewable resource with a great exchange rate.

Do you have an example of how you exchanged your talent and got your life in return?

We begin our Talent Catalyst conversations with this simple question: “What are your hopes?”
Here are a few reasons why it’s a great question:

1. It’s fresh. Although it might seem rather basic, it’s not a question we are asked very often. We remember asking one senior executive the question and his immediate response was, “Wow, you don’t mess around!”
2. It’s expansive. We’re used to getting questions that are more targeted: what are your goals, what’s the deliverable, what’s the objective, when will you have that done. These are all useful questions when executing a plan, but the Hopes question takes a step back and asks you to wonder about the bigger picture. Initially, it is meant not to make final decisions, but to create possibilities.
3. It’s forward looking. It is asking what you want to move towards, not what you want to move away from. It is asking about a future with an open canvas, not one that has been decided by the past. This kind of question stimulates the most creative parts of our brains.
4. It’s a question that improves with time. In the Talent Catalyst Conversation we ask the Hope question twice. The first time you hear the question you give the best response that you can. As you explore the concerns, resources, and growth opportunities that naturally flow from the question, your response to the hope question becomes even clearer.

How it works
Asking people about their hopes and why they are important to them stimulates a cascade of positive dynamics. What we call the virtuous cycle of hope creates a sense of possibility. In turn, this sense of possibility opens our minds to the resources available to us. With a greater awareness of resources, we have more energy and confidence to act. The following diagram illustrates the cycle.

Virtuous Cycle of Hope

This cycle is also self-reinforcing. When we are hopeful, we see more opportunities and take more constructive actions, which create more of what we hoped would occur. This encourages us to pursue more resources and actions.
You can validate this cycle for yourself. Take a few minutes to answer the following questions.

Hopes in action for you
Describe what the following are like when you have a hopeful frame of mind:
Your thoughts:
Your feelings:
Your behaviors:
Your effectiveness with others:
Do you recognize the pattern for yourself? Do you see how having a hopeful frame of mind will make a difference for you?
So why not try it out? If you haven’t been asked the question recently, ask it of yourself. With or without the whole Talent Catalyst Conversation, it’s bound to stir up something interesting. Or ask someone you love. What could be a better expression of authentic care than posing this question to your kids, your spouse, your parents, or your friends?
Wellsprings of Talent will help you plumb the depths of your hopes and translate your aspirations into reality.

The meeting is not unusual.  The dominant theme at many talent development conferences and in the current literature is about how business objectives must drive talent development.  The model is top-down, command and control.  “The company needs the following results, and we design our talent development programs to deliver them.  Our throughput is ____ and our metrics show ____ level of retention and application.”  Purveyors of such programs have a mechanistic view of how people engage in the organizations.  It’s like Newtonian physics.  For each action, there is a reaction.

Are you trying to drive your people?

It would make complete sense, except that people aren’t machines and don’t like to be “driven” like cattle.  Certainly, such programs have a role for transferring knowledge and helping people learn how to complete routine tasks.  However, they aren’t likely to get the breakthroughs in new ideas and genuine engagement that we need for innovation and growth of both organizations and their human capital.

When companies pursue engagement from the perspective of how do we get employees to contribute more than what they are being paid for (i.e. discretionary effort), they have lost right out of gate.  This transactional view of engagement stimulates a shortsighted response from employees.  “OK, I’ve got my skills.  You’re my employer.  How are we going to barter?  What’s the deal?”

Wellsprings of Talent takes a different tack to move talent development from a transactional paradigm to a generative paradigm.  Based upon the near universal desire of people to tap more of their own talent and experience the resulting satisfaction, we provide ways to help them put their yearnings into action.  This generative view shifts the dynamic.  “I want to use my talents.  I want to expand what I can accomplish.  How can my employment be a forum for me to do that?  How can we make it work for both me and my employer?”

Here is a critical choice for organizations.  How much of a command-control structure do we need to insure that we can deliver outstanding results?  How much can we work with people and their generative nature and trust that things will work out…perhaps even better than we could have imagined?  How much of each of these paradigms is right for us?  The companies that give lip service to engagement but lean heavily on command and control are seen right through and the efforts flounder.  Firms wonder, “Why isn’t it working?”   It’s because the underlying ethos, and more importantly practices, don’t support self-generated engagement.

When people get into transactional mode, it triggers their fearful brain.  Everything is a negotiation.  “What are you going to give me for my extra effort?  Is it fair?  Who’s going to come out ahead?  Who’s in charge?  Do I like him or her?”  That line of thinking takes us to the wrong set of questions.  They won’t help us get to our best work.  But, organizations sure spend a lot of time on these issues and questions.

Even positive answers to the transactional questions won’t be fulfilling.  For example, so what if the deal is fair?  Lack of fairness can kill motivation, but fairness doesn’t inspire it.  The transactional view fixes attention on all of the wrong things.  The generative view focuses on what I am doing to identify, develop, apply, and celebrate what I can contribute.  How am I reaching and connecting with my coworkers and others to accomplish that?

Tap sustaining self-motivation

When we are in a generative place, we’re looking for how to make things better not only for ourselves but also for other people.  Our spirits are full.  “This is working for us, how is it working for our coworkers, our boss, and our organization?”  We can take this stand when we choose to come from a place of deep engagement and tap our best thinking.

The generative view has a strong foundation in the latest scientific understandings of how natural systems such as beehives and flowing streams adapt, shift, and organize themselves.  This alternative organizational paradigm emerging from the work of Margaret Wheatley [see, for example, Leadership and the New Science  (Berrett-Koehler, 1999)] and others invites us to unleash the human capacity for self-organization.

More recently, Daniel Pink has challenged the traditional transactional assumptions that incentives yield performance in his book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us (Riverhead, 2011).  He notes that while piecework production responds to monetary incentives, today’s knowledge workers don’t.  They seek autonomy, mastery, and purpose.

When, organizations honestly embrace helping employees develop the talents that they are inspired to use, they gain a powerful, self-motivated workforce.