Talent development

Well-executed talent development is an obvious way to manage the demand for skilled specialists, where organizations develop their own specialists, project managers and leaders so that they possess the right and relevant skills. That's why interest in talent and talent development is growing steadily.

But what is talent and how exactly do you understand talent development?
We'll tell you more about that here and focus on how we can help you.

What is talent development?

The demand for skilled specialists, project managers and leaders is increasing. And many Danish organizations - both public and private - are struggling to attract and retain enough employees.

Well-executed talent development is an obvious way to address the problem of organizations developing their own specialists, project managers and leaders to ensure they have the right and relevant skills. That's why interest in talent and talent development is steadily increasing.

But what is talent and how exactly should talent development be understood?

"Talent" was originally a unit of weight. Then it became a unit of currency. And it wasn't until the 17th century that talent began to refer to specific abilities and characteristics. In recent decades, the focus on talent and talent development has grown significantly. Especially after McKinsey launched their "War for Talent" paradigm in the 1990s, arguing that organizations are at war with each other for the most talented employees.

Talent and talent development

The widespread use of the word talent has made it difficult to define what talent is and where it exists. Generally speaking, there are three different ways of looking at talent and talent development:

The first sees talent as an innate potential that is, roughly speaking, visible in the DNA. Thus, it is the person's innate DNA that determines whether or not they are a talent in an area. The idea is appealing and easy to understand; if the organization is able to discover, identify and attract talent better than the competition, they will win the "war for talent". The focus is on headhunting, high pay and better benefits.

The other sees talent as a mutable entity that you can influence. When you train and practice, you can elevate your abilities and skills - all it takes is enough effort. The paradigm concentrates more on devising and designing training courses and programs than on finding those who possess innate talent.

The third builds on the first two, but believes that talent is more dependent on environment and context than individual ability. Furthermore, talent is socially conditioned, meaning that you only become a talent when others give you that label. No test can determine talent on its own. At LEAD, we believe in this third talent paradigm.

Benefits of good talent development

Getting serious about talent development has a number of benefits. At a time when large generations are retiring and smaller generations are entering the workforce, it's very beneficial to be able to develop your own specialists, project managers and leaders. It's difficult to bring in the best and brightest from other organizations, and even if these employees deliver great results in one place, they may not be able to transfer the same success to a new workplace. Furthermore, it can accelerate a zero-sum game, especially in the public sector, if some municipalities or regions manage to attract or attach employees and managers from other municipalities and regions - for example, at a higher salary. Because when a gap closes in one place, a new one opens up somewhere else.

By focusing on talent development instead, you train and develop your employees within the organization's own context, allowing them to learn business-critical knowledge during talent programs and test whether the next organizational level is right for them. In addition, offering an internal career path can strengthen an organization's ability to retain employees and leaders and lower the risk of them wanting to move on to other organizations.

LEAD's approach to talent development

At LEAD, we believe that talent development is largely dependent on the environment and context. Therefore, we help design and implement talent programmes that seek to strengthen the talent environment in your organization, rather than focusing unilaterally on the highly talented.

We believe in the environmental understanding because it is the one that the latest research agrees is most appropriate. Partly because the concept of talent is often associated with something select and elitist, which can be difficult to reconcile with - especially in a Danish context. By moving away from old-fashioned understandings of talent and talent development, we also experience that the support and organizational rooting of talent development and programs grows.

We build our talent development work according to a four-step model:

We start by clarifying the talent philosophy that exists - consciously or unconsciously - in your organization

Then we create a clear talent strategy

Only then do we select methods to design and implement the talent program

And on that basis, we can create strategic value for your organization.

Inspiration

Talent development

Presentations

Inspiring research-based presentation on talent development for specialists, project managers or executives

Sparring

Sparring and advice on how to approach talent development

Program

Design and implement talent programs in your organization

Testimonials and references

"The consultants are highly professional and committed, and they ensure that we are constantly adjusting and improving. We have increased focus on the fact that development is not just about physical location, but also about inspiring the talents to work with learning in their everyday lives - so that the organization they are part of also benefits from the development activities. For example, we have created training and practice tracks. A project that has had a really good effect and that everyone supports."

"We were looking for a partner who worked in a structured way and who was up to date with the latest management knowledge. And that's what we got. We find that the collaboration provides us with knowledge that we don't have or haven't seen ourselves - and our managers are inspired."

"It has been a fantastic process, where a lot of committed management colleagues from other North Jutland municipalities and administrations have helped create a strong network and new knowledge."

"A BIG thank you from here for a course that has offered relevant themes in the field of leadership, which has challenged and further developed my leadership for the benefit of the core task. Great recognition to the competent LEAD people for inspiring input on leadership in complexity, and not least for super good leadership of the course to Kristian Aagaard Dahl. Last but not least, my management network has been expanded and enriched!"

Previously

TALENT NORTH

How do you develop the leaders who will future-proof the solution of future municipal and regional tasks throughout North Jutland? LEAD is collaborating with nine North Jutland municipalities and the North Denmark Region to solve this important challenge. The collaboration is called "Talent Nord" and the ambition is to jointly develop the leaders of the future in North Jutland. Participants are managers of employees and managers of managers who have the ambition and will to take the step towards the next management challenge in one of the participating municipalities or in the North Denmark Region. The program runs for one year and alternates between classroom training and apprenticeships in their own organization, where each talent is assigned two mentors who will support the talent throughout the program.

Read more about Talent North here

THISTED MUNICIPALITY

In collaboration with Thisted Municipality, LEAD has developed a pre-management talent program for employees who are interested in and have the potential to become managers. The purpose of the program is to build a talent pool of potential leaders to take on a leadership position in Thisted Kommune. This talent pool will help ensure that Thisted Municipality continues to be able to solve the challenges facing the organization both now and in the future. The program is built around a Leadership Pipeline mindset of the right leadership at the right level and is tailored to Thisted Municipality's leadership foundation. The leadership talents are assigned a mentor who is tasked with supporting the leadership talent throughout the program and continuously challenging the talent with strategically important leadership tasks that will contribute to the leadership talent's development. The leadership talents also regularly participate in network groups across the organization, where they work in depth with the professional themes in the course and translate this into concrete practice in their own part of the organization.

ESBJERG MUNICIPALITY

Esbjerg Municipality has launched an ambitious vision for the municipality to become Denmark's new growth center by 2020. As part of the realization of this vision, LEAD, in collaboration with Esbjerg Municipality, has developed a leadership talent development program for managers of managers and managers of employees. The purpose of the program is to ensure that the organization can develop leaders who have the potential to exercise leadership at a higher management level in the organization. The aim is to increase the number of qualified applicants for management positions, especially at management levels 3 and 4, who can contribute to the realization of the organization's overall vision 2020. As part of the work to strengthen the talents' competencies to exercise leadership at the next level, they are apprenticed to 1) their immediate manager and 2) a manager from another part of the organization throughout the process. During the apprenticeship, the talent takes on specific, relevant management tasks from their immediate manager and mentor's tables, and they receive ongoing feedback on the transition to the new role. The talent therefore participates in the practice that characterizes the management level they are moving towards and thereby builds their own management skills in practice. The program also places great emphasis on building talented learning environments. This means that the talents are also responsible for mentoring 1-2 managers/employees from their own part of the organization. In this way, talent development trickles down the pipeline and contributes to the general competence development in the organization.

SKANDERBORG MUNICIPALITY

In collaboration with Skanderborg Municipality, LEAD has developed a pre-leadership talent program for employees who are assessed by their own manager as potential leaders, and where there is a desire on the part of the individual employee to clarify and equip themselves to be a leader of employees. The purpose of the program is: To spot, clarify and develop employees with the potential to become leaders of employees To clarify personal motivation and points of attention in relation to becoming employee managers To equip the selected employees for the leadership task as managers of employees. The program consists of 3 training modules where the participants use concrete tools to clarify whether the leadership role is the right way to go and build basic competencies to be able to handle the job as a manager of employees. During the program, the individual participant is supported through coaching, as well as management internships and mentoring. A mentor's primary task is to be a sparring partner for the mentee in such a way that the mentor's own experiences are brought into play. The purpose is to help the mentee clarify and clarify some of their questions about the challenges of the management job. As the focus is on the leadership role, the mentee will not necessarily have the same professional background as the mentor.

MODERNIZATION MANAGEMENT

The role change from employee to manager is typically the biggest challenge for the pre-manager. Results were previously achieved by using their own professionalism and expertise, but must now be created through employees and their professionalism and expertise. At the same time, the management task is becoming more and more complex as changes, increasing demands for documentation, results and efficiency are part of everyday life. Today, it is no longer enough for government leaders to be strong civil servants - they must be able to show trust and delegate while using management information to control quality and performance. To meet these increasing demands, LEAD has collaborated with the Agency for Modernization on a development program for employees who have the potential to become leaders of employees. The development program is designed to equip pre-leaders to take on a leadership task full of dilemmas, where they master diverse skills and leadership roles. Managers must be able to plan to ensure efficient resource utilization, and they must be able to adapt the strategic direction to changes. The program consists of a kick-off, 3 modules and a final exam. In addition, the program includes learning-supportive coaching conversations, self-assessment and AL group meetings consisting of participants in the program to create a safe and reflective framework for learning.

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If you have any doubts, let me call you with personal guidance

Ole Mathorne

Senior Consultant

PhD, MSc in Physical Education and Health

Talent development

What is talent development?

Talent and talent development

Benefits of good talent development

LEAD's approach to talent development

Inspiration

Talent development

Presentations

Sparring

Program

Testimonials and references

Meet the consulting team

Ole Mathorne

Rasmus Engelbrecht

Mette Tange

Josefine Dilling Linneberg

If you have any doubts, let me call you with personal guidance

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