part 5.5: so you’ve got a people strategy. um, now what?

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PART 5.2: So you’ve got a people strategy. Um, now what?How to build a high-performing organization in the 21st century.


Now you know how durned important a people strategy is.

But now it’s time to take that strategy and…


…build a holistic view of the talent management practices that will make it a reality.

For us a holistic view means finding the win-win - great

talent solutions for your people and

your organization.


1)What does our people strategy call for?

2)What is working well today? What’s missing?

3)Where should we invest? And in what order?

When thinking about your talent practices, ask yourself:


Whoa, wait. I’m super, SUPER busy, just

tell me…What do I really need to

know??


Ok, let’s break this down a bit.


1) What does your people strategy require of your talent practices?First, let’s look at the big picture. Your people strategy outlines how your people practices will support your business strategy. Now you need to define what talent processes and enablers will advance your people strategy– in other words, what talent management investments and practices will best bring that people strategy to life.

Always keep that big picture in mind, and don’t let sexy distractions like fancy new software or glitzy things-of-the-momentlead you contrary to your strategy.

Tip: We all want to be perfect, but remember that perfection is never a realistic goal. Instead, when you’re thinking about your talent plans, try and design one you can actually realistically achieve.

P E O P LE


2) Where do your talent practices stand today - and what’s next? Now, take a good hard look at each of your talent practices, and rate yourself on how well each of those talent processes support your strategic goals – you know, that big picture your people strategy has painted.

What do you already do well? How do you compare to leading practices? What gaps do you have between your current state and your desired future state?

Shameless Plug: Here at PeopleFirm, we have a nifty little tool for this, called the Talent Strategy Accelerator. It compares your current state against industry best practices, helps define where you want to go, and provides a neat little visual of where your gaps are. Bing, bang, boom. In fact, the above diagram came from the TSA. Cool, right?


For each talent practice consider:

What talent tools, practices, and processes are our people using?

Is there effort we’re making that isn’t driving return?

Are we aligned to leading practices?

How do we make room for the strategic work?

Are we delivering on our employee promise?

What great ideas should we incorporate into our approaches?

Are there efficiencies or enhancements it’s time to act on?

What could today’s technology do for us?

Do we have the right balance between self-service and full-service?


3) Where should you invest? And when? You know your gaps now, so it’s time to make a roadmap for what you’re actually going to do. But let’s be honest, you can’t do it all at once. Trust us, you need to prioritize.

Take a deep breath, take another step back, and decide what talentinitiatives are most important, now, to achieving those strategic goals.

Tip: Actually, don’t just prioritize. Also take a good hard look at other important considerations such as dependencies, sequencing, and whether or not you’re going to have to bring in internal or external help

to implement.

Here’s some things to think about when prioritizing your talent initiatives: Which investments best

support my people strategy (and my philosophy about people)?

Is there foundational work to be done – to help mature my organization?

What is it going to take – in time, effort, and money?


Let’s review.

Understand where you

are…

…and where you need to

go

Build a roadmap to that future.• Take a good hard

look at where you are today.

• Assess how well your current talent processes support your needs.

• Decide what you want your future state to look like

• Reconcile the gap between your current state and your future state.

• Build your plan to get from your current to your desired future state.

• Focus on the most important areas first – you can’t do it all at once.

Tip: remember, to succeed, this must be an organization-wide talent strategy, not just an HR initiative. It needs to be championed by management and the executive team.

You are here.

Paint the big picture

• Understand what holistic experience you want to create for your people

• Tie it back to your people strategy!


Tune in next month for PART 6 (WORK): How to use change management techniques to mitigate the angst (and disruption) of a big corporate move.

Now you know how to build a high-impact talent program. But what happens to that talent when you disrupt them – like by moving?


your people = your success.

Seattle ∙ Portland ∙ Vancouver, B.C.

www.peoplefirm.com

thanks for reading.

PeopleFirm is a consulting firm dedicated to achieving the ultimate win-win: inspired people driving inspired performance. We focus on effective tools, measurable outcomes, real results, and getting your people out of their seats and engaged in your company’s growth.

part 5.5: so you’ve got a people strategy. um, now what?

Recruiting & HR