Anyone who has the task of selecting and developing leaders from within the organization will agree with the idea that promoting from the inside to fill existing positions can at times be risky politically, but will often result in a better outcomes. However, it doesn’t just start when a leadership position becomes available. It is responsibility of leaders at every level to be preparing the next generation of leaders to come.  The decisions and actions you make regarding talent identification and development will have a lasting impact on the business.  In addition, your involvement in this critical task will help exceptional team members maximize their full potential and be fully engaged.

If you recognize that identifying and developing future talent within the organization is something you need to start doing, or simply do more of, here are a few questions to consider.

1. What are the leadership qualities, competencies, and characteristics required for success in a current or future position of leadership at your organization?
2. Who do you think has leadership potential that you would like to consider for development?
3. What specific technical, managerial, and leadership behaviors and indicators have you observed in this person that indicates leadership potential?
4. How does your management team and/or others involved feel about the leadership potential of this person?  What strengths and weaknesses do they see in this person that you need to consider?
5. Do you know what this person’s career aspirations are?  If so, what are they and will he/she be interested in development activities?
6. How committed will this be person to working on developmental assignments?

Using these questions as a guide, you will be more successful in identifying talent to drive the organization forward and prepared to being the development process.

The above quote was taken from a participant’s evaluation during a recent  Applied Strategic Thinking session conducted by CMOE.  It stood out to me because I hadn’t realized that the term “strategy” had developed into an overused buzz word used in the business world.  After some doing some research, I quickly discovered that this participant’s statement was correct.  There are hundreds of workshops and learning solutions on the topic of business strategy, and thousands upon thousands of books, blogs, and articles about this topic, as well.  It is clear that a good portion of the information available is misusing the term “strategy.”  So what was it that differentiates all the available information on strategy from CMOE’s information?  Perhaps this participant said it best with the phrase, “a way of operating through life.”  As I scanned a number of sources, I noticed that most of the material suggests that strategy is simply forward thinking.  CMOE’s concept of strategy is more defined and well-rounded.  True strategy involves learning from the patterns and lessons from the past (yours or others), thinking and formulating a defined path forward, and acting with boldness and courage as you implement your strategy. Each of the three elements are necessary to becoming a strategic force. This form of strategy can be applied in all areas of life as you identify opportunities and face that come your way.

Next time you hear someone use the word “strategy,” process the thought and consider if it’s being used in the right context or has been used inappropriately as a convenient, catchy word.  Strategy is not destined for the buzzword graveyard, so take some time to understand what it means.

Is technology hindering our face-to-face ability to communicate? Although the ability to text and e-mail is terribly convenient in a world where time is so vital, is it allowing people to avoid conflict? Although these technological mediums are important, we need to remember how important it is to use face-to-face contact. It is important to have this face-to-face to reduce ambiguity and clearly be able to work through situations that inevitably will arise.

As the younger “texting” generation becomes more integrated into the work place, a greater need to focus on face-to-face communication will become vital. The ability to negotiate problems and handle situations up front and strategically will be critical for the success of your business.

To Read full article: http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/28/do-you-feel-awkward-talking-to-your-friends-in-person/

Here are six simple steps you can take:

1. Learn something about the people you are trying to establish credibility with. What are their goals, challenges, and needs?
2. Constantly seek to understand the people you interact with, ask good questions, get to know as much about them as possible. It will come in handy for steps 3-5.
3. Leverage your understanding by sharing a “theme” early in an interaction that indicates you’ve “done your homework” before meeting with them. (e.g. “I read”, I noticed”, or ” I, like you, believe in…”)
4. Communicate the “potential value” you offer this person in a simple, concise way. (Think of it like an “elevator speech” something you can give in 1 minute or less)
5. Your message should answer 3 questions at the same time (what you do, how you do it, and what value is potentially in it for the other person)
6. Be prepared with examples to support your message and position your experience and expertise.

Credibility has a very short life span. It needs to be nurtured and refreshed constantly. The steps above should be used over and over again with practice and perseverance.