Talking Talent

Work, how we define it, who does it, in what setting and leveraging what capabilities, has dramatically changed over time. In fact, given the rapidity of change a number of people currently alive have witnessed the change from the industrial age to the information age. Today they are also participants, whether willingly or not, in what is being called the Fourth Industrial Revolution and also the Augmented Age.

David and Angela talk about the changing nature of work and the impact that change will have on education, the role of cities, our political systems and what capabilities will be prized and what will have less importance. This conversation is the start of a series of conversations that will continue next season when we bring in individuals with insight into specific aspects of not only how work is changing but how it will change society and us.

Find Us At:

Website: Talkingtalent.org

Twitter: @TalkingTalent1

LinkedIn: Angela Scalpello

Email: [email protected]

Facebook Group: Talking Talent

Listen in to hear Alexandra Salas, Bpeace Program Director share her stories of how identification and assessment happens in these Bpeace programs. And learn how you can get involved too.

When Bpeace was founded in 2002, its mission was to help grow businesses in countries impacted by violence. The idea was that the path to peace was lined with jobs. Helping to grow small to medium size businesses meant that these businesses could increase revenues, and grow jobs. In turn these jobs could lift employees, the lives of their families and the communities in which they live.

The Bpeace model unites high-quality and targeted consulting by volunteers, called "Skillanthropists" with promising local job creators, whom they call Fast Runners. Therefore the identification and selection of the Fast Runner participant organizations is critical. How does Bpeace identify and assess potential? How does Bpeace marry process and relationship evaluation in making the right choice? What factors differentiate companies that make the screening "cut?" And when those selected companies go through the program, how does Bpeace ensure what they define as "ROI" or return on involvement for both the member companies and the Skillanthropists? And although this work happens in places like El Salvador, Guatemala and Lebanon, the lessons resonate for all of us who identify and assess talent, whether that is for a job, a high-potential program or some other investment or opportunity.

Find Us At:

Website: Talkingtalent.org

Twitter: @TalkingTalent1

LinkedIn: Angela Scalpello

Email: [email protected]

Facebook Group: Talking Talent

Listen to our conversation with Maribeth Fox, casting director for Laura Rosenthal Casting. Maribeth shares with our listeners how she makes the talent "match" and how she chooses among actors for the right fit for the part. She also shares how she gives feedback after auditions or call backs, a critical piece of anyone's life who manages talent and performance.

Although not many of us get to cast Jay-Z's music video for Smile or the upcoming Modern Love series for Amazon, most of us are charged with finding talent for our organizations, sports teams and otherwise.

Listen in for a behind-the-scenes look at how a talent pro finds and chooses the right person for the right role. You might be surprised at how many of Maribeth's ideas and techniques you can adopt.

Find Us At:

Website: Talkingtalent.org

Twitter: @TalkingTalent1

LinkedIn: Angela Scalpello

Email: [email protected]

Facebook Group: Talking Talent

If the goal is to learn something new or get better at what you already know, then why does so much of the time and financial investment in learning and development programs not pay off? We talk to Ian Klein, Vice President, Solution Architect at Hemsley Fraser Group, about his perspective on what has the most impact in helping individuals acquire new skills and actually change behavior. We also explore the role of the manager and coaching, and the part refreshers and reminders play in the overall process. So before you invest another half-day or more as well as significant money in a training program, listen to what an expert in developing and delivering engaging live, virtual, digital and blended learning programs has to say about making learning "stick."

Find Us At:

Website: Talkingtalent.org

Twitter: @TalkingTalent1

LinkedIn: Angela Scalpello

Email: [email protected]

Facebook Group: Talking Talent

Open positions that need to be filled are a given in any organization. Employees move on voluntarily, are asked to leave, get promoted, retire or the organization creates a new role. The question then becomes whether to look internally for a candidate or to bring in someone from outside the organization.

The choice, and the circumstances surrounding that choice are much more nuanced than might first appear to be the case. Therefore, we look at what the research suggests as well as actual examples from the business and sports world. We share stories of some of the successes of each choice as well as some of the failures, pulling out the lessons from which our listeners can learn. We also point out some of the contextual clues that can inform and guide which decision is likely the best at that specific time.

Find Us At:

Website: Talkingtalent.org

Twitter: @TalkingTalent1

LinkedIn: Angela Scalpello

Email: [email protected]

Facebook Group: Talking Talent

How does an individual handle being thrust into a position of leadership? What are the first steps they ought to take in order to be successful? We talk with Dr. Steven F. Lawson, Professor Emeritus, Rutgers University about the dramatic story of Lyndon B. Johnson's ascendancy to the presidency after the assassination of JFK on November 22nd, 1963. What can we learn from Johnson's successes and what were the pitfalls that we can avoid if we find ourselves in the role of unexpected leader?

SOUND QUALITY WARNING - Our apologies for the sound quality on this episode as there were technical issues when recording the interview.

Find Us At:

Website: Talkingtalent.org

Twitter: @TalkingTalent1

LinkedIn: Angela Scalpello

Email: [email protected]

Facebook Group: Talking Talent

Part 2 where best-selling author Annie McKee talks to Angela about how creating an environment where employees can be happy at work is what actually keeps them. Annie shares with us the importance of a sense of purpose and the chance to do something bigger than themselves. And although Annie acknowledges that while people need and deserve to paid fairly, the benefits of monetary rewards are outweighed by other factors, many of which we can influence ourselves.

Annie McKee is a best-selling author and an executive leadership coach who works with organizations on top team development and cultural change.

Find Us At:

Website: Talkingtalent.org

Twitter: @TalkingTalent1

LinkedIn: Angela Scalpello

Email: [email protected]

Facebook Group: Talking Talent

Conversation with Annie McKee, author of How to Be Happy at Work

Why do so many organizations look to financial incentive plans and rewards as a way to retain talent when the overwhelming research indicates that it creates a short-term effect and not much more? Are there better ways to increase the "stickiness" of employees to their organizations.

Listen to this two-part series about talent retention. Part 1 David and Angela discuss the concept of rewards and their limitations. They unpick the premise that you can incent and retain people with money. They look at why organizations continue to do that even in the face of evidence and experience that it doesn't work and in fact often backfires.

Find Us At:

Website: Talkingtalent.org

Twitter: @TalkingTalent1

LinkedIn: Angela Scalpello

Email: [email protected]

Facebook Group: Talking Talent

Politics exists in any organization as all of us no matter what our team or organizational composition compete for limited resources. How do you know when politics how become toxic and is impeding the organization's success? We speak with Nancy Halpern, founder of Political IQ, about how to diagnose the political dynamic within your organization and how to create a healthy environment within your team. Learn how to recast politics as strategic alliances that advance the business.

Nancy Halpern's website

MIT Team Behaviors Study

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable by Patrick Lencioni

Nonviolent Communication theory and practice

Find Us At:

Website: Talkingtalent.org

Twitter: @TalkingTalent1

LinkedIn: Angela Scalpello

Email: [email protected]

Facebook Group: Talking Talent

Are there skills, mindsets, and environmental settings that enhance learning to such a degree that they ought to be thought of as prerequisites? Join us as we talk to best selling author Doug Lemov about talent development and what we can do to create the best learning environment possible. This is not just for coaches and teachers as anyone that has to work in a collaborative setting can learn a tremendous amount about improving the feedback they give one another. Doug details important aspects of effective feedback such as how we can be specific in our praise, like Steve Kerr illustrates in his pep talk to Stephen Curry, and how to create a culture where feedback is more likely to be received positively.

Doug's books:

Teach Like a Champion 2.0 62 Techniques that Put Students on the Path to College

Practice Perfect: 42 Rules for Getting Better at Getting Better

Reading Reconsidered: A Practical Guide to Rigorous Literacy Instruction

The Coach's Guide to Teaching

Doug's website

Doug's blogs

Learn more about the late Coach John Wooden at his website

Doug's blog post on the Philadelphia Union

An article and video of Stephen Curry's pep talk to Steve Kerr.

Everyone knows that on the 3rd down, Bill Walsh is going to run the "counter tray to the right." Build your team around their strengths.

Arjen Robben's most familiar move discussed here

Find Us At:

Website: Talkingtalent.org

Twitter: @TalkingTalent1

LinkedIn: Angela Scalpello

Email: [email protected]

Facebook Group: Talking Talent