Give young talent the chance to shine
One of my not-so-secret pleasures is finding talented people in junior roles and putting them into bigger ones, where they’ll be stretched. Sometimes they’ll fail, but most times, they’ll blossom. It’s not just good people management, it’s good business. It’s also my way of repaying my debt to those managers early in my career who gave me huge responsibilities and trusted me to carry them out.
Kevin Roberts has written about “Getting a foot in the door” and what young job aspirants are after: responsibility, learning, recognition and joy. The words may have changed, but they’re not so different from what I was after when I started my career.
I’ve heard older managers complain that their younger staff aren’t experienced enough or aren’t ready for greater responsibility. For goodness’ sake, have they forgotten how they got their own start? Wake up, folks! There’s a global talent shortage and you need to grow more leaders and specialists. You won’t survive by simply poaching them from your competitor. It’s a nil sum game.
You’ve got to attract and develop young talent. Select them well, train them, coach them, support them, and let them show what they can do. Sure, one or two might not succeed, but more likely they will (succeed, that is), and they’ll thank you for giving them their chance to shine.
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