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Why we should make talent management more messy

Systemic Talent Management views talent management, performance management and succession planning as complex, adaptive systems — unlike traditional HR approaches, which broadly treat these activities as if they were simple, linear systems. An interesting perspective on these contrasting approaches comes from Eric Abrahamson, professor of management at Columbia Business School, and David Freeman who explore...

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When is the best time to procrastinate?

Procrastination is typically a repeating cycle with four stages: Coaches and mentors can help clients break this vicious cycle by firstly helping them to recognise it, then to develop strategies for addressing each stage. When people fail to break the cycle, it is often because they address only part of it – so the process...

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Eight coaching myths and misconceptions

Since I first got ensnared by the world of coaching and mentoring, part of my learning has been to focus less on what is assumed and taken for granted and more on the question “What do we have evidence for and how valid is that evidence?” In the 1990s, I began to explore critically the...

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How naming an emotion helps manage it

Recent research at the University of North Carolina and elsewhere, into how we perceive emotions reveals that having a name for an emotion is important in both how we experience it and how we cope with it. Academic Tiffany watt Smith at Queen Mary University in London explains that “putting a name to a feeling...

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What to do if my coachee/ mentee develops a serious illness

When a coachee or mentee reveals that they have a serious illness, such as cancer or clinical depression, it can be hard to know how best to react. You want to be sympathetic, supportive and helpful, but you know that your role doesn’t encompass helping them manage their illness. Coaches and mentors in this situation...

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The impact of titles on talent performance

How you think about your job – what it contributes, how it adds value, how it links with and supports other roles – has long been associated with motivation and performance. More than 25 years ago, I invited all the staff in my company (an employee communication boutique of around 40 people) to choose their...

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Power distribution and its impact on team performance

The impact of power differentials on how teams and groups work is not as straightforward as it might seem. Having a mix of powerful and less powerful people in a team, or having a team composed entirely of powerful people can both have a negative impact on performance (Angus et al, 2016). It seems that...

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Linear versus systemic perspectives on talent and succession

In our continued work with organisations on systemic talent management strategy, we frequently find that – consciously or unconsciously – it is the mindset of the leaders and the HR team that determines what is possible and over what period. Some of the blockers relate to the process of change itself – for example, the...

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When the client’s problem is someone else

A common situation brought to coaching is that the client feels powerless to achieve change, because they believe that the problem is someone else. For example: “My manager micromanages and won’t let me get on with my work.” “My colleague is untrustworthy.” “She is impossible to work with.” The problem for the coach is firstly...

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Empathy vs compassion as a coach

Coaching textbooks are full of advice for coaches to develop their skills of empathy. It might seem to make common sense, but this advice doesn’t seem to be based on any credible evidence. In fact, the contrary may be true — empathy may be a dangerous and unhealthy addiction for the coach and an unhelpful...

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