Disclosure: I saw an early version of the first chapter of this book and encouraged Mark to finish the book and then eagerly awaited its publication.
Allen has written a fable about the process of hiring, developing, retaining, and creating a culture that not only says, “People are our most valuable asset,” but shows how to put action behind those words. The book is based on 13 Talent Management Principles.
Full of wisdom, practical insights, and how-tos the book is told in an engaging story format. We follow Maria Green the newly hired CPO of Capital View, a large consulting organization, as she uses each of the 13 talent management principles to train her CEO and company leadership on how to better engage their talent. Each chapter is dedicated to how she addresses problems that are common to organizations and offers the key principle for resolving each one. At the end of each chapter there is an “Organizational Assessment” and “Questions for Personal Reflection” that can be used to assist your organization on how to address the highlighted principle of the chapter.
One of the first issues Allen addresses is my own pet peeve (and perhaps those of others), which is the term “human resources.” Personally, I like to think of myself as a person with skills, talents, emotions, intellect, and even baggage that I bring to an organization, rather than a resource the organization has acquired like a drum of oil or a factory machine.
The concepts in this book are easy to digest, the format provides the reader with an example for incorporating the principles into the workplace, and the story is engaging. It’s a quick read and well worth the time for anyone interested in developing the talent in their organization.
