By: Ciaran Nagle, Global Marketing Manager, OND LLC
Some businesses have some scary people
working for them.
working for them.
A long time ago a talent was a unit of
currency. More specifically, it was a weight of precious metal, usually silver
or gold. It was used to buy and sell goods and to pay off annoying armies
camped outside your city wall.
currency. More specifically, it was a weight of precious metal, usually silver
or gold. It was used to buy and sell goods and to pay off annoying armies
camped outside your city wall.
It is said that in 330BC Alexander the
Great gave a reward to a Persian shepherd who had shown him a mountain pass
that would allow the Greeks to escape encirclement. He gave him 30 talents of
silver for his treachery. That event became known far and wide and, later in
history, 30 pieces of silver was used very deliberately to label someone else
for a huge betrayal. But that's another story.
Great gave a reward to a Persian shepherd who had shown him a mountain pass
that would allow the Greeks to escape encirclement. He gave him 30 talents of
silver for his treachery. That event became known far and wide and, later in
history, 30 pieces of silver was used very deliberately to label someone else
for a huge betrayal. But that's another story.
Somewhere along the line talent lost its
meaning as a unit of money and instead came to mean an innate natural strength*.
It crossed a boundary. Talent was now understood as a certain indefinable asset
that you are born with, which, if you followed its pull, would allow you to
excel in certain areas.
meaning as a unit of money and instead came to mean an innate natural strength*.
It crossed a boundary. Talent was now understood as a certain indefinable asset
that you are born with, which, if you followed its pull, would allow you to
excel in certain areas.
Origin
GREEK LATIN LATIN OLD ENGLISH
Talanton > Talentum > Talenta
> Talentan > Talent
> Talentan > Talent
(weight,
sum
sum
of
money)
money)
Fast forward to our industrial age and if
you became good at something (music, pottery, clock-making, high explosive
manufacturing) people would say 'you have a talent for it'. Natural talent and
life fulfilment were closely related.
you became good at something (music, pottery, clock-making, high explosive
manufacturing) people would say 'you have a talent for it'. Natural talent and
life fulfilment were closely related.
Then something went adrift.
By the 20th century talent had begun to
renew its connection with its original meaning. People began to use their
natural talent, not in the pursuance of life in all its richness, but in the
pursuit of riches in life. Your talent was measured in the size of your salary
check. Talent was gold. Its meaning had crossed back.
renew its connection with its original meaning. People began to use their
natural talent, not in the pursuance of life in all its richness, but in the
pursuit of riches in life. Your talent was measured in the size of your salary
check. Talent was gold. Its meaning had crossed back.
The problem for corporations - and
particularly banking and finance corporations - was that their controls and
systems were devised for a time when developing your talent still meant
becoming a great human being. When the ethos changed and sales people were told
to forget about finding their inner self and close some monster deals instead, we
grew people like Joe Jett, Nick Leeson and Jerome Kerviel. Like a scene from
Alien, banks were being torn apart by creatures from within.
particularly banking and finance corporations - was that their controls and
systems were devised for a time when developing your talent still meant
becoming a great human being. When the ethos changed and sales people were told
to forget about finding their inner self and close some monster deals instead, we
grew people like Joe Jett, Nick Leeson and Jerome Kerviel. Like a scene from
Alien, banks were being torn apart by creatures from within.
Corporate governance is still trying to
adapt to the new normal. But like a game of whack-a-mole, board directors and
compliance officers are permanently tensed up and stressed out as they tighten
their grip on the hammer and watch for the next rogue. Nobody believes there
won't be one.
adapt to the new normal. But like a game of whack-a-mole, board directors and
compliance officers are permanently tensed up and stressed out as they tighten
their grip on the hammer and watch for the next rogue. Nobody believes there
won't be one.
There is a solution to all of this. There
is a way to shrink the rib-cracking alien back inside the body corporate so you
can return to running the ship. The new human science known as teaming science
can accurately place people in work teams where they will enjoy doing exactly
what the corporation wants them to do. And nothing more. Almost all compliance
issues have been found to concern individuals - or very small groups of
individuals - who were disengaged and disaffected. They had lost any emotional connection
with their team. Teaming science can, among other great things, ensure that
this never happens. It will make sure that only the right people are recruited;
that they are placed in teams where they will be engaged and - even more
important for some managers - that as they develop their talent and become high
performers they are more likely to stay in position and not change jobs.
is a way to shrink the rib-cracking alien back inside the body corporate so you
can return to running the ship. The new human science known as teaming science
can accurately place people in work teams where they will enjoy doing exactly
what the corporation wants them to do. And nothing more. Almost all compliance
issues have been found to concern individuals - or very small groups of
individuals - who were disengaged and disaffected. They had lost any emotional connection
with their team. Teaming science can, among other great things, ensure that
this never happens. It will make sure that only the right people are recruited;
that they are placed in teams where they will be engaged and - even more
important for some managers - that as they develop their talent and become high
performers they are more likely to stay in position and not change jobs.
Recruit, engage and retain. And stay
compliant. It's no mystery.
compliant. It's no mystery.
About the Author: Ciaran was introduced to Method Teaming, OND's ground-breaking science for effective business team formation four years ago. Realizing that his marketing skills, honed at GE over 10 years, could help OND break out of their narrow client set (HPE, Big Four Consultancies) into the wider corporate world he was excited to become their world marketing head. He is based in London and can be reached at ciaran.nagle@methodteaming.com.
