TM - February 2008 - (Page 12)

[human performance] by Harold D. Stolovitch Ph.D., CPT T T Achievement Motivation: T op T alent at Any Age he buzzword “talent” has fixated us on a hunt for persons who possess special abilities essential for organizational success. But what exactly are we looking for? Talent literature offers an array of definitions from ethereal and heroic to pragmatic, which, from a bottom-line perspective, is in line with workplace performance. ance. They obtain raises and promotions more rapidly than others. What Does Achievement Motivation Look Like? Long before talent management became high profile, research was being conducted on how best to achieve workplace success. David C. McClelland of Harvard Long before talent University was at the forefront, investigating management became high high achievement motiprofile, research was being vation (AM) people, their characteristics and their conducted on how best to accomplishments. He achieve workplace success. and his colleagues found high AMs: • Are driven to achieve superior results. • Set challenging, but realistically attainable goals. • Are not gamblers, choosing to focus on what they can influence rather than depend on chance. • Accept a degree of risk as long as their efforts affect results. • Are aggressive in pursuit of excellence. • Are more excited by personal accomplishment than extrinsic rewards. • Are more turned on by workplace success than praise. • Crave specific feedback on their efforts and accomplishments, not their social attributes. According to McClelland, organizations that recruit high AMs and manage them well experience superior growth and greater productivity. These driven individuals spend much of their time thinking about ways to improve their perform- Thelma is 23 years old and fresh out of university with a business degree. She is in her second full-time job. Her focus is commercial real estate development, where she perceives vast opportunities. She envisions what she will do with the first million dollars she accumulates. She of leftover frozen turkeys? It’s unheard of in the industry. And let me tell you about this new opportunity. I figure I can move 50 boxcars of …” When Leo asked his boss when he was going to be let go because of age, the reply was, “Never!” AM is readily identified. There are projective tests and behavior-based questionnaires for this purpose, and studies have found high AM to be strongly correlated with workplace success. Researchers in a 2004 Human Performance study concluded, “Organizations in highpaced environments that are looking for people to take on entrepre- About the author Harold D. Stolovitch, Ph.D., is a principal of HSA Learning & Performance Solutions LLC and is an emeritus professor of instructional and performance technology at the Université de Montréal. He can be reached at editor@TalentMgt.com. left her first job because she felt she had achieved all she could there. She accepted a position initially paying less, but understood how smart this move was. She is awaiting her first bonus check, which is almost twice what she earned last year. She is in line for a promotion to a large venture team and is already planning her next conquest. Mark is an exceptional luxury auto salesperson. At 47, he has attained legendary status. His average sales are 40 to 50 units per month, which places him in an elite category. In his own words, “I live for my work. I make lots of money for the dealership and for myself. So far, I haven’t had a chance to spend much of it. But, I have a new strategic sales plan…” Leo is 88 and still at work four days a week. His passion as a meat purveyor for a large packing company is putting together special deals. “Do you know I made 16 cents a pound in a deal of more than 80,000 pounds neurial roles … to help drive innovation within the firm may wish to use AM as one of the several selection criteria … AM can have substantial consequences because there are multiple opportunities for an individual to exhibit achievement-oriented behavior over his or her lifetime.” AM is not generation bound. It may transform itself over a lifetime based on experience, need and circumstances. As in Leo’s case, it contributes throughout a lengthy career. As Cato the Elder observed in 150 B.C., “…old age is not only drooping or feeble, but is continually active, always doing and striving for something, the kind of thing, naturally, that was each man’s pursuit in his earlier life.” 12 February 2008 talent management magazine www.TalentMgt.com http://www.TalentMgt.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of TM - February 2008

Talent Management - February 2008 Editor's Letter - Talkin' 'Bout My Generation Contents Human Performance - Achievement Motivation: Top Talent At Any Age Leading Edge - Who's On First? Foundations - Managing the Next Generation Workforce Viewpoint - Talent Strategies That Work Are Talent Strategies That Stick Those Who Have Left: The Value of Building Employee Relationships Alternatives to 360s: The Manager's Role Compensation and Benefits For X&Y Build A Multigenerational Performance Management Strategy Development's Role in Creating A Culture Of Inclusion Tomorrow's Leader: Identifying the Next Generation Integrating Talent Management Systems Strategically Seagate Uses Yearlong Evaluations to Help Integrate Talent Efforts Western Union: Connecting Strategy and People Globally Advertisers' Index Editorial Resources Full Potential - The Best Time to Change? Right Now!

TM - February 2008

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