Talent Management - July 2008 - (Page 40)

recruitment & retention assessment & evaluation compensation & beneﬁts performance management learning & development succession planning Bo Knows the Beneﬁts of Intercompany Management Rotation Wayne Luke There arguably are two forms of management rotation: intracompany and intercompany. The concept of intracompany rotation has been an integral part of management training and development programs for decades. Its greatest value lies in functionally and experientially broadening executives, and in bringing unique perspectives to a single position. On the other hand, the concept of intercompany rotation, an individual holding similar positions at two or more organizations, is considerably less common, especially at the chief ofﬁcer level. But perhaps not for long. Highly successful executive ofﬁcers leading multiple organizations may become the norm in the not-too-distant future. Nonsense, you say? It can’t be done? Well, it can. Just ask Bo. Once upon a time, people believed it simply wasn’t possible for an athlete to play, much less succeed, in more than one sport professionally. Bo Jackson changed that. In the late 1980s, he became the ﬁrst athlete to be named an All-Pro in football and an All-Star in baseball. Many argue, had it not been for a serious injury, he might have been a candidate for both sports’ Halls of Fame. If a superbly talented athlete can excel in multiple sports at once, why can’t an equally talented seniorlevel business executive excel in multiple leadership roles simultaneously? Well, they can and they do. Just ask Steve and Bill. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, both known for their creativity, drive and intellectual bandwidth, have innovatively and successfully shared their energy and talent across multiple roles. While at the helm of rapidly growing Pixar Animation Studios, Jobs returned to Apple Computer as its “interim” chief executive ofﬁcer, a dual-role arrangement that became permanent. Further, while continuing to run Microsoft Corp., until recently, Gates also co-managed one of the world’s largest, most visible and active foundations: the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In both situations, the organizations involved determined that having a percentage of their brilliant leaders’ time was far more beneﬁcial than having all of a lesser leaders’ time. Most would agree Jobs and Gates are exceptional individuals, but what about the rest of us mere mortals? High-level strategic consultants often take on two or three major projects at a time, and many executives serve on multiple boards of directors. In fact, while sharing an executive ofﬁcer might be a difﬁcult concept for boards of directors to accept, board membership is, in a very real way, the model for intercompany management rotation. It long has been encouraged as a way to expand business-leader thinking and professional-contact networks. But without careful control, expenses tend to adjust to income. Likewise, schedules tend to adjust to the time allotted, which is why so many people procrastinate. As the CEO of a single organization, that organization’s demands and expectations can expand to ﬁll time, often in an unproductive way. The CEO of multiple organizations must expand his or her mind, accelerate the pace of decision making and fully engage creativity and problem-solving abilities in a highly productive way. Gone are the days of lavish employment anniversary gifts. Decades of service have turned into three- to ﬁveyear stints, especially for high-performing leaders who must remain challenged to remain engaged. Promoting and preparing leaders for dual leadership roles via succession activity is a great way to avoid burnout and/or complacency at senior levels. There will be numerous challenges to consider when establishing or taking on such an arrangement, but as Bo knows, none are so great as to render it impossible. Wayne Luke is the vice president of business development at TalentQuest, an integrated talent management software and consulting solutions provider. He can be reached at editor@talentmgt.com. 40 talent management magazine www.talentmgt.com http://www.talentmgt.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Talent Management - July 2008

Talent Management - July 2008 Editor’s Letter Human Performance Leading Edge Learning Connections Guest Editorial Passive Candidate Recruiting: Evolving with a Changing Workforce How Do They Feel? Sec Regulations and Executive Compensation Performance Management: A Retail Perspective Train the Non-Trainer Management-Go-Round: Developing Future Leaders Netflix Creates Its Own Script for Talent Management Intuit Spotlights Strategic Importance of Global Employee Recognition Make HR a Profit Center: Automate Technology to Gather Tax Credit Data Offshoring and the Impact on Talent Management Advertisers’ Index Editorial Resources Full Potential

Talent Management - July 2008

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