The Importance of Talent Management
Print this Article | Send to Colleague
My 25 years of leadership in the food industry taught me the value and importance of having a documented succession plan and Individual Development Plans (IDPs) for each of my employees. This realization of the importance of talent management came later in my career, but once recognized, it is now something I share with fellow leaders and mentors.
In my current role as President and CEO of a professional association, the next generation of supply chain’s leaders, CSCMP’s students and young professional members often share with me the challenge they face in acquiring the well-rounded skills they will need to pursue a career path of increasing responsibility and leadership. This is one of the primary reasons many of CSCMP’s young members join the association – to have the chance to volunteer and take advantage of mentoring that will help them on their career path.
Certainly, as leaders, we must offer a path to achieving one’s goals.That’s not only an opportunity, but an obligation if we want to have a strong organization for the long run. It is also up to leaders to acknowledge and proclaim that changes are inevitable, and individuals must also know that careers will take twists and turns depending upon the opportunities and challenges that arise.
Any leader building a high-performance team knows that a truly well-rounded supply chain management professional is one that has a baseline of knowledge in the core modes that are foundational to a healthy supply chain – transportation, distribution, customer service, and product supply planning. Collaborate with your Human Resources department to provide opportunities for employees to have exposure and experience within different parts of the organization.
There is no one size fits all plan for achieve this, as every organization is unique. But where there is a will, there is a way, and the practice of mentoring, educating and providing experience will always benefit the company in some way – employee retention, talent acquisition, high performing teams, etc.
There are also several opportunities within your professional association, CSCMP. Whether or not you can orchestrate education and professional experience within your organization, as a member of CSCMP, you can take advantage of the resources that we provide to educate, develop and mentor the next generation of leadership.
Contact myself or anyone at CSCMP to learn more about all the opportunities we offer to the development and education of our members.
