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Managing the Most Talented
Anonya Roy
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Every organization desires to hire very talented and promising employees. Now when you say talented, the question comes how do you recognize their talent and make most out of it? During the hiring process, everyone who comes on board does so because he/she has some merit or talent. However, as they enter the work environment, it does not take time for a manager to spot who is truly talented.

Now that you know the team you are managing is comprised of both talented and somewhat less talented people. The question arises how do you manage the most talented, and inspire the somewhat less talented to be as motivated. There are challenges in managing both the groups but the hard work of management goes in managing and retaining the most talented. Why we stress on the most talented is because this is where the ‘Paretos’s Law’ comes into play, which says 20 percent of the people in your organization do 80 percent of the work. So to nurture that 20 percent, who form the most talented group, is crucial for you as a manager.

So what is it that you need to do with the so called talented bunch? Once you have recognized the talent, you need to collaborate with the other managers to accept their talent and listen to what they have to say. Talented people have a constant need to grow and as a manager you can encourage this need of theirs to make them feel valued. They also want to be abreast of the happenings in the field, so increase their attendance to conferences and summits, and have them write journal papers.

Bipin Shah, Chairman and CEO, Kovair Software says that talented people get bored very easily. He adds that to keep them from getting bored, talented people need to be given challenging assignments, the right kind of task to make sure they are contributing towards the growth of the company. However, Shah is cautious when he says that this is easier said than done. Egos, complexities, seniority issues can come into play, says he.

Another issue with talented people is that their attention span is short-lived and a manager should keep varying the type of assignments given to them. As a manager, you cannot take them for granted. They always think of what to do next in life, so you need to set their expectations.

With respect to promotions, talented people expect quicker promotions. The manager has to plan in long terms for this set of people. Special educational programs have to be conducted if the need arises. A mutual roadmap for the management and talented people does a world of good to both the parties.

Having discussed at length about the most talented, one should not neglect the less talented group. It is essential for a manager to strike a balance between the two and constantly strive to bring up the less talented ones to the level of the most talented. A manager who is able to achieve this equality in his team will have his work reduced in many ways as a team of motivated individuals will do their jobs without the need of intervention from their seniors.
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