The Talent Magnet Institute Podcast
Episode 66: The Human Element of Business Strategy with Meredith Meyer
Today on the Talent Magnet Institute Podcast, Mike speaks with Meredith Meyer - whose business, Infinite Potential, is founded on the idea that strategic planning and talent need to be perfectly integrated for a business to be successful. They discuss what kindness means in an organization, the rapidly-changing world and what it means for organizations focused on culture, and how to bring different company stakeholders to the same table in terms of strategic planning.
People Aren’t Coming First
Meredith shares that while almost all management teams talk about how they want the best people in their organizations but people and talent tends to fall 4th or 5th on the list of priorities in strategic plans. This is the wrong way to ensure your company is getting the best talent - people need to be an important part of the discussion from the outset. Mike adds that you can't achieve any of your business goals without people.
Fierce Kindness
Meredith talks about what it really means to be kind to someone as a leader or a manager. It isn’t about being nice - it’s about being realistic and straightforward with people about what they want and how they can get there. Sometimes that means someone moving on from a role or company, and balancing the need to create a hospitable, safe environment with the difficulties and challenges of dealing with reality. Happiness at work goes way beyond the walls of the workplace, and Mike shares some examples of where he’s seen this, and how to model the kind of kindness and leadership you want your employees to embrace. This is a key element in creating ambassadors for your organization.
Talent by the Numbers
HR isn't always at the table when it comes to long term planning or strategic decision-making - and that is one of the biggest challenges in making sure that people are embedded in the strategic plan. CEOs often come to companies knowing that people are important and how to manage them, but knowing nothing about HR - how it functions or why it really matters. That disconnect between HR and the C-Suite is a huge challenge. Meredith talks about how to quantify things like who to hire, who are the most effective managers - and how getting different departments speaking the same language is a development that is long overdue.
Marketing and Client Experience
Mike talks about the similarities between marketing and talent management. They have more in common than you might think. Customer client experience and employee experience are nearly one and the same. Meredith talks about how your employees are bringing things to your customers and clients - and they will deliver what they receive from management and the organizational culture. Mike makes the important point that this isn’t something you can fake. It needs to be real. It’s critical to represent your organization as it really is - that means you’ll find the talent that really fits.
Finding Balance
When you’ve built a strong, positive culture, it can be tempting to sit back and celebrate, but Meredith reminds us that it’s important to grow and develop the culture as well. Is it diverse? Is it inclusive? Is everyone too similar? Mike adds that when you don’t have a wide variety of voices, you don't even know what you’re missing - but it could be vital. The world is changing very quickly, and leaders need to think about what that means for their people and their culture. Meredith talks about how millennials can help organizations adapt to that change.
Coaching Brings Results
Having a coach can be the difference between moving forward in your career and being stuck without knowing why. In this new report from the Talent Magnet Institute, you’ll learn what the benefits of coaching are, how to access it, and the different ways that Centennial can help.
Resources:
From Talent Recruitment to Founder and CEO
Rethinking HR to Achieve Business Success with Beth Giglio
Meredith Meyer CEO of Infinite Potential, a faculty member of the TMI.
