The Talent Solution: Aligning Strategy and People to Achieve Extraordinary Results [Hardcover]

Edward L. Gubman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1998

Today's workplace is facing a talent crisis. The economy is booming but companies are finding it harder to fill positions and keep good people. The Talent Solution holds the key to leveraging a company's most vital competitive advantage -- its people. In this research-driven, ground-breaking book, Gubman shows top managers exactly how to boost performance by aligning strategy and employees. More than a quick fix, The Talent Solution will enable managers to transform their organization into a world-class competitor.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Strategies to Develop, Keep, and Leverage Your Company's Talent! The Talent Solution provides a step-by-step program for achieving outstanding long-term results by getting the most out of an increasingly scarce resource--talent. Here's what the experts are saying about this timely, action-oriented new book:

"The Talent solution offers a fresh viewpoint that inextricably links business success to people development. Gubman's lively, action-focused perspective is highly relevant for any manager, and avoids the jargon that so often inflicts books written by sonsultants."--Fred Wiersema, Author, The Discipline of Market Leaders and Customer Intimacy.

". . .Realistic and practical ideas for aligning and engaging talent as a solution for satisfying customers and creating value for shareholders. . .(The Talen Solution) provides evidence of 'win-win-win' for employees, customers, and shareholders when talent is actively managed, aligned, and engaged."--David R. Whitwam, Chairman and CEO, Whirpool Corporation.

Full of terrific examples. . .An outstanding integration of much of the current thinking on strategy and organization design."--Edward Lawler, Professor of Business Adminstration, Director of Center for Effective Organizations, University of Southern California.

"Ed Gubman is certainly right when he says that corporate strategy (and strategizing) has become dangerously disconnected from employees. His advice on bringing strategy and people together had better be heeded, or organizations may find themselves trying to produce first-rate results with second-rate people and processes."--William Bridges, Author, JobShift and Managing Transitions.

"Ed focuses on the key challenges tht we all face. If we are to be successful, how do we get the right people, and how do we motivate them to be the catalysts that will make the difference for our respective organizations?"--H. Laurance Fuller, CEO, Amoco Corporation.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Trade (January 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0070251614
• ISBN-13: 978-0070251618
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #336,637 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Improving Business Results with People", June 24, 2000

By 

Turgay BUGDACIGIL (Istanbul, Turkey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Talent Solution: Aligning Strategy and People to Achieve Extraordinary Results (Hardcover)

"This book is about why it's essential to connect strategy and people to manage talent, and more importantly, how to do it. It rests on three key concepts: alignment, engagement, and measurement. Alignment means pointing people in the right direction. Engagement means fostering commitment to your basic purpose and direction. Measurement means providing connected and balanced ways for your company and employees to keep score about how you are doing. When you do all three things, you will be managing your talent and company to achieve extraordinary results" (from the Introduction p.9).

In this context, Edward L. Gubman introduces 'Improving Business Results with People (IBR) Model' used by Hewitt consultants as an alignment model. He argues that "The IBR model is designed to ensure you line up all the critical elements in talent management. If you pay attention to these pieces and execute them right, you will create alignment that enables you to achieve extraordinary business results" (p.32). Thus, he elaborates this model in more detailed throughout the book.

The stages of the IBR model can be outlined as follows:

1. 'Business Results and Strategies' describe the outcomes you are trying to achieve as a company and the strategies you are using to get there. Thus, he defines strong business results as:

* great value for customers,

* rewarding work situations for employees-including psychological, social, and financial rewards,

* high returns for shareholders. (more detailed discussion see Chapter 2).

2. 'Business Capabilities' refer to your distinctive abilities as an organization to use money, technology, information, people, and other resources to create a competitive advantage. He argues that "Your goal in developing these capabilities is to build unique abilities that competitors have difficulty copying so you have the advantage" (p.46).(more detailed discussion see Chapter 3).

3. 'People Requirements' are the things you demand from people to exercise your capabilities-what you need from them to be successful. He describes these requirements as the Three Cs: culture, competencies, and contract, and argues that "These three are interrelated so it's hard to separate them completely" (p.57).(more detailed discussion see Chapter 4).

4. 'Employee Priorities' are the 'bottom-up' of the equation. In this stage, he focuses on the changing nature of the employement relationship as a context for engaging employees, what engagement is and how you can increase it, and the psychology of engagement and change.(more detailed discussion see Chapters 9 to 11).

5. 'Workforce Strategies' are the distinctive plans you have for acquiring, developing, deploying, and retaining your people for competitive advantage. He argues that "Smart companies build plans for their workforce just like they build plans for the other parts of their business" (p.75). Hence, he describes elements of a workforce strategy: (a).people requirement-the cultural values, competencies, and contract, (b).employees' needs, fears, and goals, (c).the resulting employement relationship, (d).organization design, and (e).priorities for change.(more deatailed discussion see Chapter 5).

6. 'Management Practices' describe the ways you enact your workforce strategies. In this stage, he examines (1) three major criteria for excellent management practices-alignment, integration, and execution, and (2) five management practices-staffing, organizing, learning, performing, and rewarding.(more detailed discussion see Chapters 6 to 7).

7. 'Business Interactions' is where all business results occur. He argues that "All business results come from interactions-leaders with employees, employees with employees, and employees with customers. These interactions are changing, and some are becoming much more electronic. Sometimes the 'employee' now is an ATM machine, a voice-mail box, home page, or voice response circuit" (p.143). Hence, in this stage, he examines these interaction processes.(more detailed discussion see Chapter 8).

8. 'Balanced Measurements' are both the business and individual measurements that gauge how well you and your employees are doing. He argues that "Measurement is the last of the three processes you need to connect talent to strategy to deliver outstanding results" (p.225).(more detailed discussion see Chapters 12 to 14).

Finally, as conclusion, he rightly argues that "The growing effects of the information economy, globalization, and changing demographics are coinciding to create a new era in business-the era of talent. Your ability to attract, manage, and retain talent will determine whether you succeed. This wasn't always true in the past. Before, you could succeed if you controlled enough physical resources. Today, talent is the fundamental resource in business" (p.292).

Highly recommended.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Leading edge strategy for exceeding company goals, April 28, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Talent Solution: Aligning Strategy and People to Achieve Extraordinary Results (Hardcover)

THE TALENT SOLUTION is the first book to lead the best companies into the new millenium. Gubman explains how the merger and acquisition strategy of the 80's; and the cost cutting (generally people) tactics of the 90's now needs another change.

Both older strategies need to align a company's talent with the development of their people, and what they love to do, with their eagerness to serve shareholders and increase the value of their investment. What a simple idea! But most senior executives aren't prepared to address the harder job of developing talent...as incomprehensible as it seems, who's going to tackle this necessary task?

Some companies are already in the race that aknowlede today's shortage of talent. Most are not. When we look back on the first years of the coming decade, it will likely be known as the decade of Organizational Effectiveness...in which the companies that attained extraordinary results...accomplished their goals by focusing their talent.

THE TALENT SOLUTION is a must read for any manager, and all CEO's. I would very much like Gubman's team to work with any company I plan to invest in and I hope that his book becomes widely read, but most importantly, I hope managers will have the insight to implement his ideas.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great insight into what it takes to excite the best people., January 27, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (home of the once great sports teams) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Talent Solution: Aligning Strategy and People to Achieve Extraordinary Results (Hardcover)

Gubman's book is a must for leaders who are struggling with how to build the right workforce. It's an easy read full of real examples of what works today. With a bewildering amount of books out there on this issue the Talent Solution stands out for clarity and useful ideas. You won't go wrong on this one.