Creative Metaphors for Talents ManagementCreative Metaphors for Talents Management

Ali Anani, PhD

I dedicate this presentation to Arpit Daniel Das

Let us start with a story

Two prisoners shared one confinementroom

One prisoner was active and cared to clean around himThe roommate had an opposite character

This led once to a great conflict between them and resulted in shouting and threatening each other

The prison warden decided that they shall have dry chickpeas for lunch as a punishment for them

He opened a small window and threw an open bag filled with chickpeas

The agile prisoner collected the scattered chickpeas and ate them, except for the last one

He threw it at the lazy mate and said that out of pity he was giving it to him

The lazy prisoner tried to eat the chickpea, but it almost broke his teeth.It turned out to be a dusty jewel

Talents are the few hidden dusty jewels in the organization.They need to be found and dusted off to regain their luster

There is another thinking approach

Talents are the micronutrients of any organization

Micronutrients are required in very low concentrations by the plants and as low concentrations required by plants, typically as 20 to 200 parts per million, depending on the nutrient

The macronutrients obtained from the soil include nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and others

Micronutrient deficiencies decrease yields before symptoms appear

It is a challenge to diagnose correctly that shortage of micronutrients is responsible for drop in yield

http://eurocol.in/euroagri/micro-nutrients.html

http://www.swaroopagro.com/microutrients.html

Physical and chemical characteristics of soil affect the availability and uptake of micronutrients

Consider the organization the soil and talents the micronutrients

Extend the analogy between managing micronutrients and talents

Certain crops require only few, but not all, micronutrients

Some tasks shall require certain talents and substituting them with irrelevant talents shall not be greatly beneficial

Some tasks shall require certain talents and substituting them with irrelevant talents shall not be greatly beneficial

Beware of some employees who may repel some talents from staying or getting attracted to your organization.You don’t want your organization to look yellowish

Deficiency of some micronutrients may lead to the stunted growth of young plants. The youngest leaves are affected first. They will be distorted, thick, brittle and small.

Young talents shall be affected negatively by the absence of caring talents around them.Young talents will grow out of shape

Copper is not readily transferred from old to young leaves, so older leaves remain darker and relatively healthy and the deficiency symptoms develop on younger leaves.

You don’t need this Young Talents Syndrome

Excessively using micronutrients be have a counter effect and become toxic to yield

Avoid “Luxury Acquisition” of talents

This could prove toxic to the organization

Viewing talents as the “Micronutrients Staff” shall open the eye on many managerial issues:

• Symptoms of talents deficiency • Symptoms of talents bleach• Balancing talents requirement• Conditioning the organizational soil and keeping the talent• Toxic surplus of talents• Controlling some talents that are repellent to other talents

Stretching our thinking shall uncover many more similarities