Ask any talented person what gave their careers a boost and they’ll never answer “a training or workshop”. Trust me, I’ve been asking this question since 2006.

Highest ranking answer is - in line with Liz Wiseman’smultipliers’ - “a manager that saw more potential in me than I did in myself”. When these managers got their way, their aspiring talents were pushed into new roles and new challenges. Sometimes even quite forcefully.

So what is the single most potent talent development intervention? Experience (Pruis, 2011). First-hand, hands-on, on-the-job, at work. Experience in a different context, environment, branch office, country, timezone, division and while undertaking a new and stretching challenge. Maybe as a part-time assignment besides a fulltime job, but even then: the assignment takes the talent out of their current and comfortable context. With excellent support and coaching, of course. We’re still taking about development here, aren’t we? 

Have a look at this video below and ponder the question whether your organisation is offering these kind of development opportunities to talents. Are your talents still stuck in programs with limited availability and seating? Think about all of your talents finding out that there isn’t a seat available for their talent to grow. What! As if talent development were a movie theatre on opening night! Or do you have the infrastructure in place to offer challenges and assignments continuously?

I would be thrilled if you’d sign up for our newsletter. Let’s share the power of knowledge.

Kind regards, Evert Pruis and Wendy Twisk ROI on Talent