Technology is collecting a deluge of information that has the potential to make or break any organization. In a 2019 Gartner survey of HR leaders, only 21% believe their organizations effectively use talent analytics to make better decisions. To extract value from the vast amount of available information and thrive in the reality of everyday chaos, organizations must face two significant challenges. The first challenge involves gathering, processing, and warehousing high-volume, high-speed, and highly diverse data sets. The second challenge is managing the sheer volume of information mined from the data. If not done well, organizations can get buried in the data missing the opportunity presented. "Analytics-based decision making is essential for making big decisions and thousands of little ones." Bartlet, 2013 Talent Data Analytics Strategy If you have a talent strategy, the data analytics journey begins for many organizations with moving from bad data to high-quality data. This involves working to clean existing data and restructure the data into a format aligned with the talent strategy. Based on my personal experience, this step can be costly and sometimes involve moving two steps back for every single step upward. It is easy to feel like the journey is not worth the challenge, but you will love the view when you complete this first step. The next part of the journey then involves figuring out how to get clean data into the hands of decision-makers to be analyzed and used in a timely manner. The journey's final leg typically involves developing or hiring data science expertise for advanced analysis and tools such as R, Python, and SPSS. Taking these steps can unlock a competitive talent advantage and lead to transforming the work, the worker, and the workplace. Unlocking Competitive Advantage There are many creative examples of how descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive data analytics create a competitive advantage through performance improvements, efficiency, better management decisions, and increased revenue. One company used the competing values framework and operational performance descriptive analytics from 250 firms to identify which operational practices best benefit specific corporate cultures. In another example, a company used insights to ensure the right talent is placed in the right jobs and ensure optimal workforce planning levels to provide outstanding customer experience. Another company used health and wellness data to deliver preventative care avoiding spending millions of dollars on urgent care costs. The trick to creating a competitive advantage through organizational talent data analytics is to discern what is needed from what is wanted. If you need help getting started with a talent strategy or data analytics strategy, we can help. Use the following link to contact us: Link. References: Bartlett, R. (2013). A practitioners guide to data analytics: Using data analysis to improve your organizations decision making and strategy. McGraw-Hill. New York. El-Khalil, R. (2015). Simulation analysis for managing and improving productivity: A case study of an automotive company. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 26(1), 36-56. doi:10.1108/JMTM-03-2013-0024 Gambi, L. D. N., Boer, H., Gerolamo, M. C., Jørgensen, F., & Carpinetti, L. C. R. (2015). The relationship between organizational culture and quality techniques, and its impact on operational performance. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 35(10), 1460-1484. doi:10.1108/IJOPM-12-2013-0563 Ledet, E., McNulty, K., Morales, D., & Shandell, M. (2020). How to be great at people analytics. McKinsey & Company. https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/how-to-be-great-at-people-analytics Upcoming Webinar Series We know you are going to love these complementary leadership and professional development events! Organizational Talent Consulting’s webinar content is developed to help leaders meet today's complex workforce and digital challenges. Our free live webinars deliver superior leadership development based on the latest research with no travel costs. Participants interact directly in question and answer discussions with subject matter experts and authors on crucial topics to enhance expertise. Webinars are recorded and shared with participants for convenient on-demand access after the live event. Topics include leadership, strategic planning, coaching, change management, and more (register and learn more). About the Author: Jeff's knowledge and expertise include leadership development, coaching, and workforce strategies to achieve influence and grow organizations. Jeff Doolittle is the founder of Organizational Talent Consulting in Grand Rapids, MI. He can be reached at info@organizationaltalent.com or by calling (616) 803-9020. Visit https://www.organizationaltalent.com/executive-coaching to learn more about executive coaching services provided.

Competence addresses what a leader's actions should be, character ultimately determines what a leader's actions will be. If you intend to take a white water rafting trip, you better be ready. There are many dangers, some seen, others not, that need to be addressed before departing. Likewise, the ability to effectively apply strategic thinking and acting competencies is essential for navigating the changes needed in today's turbulent marketplace. However, competence alone only addresses what a leader's actions should be, and a leader's character ultimately determines what their actions will be. An equal focus needs to be on developing both leadership character and competence. Like with white water rafting, a lack of attention to character development is detrimental to both the leader and the organization's performance. Proper preparation is paramount to avoiding risk and having an adventure of a lifetime. Developing the critical few strategic leadership competencies (see Minding the Gap Between Created and Realized Strategy), requires the use of varied development approaches. One practical approach to developing deep technical competence involves reading current peer-reviewed journals, think tank reports, and attending conferences on the latest industry trends and research. Another proven successful method for learning the critical thinking skills and the confidence needed to lead through today's disruptive change involves exploring potential options and associated risks in small learning teams. Character development can be incorporated into existing leadership, competency development programs. Essential aspects of leadership competency and character development are feedback and reflection. Most leaders, especially senior leaders, receive little feedback on their character because of the conversation difficulty. Also, most leaders spend little to no time reflecting on their painful character experiences. Utilizing a dedicated coach can improve the quality of character feedback and purposeful character reflection. The use of dedicated mentors can also support character development through reflection on insights gained from experience. Effectively incorporating character development into leadership competency development programs builds a foundation for leaders to make the right strategic decisions. References: Crossan, M., Mazutis, D., Seijts, G., & Gandz, J. (2013). Developing leadership character in business programs. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 12(2), 285-305. doi:10.5465/amle.2011.0024a Pollitt, D. (2005). Curtis fine papers aligns strategy and leadership style with business priorities: Three pillars of development for top executives. Human Resource Management International Digest, 13(6), 33-35. doi:10.1108/09670730510619312 Seijts, G., Crossan, M., & Carleton, E. (2017). Embedding leader character into HR practices to achieve sustained excellence. Organizational Dynamics, 46(1), 30-39. doi:10.1016/j.orgdyn.2017.02.001 About the Author: Jeff's knowledge and expertise include strategic planning facilitation, strategy design, driving change, and workforce strategies to achieve influence and grow organizations in the pharmaceutical, retail, engineering, and food and beverage industries. Jeff Doolittle is the founder of Organizational Talent Consulting in Grand Rapids, MI. He can be reached at info@organizationaltalent.com or by calling (616) 803-9020. Visit https://www.organizationaltalent.com/strategic-planning-solutions to learn more about strategic planning services provided.

Research findings show that up to 95% of employees are actually unaware of or do not understand their organization's strategy. Failing to recognize the spatial gap between the door and the train's platform at the station can lead to personal injury. Likewise, too often in organizations, there is a significant gap between the created strategy and the realized strategy that puts the organization's performance at risk. Leaders can learn to mind the gap between created strategies and realized strategies by applying specific leadership competencies. Intelligence and self-assurance are essential thinking competencies for leaders to develop and apply to improve organizational performance. "It is impossible to formulate a strategy, let alone a "best" or preferred strategy, without engaging in strategic thinking" (Abraham, 2005, p. 5). Leaders need to have the intelligence and confidence to make sense of the volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous reality that modern organizations operate within. Strategic thinking in an organization needs to be continuous, adapting to the shifting market and organizational capability. Empathy, energy, and humility are essential skills and abilities for leaders engaged in strategy. Taking a strategy created to realized requires effective communication. It begins with listening to employees for understanding the needs of the business and their motivations and potential concerns that strategy can produce. Also, in the absence of humility, leaders can incorrectly assume they have all the answers from their perspective, leading to significant gaps between created and realized strategy. Successful organizations are distinctive from their competition, and likewise, their strategies are unique to the culture and the organization. Distinctive means either behaving differently or doing something different than the competition. In addition to core leadership competencies organizations need to consider the organization's differentiated performance. References: Abraham, S. (2005). Stretching strategic thinking. Strategy & Leadership, 33(5), 5-12. doi:10.1108/10878570510616834 Hughes, R. L., Beatty, K. M., & Dinwoodie, D. (2014). Becoming a strategic leader: Your role in your organization's enduring success. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated. Pollitt, D. (2005). Curtis fine papers aligns strategy and leadership style with business priorities: Three pillars of development for top executives. Human Resource Management International Digest, 13(6), 33-35. doi:10.1108/09670730510619312 Thompson, J., & Cole, M. (1997). Strategic competency - the learning challenge. Journal of Workplace Learning, 9(5), 153-162. doi:10.1108/13665629710169611 About the Author: Jeff's knowledge and expertise include strategic planning facilitation, strategy design, driving change, and workforce strategies to achieve influence and grow organizations in the pharmaceutical, retail, and food and beverage industries. Jeff Doolittle is the founder of Organizational Talent Consulting in Grand Rapids, MI. He can be reached at info@organizationaltalent.com or by calling (616) 803-9020. Visit https://www.organizationaltalent.com/strategic-planning-solutions to learn more about strategic planning services provided.