The Tectonic Shift from Tech to TalentUntil recently, technology was viewed as providing such a powerful competitive advantage that it was widely accepted that Technology trumped Talent -- and this view was not incorrect, given the specific market conditions present at that time as well as the competitive firepower, and often stellar results which were powered by tech.
Flash ahead to today. Today's Competitive Advantage is created, In today's, fast-paced, hyper-connected, and always-on Global Business Environment, organizations can no longer reliably create a sustainable competitive advantage solely through technology. This does not mean that technology is unimportant or not critical to an organization's success. On the whole, tech is now undifferentiated and simply a requirement -- like yesterday's fixed phone line's dial tone or the electricity we take for granted which is released with the flick of a switch or plug inserted into an electrical outlet -- a requirement and baseline check box providing next to nothing in terms of competitive or marketplace differentiation let alone in creating a sustainable competitive advantage.
Formerly Technology-Driven competitive advantages have given way to Talent-Driven ones, and this shift from Tech to Talent will only continue to accelerate and intensify with the democratization and ubiquity of off the shelf and plug and play tech. This tech democratization is due in large part to the atmospheric rise, and global impact of Open Source Software coupled with Cloud Computing's plethora of ready-made applications, infinite on-demand scaling, and pay as you go business model (SaaS, PaaS, IaaS, XaaS). |
|
And while availability and accessibility of Software Applications and Ops-Dev services has rocketed skyward, the other half of the equation, the hardware side, has not sat still. During this time, hardware has continued to adhere to Moore's Law, racing forward with new chip designs, new architectures, and ever smaller device geometries which have been put into production using advances in material science, and improved device fabrication processes resulting in higher throughputs and yields. The end result has been an exponential, if not geometric, increase in processing power, and bandwidth across device types while the cost per unit of technology (packets, bits, MIPS, etc.) has plummeted.
Together, both sides of the tech equation has effectively made technology (hardware, software, applications, and solutions) not just ubiquitous and democratized but fully affordable and fungible.
Together, both sides of the tech equation has effectively made technology (hardware, software, applications, and solutions) not just ubiquitous and democratized but fully affordable and fungible.
The Shift Accelerates and IntensifiesAs the shift from a Tech-Driven to Talent-Driven organizations continues to accelerate and intensify through the democratization of technology, it is further propelled by the 21st Century Global Business Environment which has been marked by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA).
So how exactly does a Talent-Driven Organization go about creating a competitive advantage and what does it accrue from? Stated simply: A Talent-Driven Organization's competitive advantage is created, strengthened, diluted or destroyed through the aggregate efforts of its employees. both internal-facing and external-facing, across all functions, and touch points over a defined period of time. |
Talent Stack Labyrinth
|
For this reason, even the most common or seemingly small or insignificant interactions, conversations, negotiations, decisions, foot dragging or delays will eventually coalesce and converge, resulting in an organizational impact which is either positive or negative and can be highly leveraged.
The future is already here. It's just unevenly distributed.
- William Gibson
More specific examples include:
Talent trumps Tech, and provides a company or organization with a Talent-Driven competitive advantage only when talent has been strategically aligned and interwoven with a Technology Stack, Core Business Practices/Processes and the Company's Culture.
It should not come as a surprise, that just as technology must be properly architected, implemented, and aligned to be effective so it is with talent -- only more so with talent as tech cannot simply walk away, disengage or not show up. But talent not only can and does - it does so with great frequency and with great ramifications leading to employee churn, disengagement, productivity, and knowledge and expertise losses.
Therefore, the most important activity affecting and impacting the organization's talent-based competitive advantage is how current, and future talent is acquired, developed, engaged, aligned, deployed, and retained.
- How transitions and change management are addresses and implemented.
- How new ideas, innovations and approaches are developed, evaluated, improved and launched.
- How processes, practices, and systems are created, selected, integrated, and deployed.
- How customer and employee conversations, and collaborations are opened, navigated, and closed.
- How negotiations with vendors, and stakeholders are opened and resolved.
- How ecosystem partners, and stakeholders (internal and external) are influenced and persuaded.
Talent trumps Tech, and provides a company or organization with a Talent-Driven competitive advantage only when talent has been strategically aligned and interwoven with a Technology Stack, Core Business Practices/Processes and the Company's Culture.
It should not come as a surprise, that just as technology must be properly architected, implemented, and aligned to be effective so it is with talent -- only more so with talent as tech cannot simply walk away, disengage or not show up. But talent not only can and does - it does so with great frequency and with great ramifications leading to employee churn, disengagement, productivity, and knowledge and expertise losses.
Therefore, the most important activity affecting and impacting the organization's talent-based competitive advantage is how current, and future talent is acquired, developed, engaged, aligned, deployed, and retained.
Our Approach to Talent Acquisition, Development, Performance & Integration
Talent OverDrive! offers Results-Driven Talent Solutions which have been specifically formulated, and tailored for today's challenges across the entire talent life cycle.
We've built our Talent Solutions from the ground up, purposefully designing, and meticulously architecting each aspect for the unique conditions, and challenges faced by today's fast moving businesses, organizations, and industries.
Each engagement begins with understanding your needs and objectives, and then accelerating, optimizing or transforming your Talent Acquisition, Talent Development or Talent Transitions.
We've built our Talent Solutions from the ground up, purposefully designing, and meticulously architecting each aspect for the unique conditions, and challenges faced by today's fast moving businesses, organizations, and industries.
Each engagement begins with understanding your needs and objectives, and then accelerating, optimizing or transforming your Talent Acquisition, Talent Development or Talent Transitions.
Our promise to you is simple, and rests on our Four Pillars:
1. Productivity.
2. Performance.
3. Profits.
4. Peace of Mind.
Our proprietary, and proven Talent Solutions Methodology & System is used in all of our solutions, and engagements.
In addition, all of our Talent Acquisition, Talent Development, and Talent Management processes, and people adhere to Ethically-Grounded Recruiting Principles as defined and advocated by the Ethical Recruiting Alliance of which we are a founding member.
In addition, all of our Talent Acquisition, Talent Development, and Talent Management processes, and people adhere to Ethically-Grounded Recruiting Principles as defined and advocated by the Ethical Recruiting Alliance of which we are a founding member.
