Career Management for Cubicle Warriors

When I go surfing the Internet, I see sites, especially Management sites, lament the dearth of talent for the positions they have open in the company. On Human Resource sites, I continually see attempts to tie processes, systems and technology to gather the “inventory” of talent working in the company.

Typical is this statement about talent and career management:

As we all know, no organization today is immune from talent challenges such as a shortage of critical skills, gaps in the leadership pipeline, and/or retention of top performers. These challenges threaten an organization’s ability to execute on their current and future business plans. Organizations must be strategic in how they protect their greatest investment – their talent.

Yet, when we get to reality, matching internal jobs to the existing job skills of employees working for the company typically do one thing: fail.

In my career, I have filled in countless talent inventories, internal resumes, skills profiles, and succession planning. Never once did I ever get a response out of all of that work, save the check mark on my status report that the deliverable was completed.

If we have to do the work, why do companies not utilize the tools to search for candidates within the company to do the work? If putting in all of our skills and resumes doesn’t lead to a company matching talent to work, then why should we do the work?

Is the problem the tools? The process? Or the determination of management to focus on developing the talent sitting in the cubes right outside their door?

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We are coming up on performance review time. Cali and Jody do a quick review of the four problems with the current performance review process from an article in the Wall Street Journal.

The problems noted are accurate. But, since we deal in reality, we still need to deal with the performance review because, in the end, our raise, bonus and promotability depend on a good review.

How do we address the flaws of the performance review?

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Layoff Central is a report for Cube Rules Members about significant published layoffs at companies during the last month. In addition, since I am looking at so many of these reports during any given month, I also provide a summary for the report on trends I am seeing for the month.

The Layoff Central report is one of two monthly and one weekly report provided to Cube Rules Members in addition to the members-only content published during the week. All reports are published on Sunday following the end of the monthly or weekly period.

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Well, after 22 months or so, the 2008 Election is finally here. While I am very interested in the outcome, I’m more than a little happy it will finally be over.

But, it isn’t over until it is over — so regardless of your political persuasion, make sure you vote.

In Washington State, there is early voting and I have already made my choices. There are a tremendous number of campaigne volunteers still working (some on 24×7 type shifts) and since my voting obligation is done, I wanted to do something to help them. Sunday, I put together meat and vegetarian lasagne dishes and am delivering them to one of the local campaign locations today (call the local office before you do this — there are schedules and rules for doing it). It is the least I can do for people who are volunteering for their favorite candidates.

November is also the time your professional performance reviews start happening. If you have the opportunity to write a self-review as part of this process, make sure you do so as it gives you the opportunity to put your best work in front of your manager for the review rating.

Too many people give it up on writing the self-review and leave all the thinking to their manager. This is a big mistake because there is no way your manager will remember all of your significant accomplishments. There are too many people reporting to managers today and too many non-managerial functions being performed by managers to let this go.

So vote. And write your self-review. Your career depends on both.

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