Talent Development in Libraries

I recently came across this 2015 article entitled "Unlocking the Talent Development Puzzle" by Laurie Miller.  The article is based on data collected by the Association for Talent Development (ATD) and Rothwell & Associates.  In the article, there is a list of 39 functions an organization might engage in which relate to talent (employee) development.

The 15 functions that the majority of professionals identified as core components of a talent development structure are change management, coaching, compliance, employee engagement, evaluating learning impact, executive development, instructional design, leadership development, learning technologies, managing learning programs, needs assessment, onboarding, performance improvement, performance management, and training delivery.

That list interests me because I doubt that most libraries think that they should be doing each of those activities in order to develop their employees.  I know of job applicants who have sought out library employers who would support their growth.  I doubt that those applicants had these activities firmly in mind, yet they knew they were looking for some sort of a commitment to professional development.

As you think about your organization, can you identify where those 15 core components exist?  And being just existing, are those core components being truly supported by the organization?  If you answered "no" to either question, then I hope you'll work in the coming year to improve the situation.

And if you need help, there are library consultants available to work with you!