Talent is Everything
At the center of a successful consultancy is the core platform of talent that drives it: a knowledgeable and experience-based pool of resources proven in their capabilities and vetted in their skills, which can be deployed with confidence to meet the varied needs of clients.
‘Talent’ is generally viewed as the totality of an individual – a quality that is somehow more than the sum of its parts. A singer sings, a talented singer inspires you. A coder codes, a talented coder makes tough problems look easy. A consultant guides you, a talented consultant makes you stronger.
Whether augmenting an existing client team in need of a specific skill set or building a complete project team, client staffing needs must be clearly understood and talent matched.
Talented consultants share several common attributes. They are:
Tactical – Applying repeatable methods to specific problems – knowing the product and providing a framework for success.
Adaptable – Circumstances require on-the-fly adaptations, not only to changing requirements, but the ability to adapt to physical environments, cultural differences, time differences, and personalities.
Lasting – The positive impact a talented consultant has on an organization will extend far beyond their active engagement.
Educated – Bringing a wealth of information to address clients’ needs and resolve challenges.
Noble – The quality that pushes people to give their best. It drives and inspires the talent consultant to work through the night, go above and beyond to help staff, and behave with integrity and honesty.
Trusted – A peace of mind built upon the integrity, veracity and reliability of another.
Sourcing talent is an art and science that requires broad industry knowledge, exceptional referral-based networking, and a strong reputation of success. Talent is attracted to consultancies which have a proven track record of success and those consultancies seek out the best in the industry. Winning consultancies attract winning talent.
Talent pools are dynamic and progressive. They change and move to keep pace with rapidly evolving technology. They must be nimble and effective with a solid business acumen. Within this environment of change, the successful consultancy recognizes talent and how to source and maintain it. The consultancy deeply understands the needs of its client and the culture in which it operates allowing business challenges to be met with the very best and most compatible pool of talent available.
The successful consultancy also provides an environment where the value of talent is recognized and appreciated; where new ideas and approaches can be freely expressed and explored. The talent pool thrives on sharing, learning, exploring, and succeeding. The skills and experience of the collective group make each participant stronger individually and the collaboration itself more valuable. Such an environment promotes the free exchange of ideas and optimizes the effectiveness of the team.
The value a consultancy brings can be measured by its understanding of the client it serves and the quality of resources it is capable of bringing to the challenge. Success is measured by the quality of talent that makes it happen.
