Talent Transformation Pyramid Full Explanation

Welcome to this video that explains the Talent Transformation Pyramid model. In this video, we will simplify some complexities around performance and talent.

Let's start by looking at what a model is and why it's useful.

Models help us understand the complexity and visualize things that we cannot see. They are tools to help us think.

You may be familiar with other models such as Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Or the Kirkpatrick model used to evaluate the results of training programs. Just like the Talent Transformation model, they help us recognize relationships between factors that might not be obvious.

The Talent Transformation Pyramid provides vocabulary, a framework, and a description of factors that influence readiness, performance, and talent transformation. The model provides us with 12 factors and a holistic, hierarchical view of their relationships. You can focus on one factor. Or you can use it across several factors that might interplay in your organization.

Let's look at these factors individually.

Starting with personality traits on the bottom left of the pyramid. Personality traits are our characteristics mostly formed when we are young. Experts say that by the time we are eight, they only really change when we experience dramatic life events. These characteristics are underpinned by our values, motives, and preferences.

But the way we behave does change. We're now talking about emotional intelligence. Let’s move to the next sector of the Pyramid. As we develop, our emotional intelligence enables us to manage emotions and handle relationships. It's why teenagers tend to be more irresponsible than mature adults. Our life learning experiences inform our emotional intelligence. They enable us to behave more appropriately in different situations.

Now let's switch to the bottom right-hand side of the model. This area considers our physical and cognitive abilities. Physical abilities are about strength, sense of balance, the way we control our movements. Meanwhile, our cognitive abilities are about mental capabilities. They are about our ability to solve problems typically measured by IQ tests.

Next, to this, we have functional skills. These are motor mechanical skills and cognitive skills. We learn these skills with formal or informal learning experiences. At a basic level, they're about things like learning to walk and talk. More complex skills might be driving a car or writing a book. We use our physical and cognitive abilities to develop the functional skills needed to perform tasks.

Let's switch back to the other side of the Pyramid. Moving up a level, we see that 'Situation' forms the base for Behaviors. So, we might enjoy great emotional intelligence. We might be in a role that resonates with our personality traits. But our Behavior also depends on our situation. If we're in a bar, working, in a meeting, those situations are different. And we behave differently. The situation can be impacted at work by things like psychological safety and incentives. It doesn't matter how emotionally intelligent we are, or what our personality is, we are affected by the situation and will behave in ways that feel right for the situation.

Now let's move on to Capabilities on the right side of the Pyramid. But in considering our capabilities we must also think about Environment. If our environment isn't right, we won't be effective whatever our functional skills or physical abilities.

Our physical environment covers lots of things. It includes the tools we have, instructions, and job aids. But also the noise, light and the room we have. For example, let's say we wanted to assemble a piece of furniture. We need the right tools of course. We would appreciate instructions. But we're not going to do it well if there's very little light. That reduces our capability but not our functional skills. Capabilities are the sum of our functional skills and our physical and cognitive abilities and the way we deploy them within the environment.

Let's now look at Competencies, the third element of this level of the pyramid. Competencies can be just a definition of behaviors and capabilities. But it could also be a record or assertion of the competencies we have.

Now let's learn about Readiness. Readiness is the degree to which a team or organization is prepared for something. This is important as we move into the fourth industrial revolution. This revolution will demand upskilling and reskilling of individuals and teams. The question is, "are we ready for that?" And then, "what do we need to make us ready?" That's about more than just behaviors and capabilities. It’s about how people feel comfortable with change. From an organization's point of view, it will include leadership, budgets, and support functions.

Now we're at the top of the Pyramid. Performance Outcomes help us recognize how successful we were. For the organization, this will mean monitoring KPIs (key performance indicators) or OKRs (objectives and key results). Or in revenues or time to market or customer satisfaction.

Assessing outcomes is looking in the rear-view mirror. That's what's already happened. We can’t change that but we can use the data to retrospect and improve. Readiness is looking at the future. We're asking; "are we ready?" That's the transformation. That's what makes the Talent Transformation Pyramid a most powerful tool.

We're now moving to an era when we are better at measuring these things. The Talent Transformation Pyramid will help us pinpoint where intervention is needed.

As an example. We might see, from the data, that we are recruiting great people but they're not behaving the way we expect. Maybe we should look at the situation; are we offering the right incentives or psychological safety? This could easily be a traffic light system. Each factor, turning red, yellow, or green to help us isolate issues to stimulate an appropriate intervention.

Finally, let's look at our Pyramid this another way. It can be a series of filters and views. Individuals have an impact at every level of the pyramid. Teams are represented in the middle and the upper layer. Organizations in the upper layers. We as individuals have personality traits, emotional intelligence, functional skills, physical and cognitive abilities. And we’ve developed through learning experiences.

These then get mixed in a team and with other individual’s behaviors and capabilities. Then finally at the organizational level, we're looking at the readiness to perform and actual performance.

If you would like to learn more join the Talent Transformation Guild today by going to www.talenttransformation.com