Talent is there to be discovered
For example, there are those who are very good at engaging other people in conversation, or those who excel at visualizing a discussion in tables and other graphics. These types of skills were never labelled as such and, as a result, are rarely called upon. In my role I try to utilize them as much as possible, by discovering them in people and giving those people the opportunity to work with their formerly hidden talents. The trick is to empower people, make them believe in themselves and give them opportunities to express themselves
Degrees
Talent development comes in different degrees. A small scale example would be a project manager who loves his job, has no desire to move up but does take an interest in the consequences of digitization for his position and how to anticipate them. Good for him; we'll do what we can to help. On a larger scale, there are people really seeking new perspectives to aspire to. We gladly support ambitions at this level as well, even if it means that those new perspectives can only be found beyond ITC or even outside the UT. What matters is that people realize their potential.
Think about it
Talent development can partly be stimulated from a leadership position, but individuals also have a responsibility. At ITC we give plenty of space for exploring different paths, but that space is not always used, if only simply because people don't even realize they have a particular talent. That's why I think it's a good thing that we will now be paying extra attention to this topic. I would like it if there was an undercurrent in which people think about what they are doing and what they want – and, importantly, dare to talk about it – so that together we can consider the options.
Joining forces
In the coming period, as support staff, we will also seek collaboration with the scientific departments more than ever. Fortunately, at ITC we get along very well. There is a lot of mutual respect and preparedness to work together. Yet we could use each other's talents much more than we do now. This can be remedied if we get to know each other better and know more about each other, without being afraid to express mutual expectations. I definitely see that as a goal of our focus on talent management.
An inspiring example
As a conclusion and inspiration, here's an example from my time working at the Faculty of Engineering Technology. There was this person doing a job that he was very good at. Partly because of that he was also afraid to let go of his position. At one point I asked him how he would feel about using his talent more broadly for the faculty. As that appealed to him, we defined a project for that purpose and arranged it so that afterwards he could return to his cherished job without any problem. Ultimately, by stepping out of his comfort zone this person faced his own talent and decided to move on. Last year he even caught the national spotlight because of the way he performed in his new position. How's that for talent development?