Rikkert Harink

Stories to inspire

Let's do what we enjoy doing

Freek van der Meer, Dean of the Faculty Geo-information Science and Earth Observation (ITC)

I have always had some difficulties with the term "talent management". To me it's self-evident that people and organizations continue to develop and challenge themselves. With talent management it seems as if you're only working on developing specific skills, not the total package. In addition, the phrase suggests that the world is divided into those who have talents and those who don't.

Freek van der Meer, Dean of the Faculty Geo-information Science and Earth Observation (ITC)

What matters to me is that people get – and take – the space they need to move along with what's happening around them. It will allow them to keep enjoying what they do and, as a result, retain their value for the organization. Obviously, this requires adaptive management. Organizations always have plans for individuals and groups of individuals, and even for academic staff there is work that simply needs to be done. Nevertheless, if people come up with unexpected but good ideas and initiatives, any modern organization should be prepared to accommodate them.

Balancing research and education

So how do you stimulate people to continue to develop? This is largely a matter of recognition and rewards. When it comes to that, I think that in scientific circles we have gone a bit too far towards purely measuring research performance. The importance of educational and other achievements is lagging behind. Which is logical in a sense, because it's easier to count the publications someone has written than it is to measure whether someone is a good, innovative teacher. But as far as I'm concerned, a university is primarily an educational institution, with research as a necessary condition to keep education relevant and up to date. That being said, education and educational innovation should not become the only topics we talk about. It's important that research and education are equally balanced, and that people not only teach from textbooks but also from personal experience and expertise. Whereas talent management should not become a management tool in creating that balance, it can play a valuable role in the process.

Learning from each other

Talent management should be based on the intrinsic motivation of people and groups. The scientists I often deal with are by definition motivated to continue to develop. They don't need to be triggered. While I wouldn't say this is different for support staff, there is something of a gap between the two worlds. One of the things we currently do at ITC to bridge that gap is to put managers from all departments together in a kind of team management game to see what we can learn from each other.

Customization at all levels

At ITC we offer lots of room for development. The organization is open to ideas that people have in this area, both individually and as a team. This is why our team management programme could never be a one size fits all affair. It should be custom made to match the needs of individuals and teams – but also the needs of the organization, because as an organization we want to develop and stay ahead as well. In this context talent management can also be a possible means to promote job rotation. Changing perspectives can be extremely useful for people, with the possibility of productive crossovers occurring.

At the end of the day, the main thing is job satisfaction. If people enjoy what they do, they will naturally feel energized and transfer that energy to their team and organization. In my book, that effect is the ultimate goal of talent management.