Buckingham Strength-Based Approach or Talent-Based Approach Is

¶ … Buckingham strength-based approach or talent-based approach is a very pragmatic approach to business management and is especially useful when time and resources are limited. For example, in a high-pressure business environment were strict deadline(s) and pressing objective(s) are looming, a certain triage approach is necessary to cover as much ground as possible with the limited resources available. This, of course, implies dividing and conquering; dividing according to skill sets, talent, and knowledge to conquer as much as possible in a relatively short time period.

Of course, most companies have structural and organizational divisions as well as vetting and HR processes to ensure that the right people are working in the right places from the outset. Nevertheless, something that the talent-based approach seems to only half acknowledge is that there are talented people holding positions in companies that also have glaring weaknesses and, as a result, pose a threat to a company's ability to function at optimal efficiency. There is a certain competency level every employee should reach to maximize corporate synergy (i.e.

those with under developed social skills can stymie corporate synergy). Moreover, there are a limited number of times you can "shuffle a deck" -- "build on strengths and manage around weaknesses" - before the weaknesses become evident. There is something to that old adage "a chain is only as strong as its weakest link." That is to say, a company will have to address the weaknesses of its employees eventually. While reinforcing strengths is an important principle of business, improving weaknesses is critical to reaching long-term, optimal efficiency.

No employee is perfect, and companies who wish to succeed in the long run must confront this fact by preparing in advance with infrastructure and training modules that address employee deficiencies (a more competency-based approach) to ultimately mitigate a company's vulnerability to competition and other market pressures. At first glance, the notion that a business manager can just "build on strengths while managing around weaknesses" is an appealing strategy, but it becomes untenable for those companies that desire to be excellent on all fronts.

The Mckinsey Quarterly's War for Talent study demonstrates the critical role talent acquisition and talent management play in achieving success. At the heart of their thesis is the notion that "the creme rises to the top" and those companies with the most creme stand to have the greatest chances for success.

Furthermore, due to the relative scarcity of elite talent, the authors discuss the tough questions: how does a fledgling company attract top talent? And how does a flourishing company retain top talent? The authors suggest that there are several ways to do this, "establishing the right mindset, crafting a powerful employee value proposition, sourcing, developing, and retaining talent." Of those strategies, the one that provides the most insight is the creation of a winning employee value proposition.

The authors define a winning employee value proposition as a "means of tailoring a company's "brand" and "products" to -- the jobs.