Here is an excerpt from an article written by Paula S. Larson for Talent Management magazine. She is convinced that firms must assess where they are, where they are going, and then measure the gap between present and future state. To read the complete article, check out all the resources, and sign up for a free subscription to the TM and/or Chief Learning Officer and/or Workforce magazines published by MediaTec, Inc., please click here.

*     *     *

Attracting and retaining talent are among the most important capabilities of a human resources function, regardless of what a business is going through. Whether managing internal talent or acquiring talent during a transformation, it is important to define the company’s future vision.

Above all, companies need to assess where they are, be clear about where they are going and measure the gap between the present state and future state.

Once a company identifies the “from” and “to,” this allows employees and candidates to understand if they can succeed in the current culture and thrive in the direction the company is headed.

Some employees may introduce more process and work for themselves to prove their value during a time of transformation. That defeats the purpose of transformation — companies need to reduce complexity, not create more.

As companies seek new talent, finding candidates with continuous improvement capabilities and confidence in their own capabilities could help accelerate through a transformation. In transition, change moves fast or should be moving fast, and continuous improvement is at the core.

Behaviors should fuel that acceleration, not impede it. Check-ins with employees amid transformation should increase, as information is the ultimate antidote to uncertainty. Often leaders, because they don’t have complete answers during a transformation, have a propensity to stand back.

Resist that temptation. Instead, tell people what you know, what you don’t know and when you will know it. This helps to provide ongoing transparency in the midst of uncertainty and helps minimize distractions amid the needing to deliver results.

In light of the changes and high expectations, working in a company going through a transformation is a great place to develop a career.

Many people tend to pull back when change and uncertainty are present, but this is actually an opportunity to reach out to employees and ask for great ideas.

This is also a time to identify key talent and offer them action-learning assignments that address critical aspects of the changes needed, using your succession planning process not only to develop them but also get critical problems resolved with a more empowering approach.

This can be featured when recruiting the kind of talent you want to join the company. Empowerment might seem harder during transformation because people are being cautious. It is critical to nurture talent who will in turn embrace these challenging opportunities.

*     *     *

Here is a direct link to the complete article.

Paula S. Larson is executive vice president and chief human resources officer at Newell Rubbermaid.