Powered by People: How Talent-Centric Organizations Master Recruitment, Retention, and Revenue (and How to Build One)
Carol Schultz
Story Chorus (June 2022)

Here’s a blueprint for establishing and then strengthening a talent-centric organization

I agreed with Carol Schultz: Whatever their size and nature may be, all organizations need leaders who keep them headed in the same direction, “all the while keeping the human experience front and center. It’s all about building an organization filled with talented people, one that works together as a team. In other words, a Talent-Centric Organization[TCO].”

Years ago Southwestern Airlines had more profits and greater cap value that all of its nine competitors…COMBINED. Its then chairman and CEO, Herb Kelleher, was asked to explain how SWA had accomplished that. “We take great care of our people, they take great care of our customers, and our customers take great care of our shareholders.”

That is also true of other companies annually ranked among those most highly admired and best to work for. TCOs “are purposeful about their people’s experience” and that commitment “must be designed into the heart and soul as well as the structure of the given enterprise. TCOs generate 32 percent higher revenue much faster over a five-year period than traditional organizations. They “are more agile and can get products to market twice as fast…In the long run, TCOs outperform the competition on the S&P 500 by 211 percent.”

Carol Schultz: “You must invest in the talent you have now, and the talent you want somedau=y, and that takes faith in the process.

A process where your leadership is aligned to the same vision.
Where you’re willing to do the work of finding your blind spots.
Where you develop and reward your people.
Where you refuse to recruit based on restrive HR standards instead of talent-entric goals.”

She wrote this book in order to explain HOW.

I presume to add two suggestions. Highlight key passages and have a lined notebook near at hand in order to record notes, comments, and page references as well as responses to interactive questions included throughout the narrative. These two tactics will facilitate, indeed expedite frequent review of key material later.