My tough love on my client: “We’re not here to decide business strategy.”
We were deep in talent reviews, discussing a division manager’s capabilities and growth areas. The conversation started exactly where it should: What are their current strengths? Where are the gaps?
Then something fascinating happened.
Without anyone noticing, we’d stopped talking about the person entirely. Suddenly we were redesigning the entire business strategy for their division. Someone suggested repositioning it as a strategic enabler. Another executive jumped to what kind of leader we’d need “if that happens.”
That’s when I intervened.
“The purpose of this exercise is to evaluate your current talent. Who they are today, in the current context.”
In talent reviews, it’s dangerously easy to slide from what’s real to what’s hypothetical. From the people you have to the org chart you wish you had.
Strategy matters—always. But talent reviews aren’t business strategy sessions.
Your business strategy tells you where you’re going. Talent reviews tell you who’s ready now, and what they’ll need to grow with you.
When executive teams let strategy hijack these conversations, something critical breaks down. You stop seeing your people clearly. You start assessing them against imaginary standards for a business that doesn’t exist yet.
The strongest executive teams I work with understand this distinction. They know when to dream about the future—and when to ground themselves in present reality.
Next time you’re in a talent discussion and feel the conversation drifting toward strategy, ask yourself: Are we evaluating our people for who they are today, or for who they might need to be in a version of the business that doesn’t exist yet?
Your team’s cohesion—and your people’s development—depends on getting that answer right.
P.S. Talent strategy absolutely matters. That’s where business strategy and your current talent intersect. It’s your roadmap for having the right people in the right roles at the right times, in the right quantities, with the right skills to achieve your strategy. But talent strategy is a separate, deliberate process. It’s not something that should accidentally hijack your talent reviews.
What’s your experience? How do you keep talent conversations focused on current reality while still planning for growth?
If you’re a mid-size or high-growth company that wants to attract and retain top talent, let’s chat about how I can help. Contact me.
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