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Are American Idol Contestants Role Models for Talent Management?

Ben Nash — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 10:00:37 +0000

All you American Idol watchers know that we are down to the final few weeks of the show and the competition is getting hot. For those non Idol watchers, you would be amazed at how the contestants improve and mature in the last few weeks of the show. How can these inexperienced young performers mature so quickly? Are there any lessons to be learned for organizations trying to develop their own talent?

Here are six reasons why American Idol contestants are role models for talent development:

American Idol contestants are 110% committed to winning

Although competitive they can work effectively with each other effectively—for example in group stage routines

They have raw talent identified and sifted from hundreds of others by knowledgeable people acting as judges (think recruiting managers)

They get some tough love and hard hitting feedback about their performance and they listen to it while maintaining their own individuality

They continuously push themselves outside their comfort zone and sometimes fail

They strive to be authentic and communicate effectively with their audience

Do these attributes apply to the emerging talent in your organization?

Talent Management Lessons from American Idol

Ben Nash — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:58:26 +0000

Well here we are again—a new season of American Idol (sans Paula Abdul) and the hordes of hopefuls are lining up for hours—most with no hope of getting to Hollywood. Based on a very unscientific analysis I have developed the following hypotheses regarding American Idol as it applies to Talent Management:

You need to screen a lot of people before finding someone with talent.

Few candidates have the insight to accurately assess their own level of talent.

People who progress through the show are personable, self-aware, technically competent, and highly motivated.

Maybe there are a few lessons that can be learned from American Idol that can be applied to your organization’s talent management process:

Do you have a Simon Cowell who will speak bluntly when assessing candidates even if it goes against the grain? This can be invaluable in avoiding group think about candidates who have a lot of “form” but little “function”.

Is there a Ryan Seacrest who keeps the succession planning process moving smoothly and gets thing done?

Is there a diversity of perspectives among the judges so that talent does not slip through the net?

Could this be a case of art imitating organizational life?