2010 - A New Year...Big New Ideas

It is 2010, which means a new year...and of course new trends and ideas on where the state of business is going. At the Brain Summit in September, we took a look through history at various "ages" - from the Industrial Age to the Information Age to the Conceptual Age. Now...we feel it is time for a new age.

We posited that although information, concepts and ideas are all cogs of the continued advancement of the way we work and live...the biggest driver [in effect the gear driving the cogs] is, and will be, people. It is the Human Age...one where people development and creating an atmosphere where leaders can thrive will drive businesses forward.
Emergenetics provides the science behind a way for people to better understand themselves and others. It's a formula that can help create better leaders as well...which in turn creates stronger organizations.

Learning and Development and Talent Management are critical fields in the Human Age...and we're not alone in looking at this kind of role in helping shape the next year and beyond.

According to industry researchers Bersin and Associates, the top trend in L&D and Talent Management is: Diversity as a Talent Management Strategy.

To underscore diversity's importance in the workplace is nothing new, but in this case Bersin notes that their research participants pointed not only to traditional measures of diversity, but also to "diversity of thought". It's no longer companies like Emergenetics driving the push to know more about people - leaders and businesses are realizing that it is critical, necessary and profitable for their people to know who they are, who their teammates are, and how to capitalize on a bevy of strengths and perspectives.

So, as you begin 2010, take a look at your own teams and departments...Do you know how everyone works best? Where each person is coming from? How to build on each person's strengths to create a stronger whole?