Money's no object The notion of a war for talent has been around for at least a quarter of a century. As business jargon goes it has stood the test of time. The militaristic language adds drama. Blood may be spilt. One imagines Google and Microsoft in a tug of war competition with the talented AI specialist performing the role of a low tensile rope. Scarcity fuelled the war for talent. There are not enough skilled management consultants, Java programmers or derivatives trader

The typical employer-employee relationship is adversarial in nature. It rarely comes to blows. It sometimes comes to lawyers. It always involves a contract. Fair trade? Work in many cases, particularly where  Taylorism  has left its mark, is an inhumane activity that requires the worker to unnaturally contort themselves into an industrial process, which they then repeat ad infinitum. This might include quality control checks at a sex toy factory or staring into a spreadsheet

Historians are underrated. Perhaps because history in school was often taught as a dry exercise in memorising dates and events. Yet without an understanding of history, we risk forgetting the hard-won lessons our forebears acquired at great cost. Citizens who have never experienced war, or its immediate consequences, are more likely to see it as a viable political instrument. Cycles Some historians look at the big picture. They have picked up on a repeating cycle of about eig

Firstly, this post is not a primer on how to build your own secret service (CIA, MI6, FSB etc), though there are parallels. Intelligent organisations, in my opinion, are very attuned to their environments and adapt homeostatically. Process-driven organisations regard their environment as a static backdrop,where disruptions, ie reality, are treated as exceptional, and thus inconvenient events.   In any case, cognition fuels intelligent organisations and it comes in two forms:

The grand experiment The Covid pandemic triggered a spontaneous and global management experiment to explore the management implications of operating a largely remote workforce. How would it impact productivity? How would managers cope with not being able to hover over their subordinates? What’s in it for me? During the pandemic a new generation of people entered the workplace. They had never known what it was like to commute, be nice to people they didn’t necessarily like or

Are you sitting comfortably? Imagine a world where giraffes are known for their ability to create start-ups. They love the buzz, and their height allows them to spot trends before others. Deep down they fantasise about one day becoming a unicorn. However, their entrepreneurial energy becomes a little counterproductive as the organisation starts to mature. Elephants on the other hand are great at process thanks to their great memories, often making excellent accountants. It ma

The problem Most talent management systems are built for a stable world—linear career paths, rigid roles, and annual performance reviews. But we no longer live in that world. High performers are disengaging. Quiet quitting is rising. The ' Great Resignation ' was just a warm-up act. The real problem? Organisations are still managing their talent like inventory, rather than as dynamic, intelligent team players. ⚠ If your talent model can’t adapt in real-time, neither can your