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Career Management

Career Management

The three principles of career managament

Jim Citrin
April 2008
Which companies attract and nurture the best talent?
This is more than a theoretical question in today's increasingly mobile, knowledge-driven economy. The issue of talent has implications for you from a career-management, leadership, and, potentially, investment perspective. Let's take a look at each of these three areas in turn.

A lasting reputation

As you think about your career, recognize that your value in the market is inexorably linked to the reputation of your employer. Is your company a dynamic, cutting-edge, creative winner? Or is it a solid but dull middle-of-the-packer?
Chances are that these terms will be used to describe you as well. In many cases, you'll be associated with the company you work for more than the specific job you hold. Just as your college label stays with you over the course of your career, so too does the company you work for become part of your professional identity.
Working in a company with great people will plug you into valuable networks and offer the best opportunities for skill-building and professional development. Being associated with a blue-chip company brand will also enhance your career options down the road. After all, it's generally easier to move from a large, widely recognized, well-respected organization to a smaller or more speculative one.

The Traits of Success

What if you're a leader in your company? What can you do to attract the best talent that will ultimately enhance the brand of your organization? In a large-scale research effort with thousands of senior executives, a colleague and I analyzed the characteristics that the most talented professionals value in their organizations.
To sum it up in a phrase, the best leaders create a "success culture" -- one that attracts and unleashes the energy and creativity of the best talent. A success culture is one in which the organization:
• Wins in the...