The Extraordinary Susan Boyle

Like many people the world over, I have been enthralled by Susan Boyle’s performance on Britain’s Got Talent. This makes me grin from ear to ear and I get goosebumps every time I listen (and I have listened to it a few times).

It struck me that this performance is a metaphor for why I do what I do. There are unimaginable numbers of talented people in workplaces all over the country just waiting to be given a chance to shine. They are overlooked, don’t look the management part and their faces do not to fit.

Identifying Superstars

Dr Marie Puybaraud and I co-facilitate a learning network for senior executives, the Global Mobility Network. We meet three times a year for a very informal conversation around a topic of interest. One meeting last January explored Knowledge Management and Enterprise Social Networking. The sessions usually begin with input from key speakers who give a few pointers we might like to consider in our deliberations.

One of the speakers was Professor Colin Coulson-Thomas, who presented findings from his own research into the characteristics of winning people in winning companies. His findings show that every organisation has crucial people who are ‘superstar’ performers. The research also reveals that these important people are not being supported. Businesses need to be able identify high performers, find out what they need to excel in their work, determine what’s missing and provide resources and tools to provide the support they need. Our white paper concluded:

“The keynote speakers were in agreement that value-creating, high-performers
can be identified and their characteristics built into processes and support tools
to manage, capture and transfer their high performance knowledge. The
executives pointed out that the high performers, revealed through enterprise
social networking technologies, might not be who you expect.”

A Final Thought

2008 was full of hoo-ha about talent and Generation Y, you know – the energetic, challenging and innovatively disruptive 18 – 25 year olds coming into the workplace. All of which is valid. The fabulous Miss Boyle reminds us that there is many a new trick in old dogs. The assumption is often made that we have had energy and ambition ground out of us. Nope. Here’s another slightly batty, unconventional and * ahem * no spring chicken woman seeking to make her mark. That’s me, in case you are wondering