Where Will Help in Developing Talent Come from?
Of course, few companies can match P&G’s resources or experience in services globalization, and lacking the expertise to nuture talent, they often turn to executive recruiters to source the right skills externally. Ignoring the need to staff the right capabilities, and demanding the right training and credentials is a problem many c-suite executives may not even realize exists. And over time, it will prove to be a costly mistake.
To some extent, it’s a matter of knowing where to look. DNL Global’s Blackman contends that “the competencies that we would look for, to work in more of a global capacity, do exist, I don’t think that they exist to the degree that we need them.”
Will academics come to the rescue by stocking the graduate school pipelines with these global-ready skill sets? For example, there is a growing awareness among management schools and post-graduate training programs of the business need to develop intercultural management skills training programs. Prof. Lewin believes it is possible to train “cross-cultural communication effectiveness.” He says first-year MBA students at Duke take this training. While cultural sensitivity "comes naturally to some people, for others we can actually increase their sensitivity to it.” But will these type of programs alone be sufficient to develop the global services executive or manager of the future?
What's the Problem?
A confluence of factors contribute to the global services talent shortage:
• Training. A lack of under graduate and post graduate training in international and complex program management
• No obvious career path. No recognition that successful global services management requires a more formalized career path. Consequently, managers may perceive it as a career sidetrack rather than a path to the executive suite
• Lack of market valuation. A lack of proper incentives and compensation for global services managers
• Lack of recognition of the degree of difficulty. Few scorecards to measure the complexity of the skills and capabilities required to succeed in a global services role.
What's the Remedy?
• The chief learning officers of enlightened companies are scrutinizing internal training offerings
• Noted business schools are adding graduate-level programs in special courses in working globally and across cultures
• Shared Xpertise offers training focused on the key capabilities required to strategize for, source, implement and govern global services
• Associations such as the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals offers courses for certifying outsourcing executives.
