An interview with Cheryl Leitschuh, PhD
Developing Human Talent and the Changing World of Work

I met Cheryl Leitschuh some years ago after each of us had been told we should meet the other. Finally, after repeated prodding from mutual colleagues and friends, we met over breakfast at the Perkins on Riverside and 94. Since then, we've never been out of touch for long.

Cheryl may be the premier career specialist in town, as well as a top coach and successful business owner. In January, we sat down to talk about her career-long interest in helping individuals and organizations maximize human talent, particularly in this changing world we live in. Below is that interview.

To further introduce you to Cheryl, I pulled the following from her web site:

Dr. Leitschuh has worked in the area of human talent development since 1985. When working with individuals, her typical engagements include developing key leaders and managers, enhancing talent development, developing focus in vision and implementing this vision both personally and professionally. When working with an organization, Dr. Leitschuh addresses the short term and long term business objectives by focusing on human talent development. These projects have focused on conflict resolution, trust management and enhancing team performance.

Dr. Leitschuh is a licensed psychologist and holds a doctorate degree in Educational Psychology and Counseling.

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Introduction (5:10)

• Agenda: Developing human talent in a changing world of work
• Seventeen years focused on talent, productivity and satisfaction
• Example: CPA who redirected her career midstream

The Changing World of Work (9:01)

• Organizations that recognize how the world of work is changing are moving
• Fifty years ago, Peter Drucker said: design the right organizational structure, then hire people
• Now Drucker says each employee must understand their talents and how to bring them to the company; and managers must understand the talent they have available and where to apply it
• Managers must learn to coach

Where Organizations Can Start (6:16)

• Resources organizations can provide:
  • Provide coaching to top people
  • Clear performance communication
• From the book The Talent Solution: Marketing plans for employees
• Establish an organization/employee partnership to allow a win-win
• 98% of the time, when organizations encourage employees to pursue their talents, the employee stays with that organization

What Successful Companies Do (9:43)

• Fortune Magazine Survey of top 100 Companies:
  • Employees felt they could do what they do best
  • Employees feel they are listened to
  • Employees feel they're working with talented people
  • Employees feel what they do supports the company's mission
• What can a company actually do to move in that direction?
  • #1 -- Establish a real mission/vision (Why do we exist as a business?)
    • Why do we open the doors every morning?
  • #2 -- Communicate that mission/vision
  • #3 -- Establish the partnership with the employee
    • Why does the employee come to work there?

Forming the Partnership between organization and employee (9:22)

• Differences between the generations (GenX vs Baby Boomers, etc.)
• It's not about the company bending over backwards to satisfy demanding employees; nor is it about employees selling their souls to the company; it's about a partnership
  • Here's how you're doing (as an employee); How am I doing (as a manager)?
• Yes, it's a paradigm shift, but you already have the skills
  • Managers/supervisors have 1:1 partnering conversations with their employees
  • This is beyond performance reviews; these are monthly conversations

Transitional times; Considering talent (9:55)

• What can a company actually do to move in that direction? [Continued]
  • #4 -- Be prepared for transitional times
    • Career coaching
    • Employee assistance programs
• Managing talent

Three Paradigm Changes (10:05)

• Leaders must take on communication as a way of life
• Managers will have to become students of human nature
• Managers must live what they're trying to do with their employees
  • Create a partnership upward

Next Steps (2:47)

• Action Plan:
  • Establish a real mission/vision (Why do we exist as a business?)
  • Communicate that mission/vision
  • Establish the partnership with the employee
  • Be prepared to support employees in transition

Click here to receive a copy of Cheryl's "Developing Winners" article
To visit Cheryl's web site, click here.
If you're an accountant, you might want to click here for a special web site Cheryl has for you.

E-mail Cheryl Leitschuh
Phone: 651-398-7151