Talent Development: Gaining a Seat at the Table

If you lead a team or department within your company, you understand how difficult it can be to prove the value of your initiatives to senior leaders. You pour your time, passion, and best resources into your goals. You rally the members of your group around a unified vision and work tirelessly to create meaningful products, services, and experiences for stakeholders. And you usually have one shot to convince your CEO, COO, or “SVP of XYZ” that your team’s program or latest big idea is worth his or her second glance.

CTDO magazine gets it. We know how important it is for all leaders—regardless of title, function, or tenure—to work smartly with C-Suite supervisors and peers to prove the value of their programs to key decision makers. Talent development (TD) leaders do some of the most important work in an organization, but they still often struggle to gain a seat at the proverbial table.

Each month, CTDO features a TD executive who is championing workplace learning in his or her organization. The article incorporates the perspective of another C-suite peer who understands the value of employee development, and explains how the two work together to achieve real results.

These spotlight profiles abound with insights and best practices to help guide your own search toward C-Suite synergy. The Winter 2015 issue of CTDO features Martha Soehren, Chief Talent Development Offer of Comcast University and Comcast Cable, and describes how she works closely with her organization’s Chief Operating Office, Dave Watson. And the Spring 2016 magazine showcases Rahul Varma, Chief Learning Officer at Accenture, and his strategic learning practices, which connect him deeply with top leaders. Read more here.