I get vilified and pilloried often for my unorthodox views on talent management in the South African context. People are irritated mostly by my insistence that a mutually beneficial balance must always be found between the needs of a team or organisation and those of the individuals within it. But June is a youth month in South Africa and I feel obliged to return to my unapologetic views on the weighty subject of talent management.
I have said before, and still insist, that I want to see Montshepetja Academy help mould top quality individuals who can prevail against the myriad of difficult circumstances that exist in their operating environments. I want to see Montshepetja produce young people who have the courage to leave most of their survival concerns in the hands of God and focus on trying to praise and please Him by the success they achieve with the talents He gave them.
Our disadvantaged youth must not take too long to acknowledge that their base communities do not possess the infrastructure required to produce successful people with average or ordinary effort from them as individuals. They have to be extremely smart and make some very difficult decisions in order to become the midwives required to create the infrastructure that can in future produce quality people by default for their communities. They have to become nothing but pioneers. This aspect is a critical part of what Montshepetja Academy stands for as a talent management institution.
My knowledge and experience tell me that talent management represents the best opportunity we have to turn the fortunes of our society around. We have a duty to turn the fortunes of our society around not only politically and economically. We must do so 360 degrees. But the current talent management paradigms and practices in our society are hardly conducive.
Despite the mantra of some well-worn slogans and themes on diversity management, tolerance and the so-called thinking out of the box by organisations in every sphere of our national life, the historical waste basket created mostly by the folly of racial segregation still decimates the bulk of our human resources capital.
I hold steadfastly to the view that one of the most telling reasons why South Africa cannot participate competitively in many serious international competitions is the high level of negative competition that is part of our national life. I was born and brought up in a society where there were no professionals such as doctors, lawyers and engineers. Yet the better-off people in the community always spent their monies and time trying to push their own children through schools and educational programmes in which the children were either insufficiently talented or were not interested enough to achieve success.
Talented kids who could go on to become professionals and provide service to their communities dropped out of school for lack of resources and support. They went, quite prematurely, to try their luck in the world of work. The world of work, under the control of people whose first priority was to preserve their privileges rather than advance the noble course of a nation, proved even more vicious as it judged them on the basis of what they could not do rather than what they could do.
The result of all this is a nation that scores plenty of beautiful, world-class goals. Only that they are all own goals that help the course of the opposition instead of making us win against the real competitors from the international community. A few weeks back I had a chance to speak to a group of people about my mixture of admiration and pity for Teko Modise. For the uninitiated, Teko Modise is the official and unofficial number one soccer player in the country today. You can call him one of South Africa’s hopes in both the Confederations Cup this year as well as the World Cup itself in 2010.
The painful paradox of Modise is in the details of the story of how he personally had to fight a long battle to be given a chance by his own society to not only live the life he wanted to live, but to also serve his society. The level of needless suffering he has had to endure to be where he is now makes a mockery of our talent management systems. The level of support and preparation we gave to him makes a complete mockery of the responsibility we now expect him to carry. But many people today are already past the matter of the development he missed and still needs. They are talking about how many mistakes he is making.
But it is my society and sometimes, like an ostrich, it chooses to bury its head in the sand when confronted by problems. The danger of that, though, in the life and death issue of talent management is that we produce significant amounts of performers and other people who do not believe they owe their society anything. Precisely because of the little support we give them as they struggle to realise their dreams. And, let me tell you, that is a very dangerous prospect or prognosis in any language. There is no reason to believe Teko Modise is that way. But, unfortunately, many that we know and meet everyday are.
I want to close by challenging our talent management practitioners and my society in general to evaluate their current talent management paradigms and practices against the statements I mention below and see what answers they get for themselves and their organisations.
If I have a dream to put a medical doctor or a motor mechanic through school at my expense and I cannot find a candidate among my own kids I will search for and find one in the greater community.
If I have someone I know who is exceptionally talented or is progressive but his or her family do not have the resources to support their career, I will take the trouble to help them search around for someone who can give them assistance.
If I am a member of a stockvel or an informal organisation that normally uses money from its membership to buy furniture, crockery or any other thing for the homes of members, I would propose to use some of the money to pay for someone knowledgeable to come and teach us something we do not know or pay for a part of talented or needy child’s education.
If I am in charge of the talent management functions and resources of an organisation in a society as troubled as South Africa, I will pray to have the courage to make bold but creative decisions in order to uncover rough diamonds.
If I am in charge of the talent management functions and resources of an organisation in a society as troubled as South Africa, I will strive to strike a balance between the needs of the organisation and the needs the communities the individuals come from and must return to.
Gibson Sakong
Executive Chairman – Montshepetja Academy
3 Comments until now.
I DID NOT EVEN FINISH THIS PAGE BECAYUSE OF THE CONCRETE UNOBVIOUS CONCLUSION ON THE THIRD PARAGARPH. IT IS OF GRETA IMPORTANCE THAT WE UNMDERSTAND THAT ALL THE CRITICAL STUFF IS ALWAYS REINFORCED BY THOSE WHO MAKE IT THEIR DUTY TO DO SO, AND THE VERY SAME CRITICAL STUFF IS ALWAYS REJECTED BY MOST OF OUR SOCIETIES.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THIS THINKING OUT THE BOX THEME. YES, WE SHPOULD AT ALL TIMES THINK OUT OF THE BOX AND AS A MATTER OF FACT WE DO. IT IS ONLY THE CONVERSION OF OUR TESTAMENTS TO TESTIMONY THAT FAILS US, THUS IMPLEMENTATION IN OUR SOCIETIES. I RECALL THIS OTHER TIME WHEN I WAS WORKING IN A CLUB, I ONCE SAID TO MY BOSS” IT IS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THAT NOWADAYS, ONE MUST THINK OUT OF THE BOX AND AWAY FROM THE CAGE.” BY THAT I MEANT THAT WE SHOULD THINK BEYOND OUR SOCIETIES, SIMULTANEOUSLY THINKING SMARTER, NOT HARDER.
THESE ARE THE KIND OF THEMES I THINK THE CELEBRATED SHOULD AT ALL TIMES DISPLAY. WITH NO DOUBT, OUR FEARS WHERE FEARS OF THE PAST GENERATION, BUT OUR FUMBLES WILL NOT BE THE SAME AS THEIRS. THUS, OUR THINKING SHOULD BE DIFFERENT FROM THEIRS.
A GREAT MAN, CICERO ONCE SAID, “HE WHO LIVES ONLY IN HIS GENERATION, ALWAYS REMAINS A CHIL.” I AM SURE NONE OF THE PRESENT YOUTH WANTS TO REMAIN A CHILD, AS MOST OF US HAVE CHILDREN ALREADY. PROGRESSION IS THE ONLY OPTION.
OUR YOUTH IS ALWAYS BLAMED FOR EVERYTHING, GORE THEY DON’T RESPECT THEIR PARENTS, BA BUA SEKGOA, AND EVERYTHING THA IS BAD. OUR PARENTS MUST LEARN TO TEACH THIER KIDS THE DIFFERENCE BTWN RIGHT AND WRONG FROM AN EARLY AGE, THEY MUST NOT ONLY SHOUT AND SPANK A KID WHEN EVER A DIRA SOMETHING THAT IS WRONG. THE MUST BE ABLE TO CONGRATULATE THEM EVEN WHEN THEY DO GOOD THINGS. PARENTS TEACH THEIR KIDS TO BE SELF CENTERED FROM AN EARLY AGE, THEY DON’T ALLOW THEM TO SHARE THEIR TOYS, FOOD AND OTHER THINGS WITH THEIR MATES. THESE KIDS GROW WITH THIS INDIVIDUALISM AND THEY ALSO TEACH THEIR KIDS THE SAME THINGS. OUR PARENTS SHOULD START ACTING LYK OUR PARENTS RATHER THAN OUR MATERIAL PROVIDERS. IF OUR PARENTS CAN DO DA ABOVE-MENTIONED THEN OUR YOUTH WILL START TO KNOW THAT THEY SHOULD ALWAYS PLOUGH BACK TO THEIR COMMUNITIES. OUR COMMUNITIES SHOULD ALSO REALISE THAT IT TAKES A COMMUNITY TO RAISE A CHILD.
NOWADAYS YOUTH IS NOT MENTALLY STRONG LIKE THE YOUTH OF 76 AND DA ONES BEFORE THAT. YOUTH NOW IS INFLUENCED BY SO MANT FACETS OF LIFE.
WE WILL ONLY OWE OUR SOCIETY, WHEN SOCIETY LEARNS TO RAISE A CHILD
I HEAR YPU AND UNDERSTAND YOU ITUMELENG. THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF THINGS HAPPENING THAT HAVE TURNED US INTO AN EGOCENTRIC AND DISPONDANT YOUTH. SOME OF THE FACTORS YOU MENTIONED, PARENTS. THERE IS, HOWEVER, ONE IMPORTANT FACTOR THAT YOU MISSED, THE YOUTH.
THE EGOCENTRISM, RANGES FROM NOWHERE ELSE, BUT APPEALING THE TEACHINGS. WE CAN BE TAUGHT TO HATE, BUT IF IT SUITS NOT YOUR BEING IT WILL NEVER PREVAIL THROUGH AND FROM YOU. THE MORE WE GIVE ATTENTION TO TEACHINGS IS THE MORE WE ACQUIRE THEM, THUS, THE MORE WE MOVE AWAY FROM NEGATIVE TEACHINGS IS THE MORE LIKELY WE ARE TO BE A GREAT YOUTH.
IT IS SAID AND IT IS A FACT THAT CHILDREN ABSORB EASILY WHEN THEY ARE STILL YOUNG. IT IS ALSO TRUE THAT WHEN THE VERY SAME CHILDREN ARE “MATURED”, THEY CAN DIFFERENTIATE FROM ROGHT AND WRONG.
ON THE NOTE OF SPANKING KIDS, IT IS NOT WORKING. IN MOST INSTANCES PUNISHMENT DEVIATES FROM CONDONING ACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOUR. YET AGAIN, BEHAVIOUR HAS THE FOLLOWING NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON KIDS/PEOPLE.
*IT LEADS TO THE AVOIDANCE OF THE PUNISHER, NOT OF THE CAUSE OF PUNISHMNET, RESULTING IN THE CONTINUATION OF THE UNACCEPTABLE.
*IT MAKES PEOPLE LOOK FOR ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO CAUSE TROUBLE AS THEY ARE TOLD ONLY WHAT NOT TO DO AND NOT WHAT TO DO.
*IT MAKES PEOPLE RELUCTANT TO THINK BEYOND THEIR ABILITIES AS THEY ARE AFRAID THESE UNIVERSAL IDEAS MIGHT LEAD TO PUNISHMENT i.e REJECTION OF NEW IDEAS.
THE ABOVE-MENTIONED SHOW US NOTHING , BUT THE FACT THAT PUNISHMENT WORKS SCARCELY. ANOTHER DETERMINAT OF THE EFFECTS OF PUNISHMENT IS INTENSITY OF PUNISHMENT AND PERCEPTION OF THE PUNISHMENT BY THE PUNISHED AND PUNISHER, THIS IS A TOPIC FOR ANOTHER DAY I RECKON.
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