The presentation uses two metaphors to guide us in the management of talents. The metaphors uncover some interesting observations that have been sparingly, if any, discussed. Overcrowding of talents and its ill-effect and talents that repel other talents are two prime observations.

1. Creative Metaphors
for Talents Management
Creative Metaphors
for Talents Management
Ali Anani, PhD

2. I dedicate this
presentation to
Arpit Daniel Das

3. Let us start
with a story

4. Two prisoners
shared one
confinement
room

5. One prisoner was
active and cared to
clean around him
The roommate had
an opposite
character

6. This led once to a great
conflict between them and
resulted in shouting and
threatening each other

7. The prison warden decided
that they shall have dry
chickpeas for lunch as a
punishment for them

8. He opened a small window
and threw an open bag
filled with chickpeas

9. The agile prisoner
collected the scattered
chickpeas and ate them,
except for the last one

10. He threw it at the lazy mate
and said that out of pity he
was giving it to him

11. The lazy prisoner tried to eat
the chickpea, but it almost
broke his teeth.
It turned out to be a dusty
jewel

12. Talents are the few hidden
dusty jewels in the
organization.
They need to be found and
dusted off to regain their
luster

13. There is
another
thinking
approach

14. Talents are the
micronutrients of any
organization

15. Micronutrients are required in very
low concentrations by the plants
and as low concentrations required
by plants, typically as 20 to 200
parts per million, depending on the
nutrient

16. The
macronutrients
obtained from
the soil include
nitrogen,
phosphorus,
potassium and
others

17. Micronutrient
deficiencies
decrease yields
before
symptoms
appear

18. It is a challenge to diagnose
correctly that shortage of
micronutrients is responsible
for drop in yield

19. http://eurocol.in/euroagri/micro-nutrients.html

20. http://www.swaroopagro.com/microutrients.html

21. Physical and chemical characteristics of
soil affect the availability and uptake of
micronutrients

22. Consider the organization
the soil and talents the
micronutrients

23. Extend the analogy
between managing
micronutrients and talents

24. Certain crops require only
few, but not all,
micronutrients

25. Some tasks shall require
certain talents and
substituting them with
irrelevant talents shall not
be greatly beneficial
Some tasks shall require
certain talents and
substituting them with
irrelevant talents shall not
be greatly beneficial

26. Beware of some employees
who may repel some talents
from staying or getting
attracted to your
organization.
You don’t want
your organization
to look yellowish

27. Deficiency of some micronutrients
may lead to the stunted growth of
young plants. The youngest leaves
are affected first. They will be
distorted, thick, brittle and small.

28. Young talents shall be
affected negatively by the
absence of caring talents
around them.
Young talents will
grow out of shape

29. Copper is not readily
transferred from old to young
leaves, so older leaves remain
darker and relatively healthy
and the deficiency symptoms
develop on younger leaves.
You don’t need this
Young Talents Syndrome

30. Excessively using micronutrients be
have a counter effect and become
toxic to yield

31. Avoid “Luxury Acquisition”
of talents
This could prove toxic
to the organization

32. Viewing talents as the
“Micronutrients Staff”
shall open the eye on
many managerial issues:

33. • Symptoms of talents deficiency
• Symptoms of talents bleach
• Balancing talents requirement
• Conditioning the organizational
soil and keeping the talent
• Toxic surplus of talents
• Controlling some talents that
are repellent to other talents

34. Stretching our thinking
shall uncover many more
similarities