We came across a great book that supports the importance of having a talent management system in place: It’s Not What You Say... It’s What You Do – How Following Through at Every Level Can Make or Break Your Company.

“You can have the best product or service, a great bottom line, but without the right people from top to bottom it is impossible to follow through.”

Bestselling business author Laurence Haughton identifies the flawed processes that cause great ideas and breakthrough strategies to slip through the cracks, based on studies with more than 150 companies. To make sure that things actually get done a manager must:

1. Communicate what’s expected in terms everyone can understand.
2. Match the right people to every strategy.
3. Get their teams off to a great start.
4. Maintain momentum long after the mood has passed.

Aligning people to business strategies is what talent management does best. As Haughton points out, “…the research out of Ohio State’s Fisher College of Business is conclusive—managers who make sure they have the right fit between their people and goals before they take action double the likelihood of successful follow-through. That’s more than a 100 percent increase in successful follow-through for simply fitting the right people to your goals.”

With that kind of potential business performance improvement in your hand, how could you not make the investment in talent management?