Game-Changing Talent Strategies

One of our top talent and leadership development consultants, Abbey Hellickson, has written an outstanding feature article for the latest issue of Enterprise Minnesota magazine, out this week. In the article—and in her presentations and work with clients—Abbey’s counsel to manufacturers is so logical and compelling that I want to make as many readers as possible are aware of it. It should spark all organizations, well beyond manufacturing, to carefully consider her advice.

“Processes, equipment, and technology don’t execute strategies. People do. The individuals inside your walls are the ones translating ideas into action, goals into results, and strategies into reality,” Abbey says.

She emphasizes that talent management and leadership development aren’t simply HR activities; they’re strategic levers — arguably the most powerful ones that manufacturers can control. And companies that manage talent well gain a substantial competitive advantage. A McKinsey study shows that companies with effective people strategies are 2.2 times more likely to outperform their peers.

“Many organizations update their strategy annually but continue operating with job expectations written five or 10 years ago,” she says. If strategy evolves but the roles don’t, misalignment is inevitable. Leaders feel frustrated that the workforce isn’t quite keeping pace. Employees feel unclear about what success looks like. And organizations experience gaps that seem like talent shortages but are often simply communication or development shortfalls.

Instead, Abbey encourages manufacturers to treat talent management as they treat their business management: as an ongoing process. They need to ensure employees are supported, developed, and positioned for success at every step in the employee lifecycle. That starts with attracting and onboarding, and includes developing skills and ensuring ongoing engagement and productivity. They also need to have a process to capture knowledge when employees eventually transition out.

Abbey says there’s a point in every employee’s journey when things start to click. They’re confident. They know the processes. They understand expectations. They solve problems effectively. They contribute meaningful value. She calls this the productivity zone, and the longer manufacturers can keep employees in that zone, the more value they create.

But people don’t stay in the productivity zone on their own. Technology changes. Customer demands evolve. Quality expectations shift. Processes improve. And the business strategy continues to move forward. Skill development isn’t a perk; it’s the engine that keeps employees aligned with where the company is going.

Talent management also demands preserving what’s already been built. When employees leave — and they all leave at some point, whether through retirement, career transitions, or personal changes — companies lose more than a person. They risk losing knowledge that was never captured. Creating a process to collect that know-how is critical.

Abbey says a crucial aspect of a solid talent management strategy is an intentional approach to developing leaders at every level of the company. It includes identifying leadership potential and putting in place a purposeful approach to ongoing skill development. That will help manufacturers create a team of leaders who can manage the evolving needs of the organization and support the ongoing growth effective strategy execution requires.

To learn more about Abbey’s approach to talent management, check out the just-released issue of Enterprise Minnesota magazine, available here. Its 11-minute read is well worth the time.

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