Despite considerable investment in resources and tools, many companies struggle to meet the demand for the talent they require. Make Talent Your Business\u201d gets to the heart of the matter: Managers themselves are in the best position to help people learn from experience (the uncontested major source of development) and shows managers how to do it by using the five practices that work for managers who are exceptional at building talent. This set of practices goes well beyond the usual managerial coaching and performance management. It moves the focus from performance today to development of skills that truly "raise the game" of employees-skills such as in-the-moment judgment, customer relationship building and collaborative decision-making. Managers who grow talent enhance their own reputations and get better results, retain people, attract talent and make their organizations more agile and capable to deal with future challenges.

Wendy Axelrod previously directed the leadership development and talent management functions at Sunoco, Inc Her clients include Merrill Lynch, Novo Nordisk, Merck, Duke Energy, Aetna, Deloitte, Vanguard, Occidental, Sanofi-Aventis and DuPont. Wendy serves on boards of non-profits, leading their Mentoring and Leadership Development programs.

Foreword by Dave Ulrich INTRODUCTION: Helping Good People Get Better Every Day A Manager Who Grows People Like Crazy Identifying and Closing the Talent Development Gap The Five Practices for Making Talent Your Business CHAPTER 1: Make Every Day a Development Day How to Make Every Day a Development Day Tuck Development into Work Create the Right Stretch Seize Developmental Moments Leverage Team Learning CHAPTER 2: Tap the Psychological Side of Development How to Tap the Psychological Side of Development Start with Yourself Cultivate Relationships Built on Trust Help Employees "See" Themselves During Key Interactions Connect the Dots Between Emotions and Learning CHAPTER 3: Connect People with Development Partners How to Connect People with Development Partners Green-Light and Motivate People to Partner Up for Development Give People an Accurate Compass to Find the Right Development Partners Teach People How to Get the Most Learning from Development Partners Invest in a Network of Future Development Partners CHAPTER 4: Teach Skills to Navigate Organization Politics How to Teach Skills to Navigate Organization Politics Clarify and Adjust Assumptions About Organization Politics Help Map the Bumpy Political Terrain Coach Employees to Build a Portfolio of Politically Smart Approaches Prepare for and Sometimes Rehearse the Handling of Complex Situations CHAPTER 5: Shape Your Environment to Drive Development How to Shape Your Environment to Drive Development Create Development Abundance Shine a Light on Learning-Yours and Theirs Manage the Interface with the Broader Organization CHAPTER 6: Put Exceptional Development Practices into Action How to Put Exceptional Development Practices into Action Take Your EDM Practices to the Next Level Integrate the Five EDM Practices for Optimal Benefit Savor the Rewards Acknowledgments Notes Index About the Research About the Authors