Mark Allen is an educator and consultant specializing in talent management, currently a professor at Pepperdine University. He discusses how major demographic shifts, particularly the retirement of baby boomers, are reshaping the workforce. Mark emphasizes that leadership development must directly connect to business outcomes, critiquing traditional programs that lack measurable results. He advocates for a strategic, outcome-oriented approach to training, highlighting the importance of continuous learning and practical application to transform leadership into a tangible business advantage.
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insights INSIGHT
Talent Development Terminology
The term "talent development" has replaced "training and development" and "learning and development."
This shift emphasizes the importance of maximizing the potential of talented individuals within organizations.
insights INSIGHT
The Baby Boomer Exodus
10,000 baby boomers turned 73 this year, marking the beginning of an 18-year retirement boom.
This demographic shift will intensify competition for skilled workers, making talent development crucial.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Develop, Don't Just Buy
Don't assume talent will be readily available; develop existing employees.
Learning and development increases the value of your current workforce.
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Mark Allen: Pepperdine University
Mark Allen is an educator, speaker, consultant, and author who specializes in talent management, corporate universities, and human resources. He is the author of Aha Moments in Talent Management*, The Next Generation of Corporate Universities*, and The Corporate University Handbook*.
Mark is a professor at Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management, where he also serves as Academic Director of the Master of Science in Human Resources program. He is also a senior faculty member of the Human Capital Institute.
In this conversation, Mark and I explore the changing demographics of the workforce and why it matters for talent acquisition and leadership development today. Mark shares the key strategies he uses with clients to ensure that leadership development ties directly to organizational results.
Key Points
10,000 baby boomers a day are turning 73 and will continue to do so for the next 18 years. The competition for talent will become even more intense than it is today.
Research shows that 60-90% of all learnings from development programs are never used on the job.
Leadership development programs should not be designed to create better leadership. Leadership is not a business outcome - it's a means to an end.
Begin with the end in mind. What’s the business result your leadership development program aims to achieve? Get alignment there before you start building or hire someone to build it.
Use the 70-20-10 rule to develop people. 70% of time doing experiential learning, 20% of time in coaching and mentoring, and 10% classroom instruction.
Resources Mentioned
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People* by Stephen Covey
Evaluating Training Programs: The Four Levels* by Donald Kirkpatrick and James Kirkpatrick
Mark’s consulting work
Related Episodes
The Best Way to Do On-the-Job Training (episode 32)
How to Use Strategy and Evaluation in Training, with Bonni Stachowiak (episode 33)
How to Hire a Trainer or Training Company, with Aaron Kent (episode 35)
Three Strategies To Build Talent In Your Organization, with Mark Allen (episode 155)
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