Terminology

Anchor Stakeholder Interviews

Structured interviews with three smart, insightful people who are committed to the success of the individual (one of the candidate’s superiors, one of their peers and one subordinate) conducted with the intention to elicit more data about the candidate relative to the specific jobs you want the person to do well in the critical role.

Bend the Curve Case

The aspirational part of the company’s value agenda focused on tomorrow’s sources of value that bends the value curve upwards through the implementation of: new business models, strategic initiatives, products or markets; significant efficiency or cost-cutting programs; and/or other improvements.

"click" ratio

The number of critical role•talent combinations in a group (a Table, business unit or company) that “click” divided by the total number of critical roles. The higher the click ratio, the readier the company is and the lower the risk to the value agenda. The lower the click ratio, the more that has to be done to get ready and the higher the risk to the value agenda. 

“click” (noun and verb) 

Some role•talent combinations just naturally produce a resounding “click”: the talent is so well matched to the work to be done and the role that, together, they pose little risk to the value expected of the role. 

 • The sound made when a talent and a critical role “click” into place

 • What happens when talent gets connected to value

 • The green dot between role and talent on a Risk Dashboard

Critical Role

A role critical for delivering a company’s value agenda. An obviously critical role will be directly accountable for increasing revenues and expanding profits at a particular value hotspot. A non-obvious critical role will be responsible for facilitating value creation, protecting value, and/or sustaining or increasing execution speed at one or more value hotspots.

Evidence Mosaic

A framework for collecting data related to: 1) a critical role, and 2) the evidence that a particular candidate will succeed in that role. The tool for capturing this data is the Role•Talent Card.

Job To Be Done (JTBD) / Jobs To Be Done (JTBDs)

The three to five key actions and outcomes that must be accomplished by anyone assigned to a specific critical role.

Jobs Done Well

A precise match between the Jobs To Be Done by the talent in the future with the jobs they have done well in the past.

“The List”

A complete list of the company’s critical roles.

Momentum Case

The part of the company’s value agenda that defines the value expected from the company assuming it continues to do what it does today (what we call today’s sources of value). As a part of the value agenda, this “business-as-usual” value may see either growth, contraction or flatlining, depending upon market conditions and disruptions in the industry or countries in which the company operates.

N-3 Org Chart

An organization chart that outlines the hierarchy of positions from one to three levels down from the CEO.

Pay For Value

A package of compensation, rewards and long-term incentives based on the value on the line with the critical role and designed with an eye to the market.

Precision Transformation

Rather than undertake a mutually exclusive, collecting exhausting series of transformational initiatives, the Precision Transformation focuses on connecting talent to value at a company’s value hotspots. The process involves: pinpointing a ranked set of value hotspots; charting role•talent combinations, along with their associated risks; diagnosing patterns of risk to identify the individual and collective interventions that will support the transformation and deliver the value agenda; and sequencing these interventions into a doable timetable.

Role•Talent (or role•talent combination)

The combination of a specific talent in a specific role.

Role•Talent Alpha (a.k.a. Ultraviolet)

An ultraviolet role•talent combination that connects insanely great talent with a critical role to deliver an extraordinary value scenario and accelerate speed to Value. Returns above the expected value. 

Role•Talent Beta (a,k.a. role•talent risk)

The sum of the role risk and the talent risk in any role•talent combination.

Role•Talent Card (RTC) or Role•Talent Cards (RTCs) 

A talent selection and monitoring tool that outlines the value expected, Jobs To Be Done, role risks and talent risks for a critical role. A dashboard view of these cards for a team, business unit or entire organization can be used to map the code of a Precision Transformation.

Superpower

A talent, characteristic or trait which would form the basis of a “hire” or “fire” decision for a critical role. Historically, this would not be overtly articulated in either a job description or a curriculum vitae. In the Talent to Value process, it appears prominently on a Role•Talent Card.

Table

A virtual framework for organizing talent at a value hotspot. Whoever occupies the obviously critical role accountable for value at that hotspot leads the Table. How many and what various other roles “sit” around the Table will depend on what work must be done to deliver the value.

Value Agenda

A set of strategic choices intentionally made by a company’s senior executive leaders to focus their organization’s talent on work that will generate value over time.

Value at Risk

The portion of the value agenda put at risk with a particular role•talent combination.

Value At Stake

The portion of the value agenda associated with a particular critical role.

Value/s

A combination that honours both business value and the personal values of the people that permeates an organization.