JEAN PHILIP DE TENDER

I have been in the media business for over 35 years now. Although I still feel like that 24-year-old guy starting a career at the Flemish public broadcaster VRT, I have accumulated considerable experience over the decades. I’m not bragging, it’s just what it is, if you have spent such a long time in a specific industry.

I am aware of my history, yet I am not fully conscious of it, as it all happened so quickly. ‘Just me’ is what I tell friends when they want to tap into the details of my career.  And in all honesty, it’s still very much ‘just me.’ It just happened, and I’m very grateful for it.

Occasionally, people want to ‘check in’ with me, pick my brain or get some advice. I always take such requests seriously, although I vet them. Why are they contacting me? ’  Is it because I’m there N+2, N+3 or some other number at the office, and they want to hear from the director? Is it because they have read my blog and feel some connection? Or because they are aware of my coaching practice and need a guide? Or just because they think it’s worth a try. All of that is fine! Just reach out to me. Honestly!

I have a knack for discovering talent and keeping them close to me. To be blunt, out of self-interest. Such talent addresses the majority of my problems and propels me forward in achieving my strategic goals. I throw it on the table, and they solve it. What they come up with is much better than what I would have produced.

They are a league of talented people, but they are also demanding of themselves. They solve your problem; they are true soldiers, but they also want to understand where all of this leads them. It’s not that they are brokering; they want to know there is a path they approve of. They are often between the age range of 30 and 40, when their career has kicked off and when it may need to take a turn.

If I try to analyse their needs, this is what they want to map:

• They want to grow. They know their skills and what they can solve, but they want more complex problems to assess their limits. And they want you to support them in that challenge.

• They need recognition. They give more than 100% of themselves, and they consistently overperform. So it’s fair of them to have that acknowledged. In words, perhaps also in a promotion, a new job title, or a salary increase, although I feel the last is not a priority per se. A simple “well done” from someone they appreciate can make a huge difference.

• They need someone who believes in them. Someone who inspires them as a line manager, or who is their mentor or coach.

Talent retention is a big word in many organisations, and I think it’s great that it’s gaining momentum. But let’s not forget that all of us as line managers have a responsibility here. It’s not the sole responsibility of the HR department. Is it because of my age (and perhaps some wisdom) that I see entire flocks of young people residing in that stage? I do my best to listen to them and to guide them, but it should be standard practice for all managers. Thinking back on how I felt at that age, one or two people made the difference, and till today (they are in their eighties), they remain mentors to me. 

As a line manager, I must have disappointed some people in my teams.  I have been able to help some of them get on the right track, and I’m a sounding board for some of them today. 

I feel that with some of them, ambition is turning into frustration because they don’t get the proper response. They see the journey ahead, and they lack guidance. I urge them to speak up, because ambition turning into frustration is counterintuitive for all of us.