The war for talent and the future of work

The future of work continues to change as we build it, but one thing seems very likely to remain the same for years to come the war for talent. Here are some principles from the past that will serve well in the ambiguity of the future

- Clinton Wingrove

Have you read "On War" by Carl von Clausewitz, 1832? Probably not. But it is interesting because everyone seems to love the analogy of the difficulty of acquiring and retaining talent with the challenges of war.

Carl von Clausewitz was a young Prussian major, fighting in battles immediately preceding Waterloo in 1815. Those experiences shaped the way he thought about warfare. He later became a general and a military theorist. Clausewitz argued that war could not be waged successfully merely as a logistical exercise. He argued that war demanded rapid, quality decision-making by those in command - responding promptly to unexpected events that arise in the volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity of war. Sound familiar?

Clausewitz's work helped form the basis of military doctrine and what are now known as the Principles of War. These principles of war are ignored or forgotten at the peril of commanders and leaders; indeed, most military failures can be attributed, at least in part, to a failure to understand or apply them. And so it is in business - managers and leaders who apply researched, robust, and tested principles avoid failure and achieve success. Most of those who don't apply the principles fall by the wayside.

So, as we are addicted to the metaphor that recruiting top talent is a war, it is worth exploring the Principles of War and extracting apposite lessons from them for business. Various countries have adopted slightly different numbers, names, and descriptions for these principles but they are all extremely similar. Here we review the most common model of 10 principles and link them to a sound business approach.

Select and Maintain a Clear Aim