• A talent management creed composed of a widely publicized set of core principles, values, and mutual expectations that mutually guides the behavior of an organization and its people.  Collectively, the stated principles depict the type of culture an organization strives to create to achieve its unique portrait for success.  The principles of the creed are embedded into both its talent management strategy and in its talent management system through incorporating its doctrines into selection criteria, competency definitions, performance criteria, and internal selection and development processes, and all other human resources policies and programs.
• A talent strategy makes explicit the types of people in whom the organization will invest.  The highest investments are rooted in the organization’s talent creed and each person’s potential for contributing to organizational success now and in the future.
• A talent management system consists of a set of procedures, systems, and processes that translate an organization’s talent creed and strategy into a diagnostic and implementation program for investing in the people who exemplify the culture that will achieve organization excellence.

This book is organized into six parts.  The chapters are arranged to provide readers with a logical path to creating the talent management framework described above.

Part I establishes the talent management framework.  It shows how the different elements of a creed, talent strategy, and the building blocks of a talent management system are integrated into a unified approach that creates and sustains organizational excellence.  The building blocks represent assessment tools rooted in the organization’s creed that include competencies, performance appraisal, potential forecast, and succession and career planning.  The building blocks enable the organization to classify its employees based on actual and potential contribution to organizational success and to suggest the types of investment needed to enhance individual contribution.

Part II describes the types of investments an organization must make to assure that its human resources can perform at the highest competitive levels now and in the future based on the assessment of its people.  This section covers the use of training, development, coaching, mentorship, and leadership within a talent management plan.  Together Parts I and II provide critical input to helping an organization attract, select, retain, and engage its people.

Part III presents approaches that are used to allocate financial rewards to employees based on their actual and potential contribution to employee success.

Part IV links talent management, culture, and business excellence.  It describes how organization philosophies, beliefs, and values establish the parameters that govern the selection, development, and advancement of the people who shape the culture for success that drives business excellence. They include elements such as: ethics, sustainability, diversity, engagement, innovation, and creativity.

Part V covers a diverse collection of critical topics that include defining the link between business planning and talent management, workforce analysis, and recruitment, outplacement, and information systems that complement other talent management processes.

Part VI encourages the reader to be imaginative in approaching the unique talent management requirements of their organization. It includes ways to use a people "equity framework" to rethink talent management, use novel "collaborative approaches to marshall talent," "consider the global state of talent management," "deploy a special model for talent manager excellence," and use talent management "leadership" to drive success in the government.