Advancing Talent Development

Advancing Talent Development Synopsis

Talent development is key to organizations keeping pace with the rapidly changing social and technological developments of today's workplace. Companies are calling for talent that possesses a mastery of discipline and systems, combined with an ability to handle cross-functional, multicultural teams, projects, and assignments. Colleges and universities face challenges in preparing students across all the competency dimensions employers demand. The T-model configures academic and professional development in a way that allows institutions to provide students with a solid foundation, one built through rich academic and co-curricular experiences that allow them to grow and adapt to the evolving workplace. The T-model comprises five key elements: mastery of academic discipline, system understanding (systems thinking), boundary spanning competencies, interdisciplinary understanding, and a strong sense of self (the ME of the T). In this volume, readers are introduced to the dynamics of the workplace that generate the need for T-professionals, followed by discussion of each of the five key elements of the T-model. Readers are then introduced to and shown how representatives from different segments of higher education infuse the T-model across the curriculum. The book's final section offers insights from industry professionals on the necessity to grow as a T, once a new graduate enters the workforce.