Talent-Centric vs Structure-Centric
To maximize upside, adjust the jobs to your people and not your people to the jobs
Recently, Chuck Swoboda, Marquette’s Innovator-in-Residence, shared his thoughts on talent-centric versus structure-centric approaches to team building. Based on his conversation with John Coyle, Olympic medalist and design thinking expert, he articulates the trade-offs between these approaches and how Coyle himself utilized a talent-centric approach to radically enhance his teams. Swoboda describes the differences between these styles as:
In essence, talent-centric teams adjust the jobs to the people, and structure-centric teams adjust the people to the jobs. Swoboda argues that if you want to maximize upside and innovation, the talent-centric approach is far superior — but harder to maintain as a business scales.
As we continue to collectively create the future and bear witness to jobs becoming more dynamic and fluid, this article serves as a great reminder that: “If you can embrace the talent-centric mindset, you’ll have each member of your team playing to their strengths —which ultimately defines your success as a leader.”
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If you have other content you think would be a great addition or want to help build Innovation Alley alongside us, let's talk! We would love to feature and highlight great change-makers in and around our community. Let’s go create the future 🚀