Executive Guide to Integrated Talent Management

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Introduction: Too Many Soloists, Not Enough Music

Kevin Oakes and Pat Galagan

The term “talent management” is such an enigma. In an industry like learning and development that consistently reinvents its vocabulary, never before has a human resources term garnered so much attention and yet been so misunderstood and overly hyped—and, by some, overly scorned. Ironically, given the many articles, books, presentations, and rhetorical efforts that have been devoted to it over the years, talent management remains a mystery to most.

So why did we decide to add to this proliferation with this book? Our years of observing and opining about the learning and development industry led to growing puzzlement and some persistent questions related to talent ...