Building Go-To Persons: Aligning Talent Development with Business Needs

In our line of work, having a stellar team is everything. We rely on them day in and day out to make magic happen for our guests. But, have you ever stopped to think about those shining stars within your team? You know, the ones everyone turns to when things get tricky or when they need a fresh perspective? Yep, we are talking about your go-to persons!

Today, we want to talk about why it's so important to encourage and nurture these go-to persons within your team.

Let's start with how to identify go-to persons in your team. A simple checklist would look like this:

Possesses deep knowledge and expertise in a specific area.
Consistently delivers exceptional results.
Strong problem-solving skills.
Resourceful and proactive.
Exhibits leadership qualities.
Effective communication skills.
Collaborative and willing to share knowledge.
Adaptable and flexible.
Maintains a positive attitude.
Respected by peers and colleagues.

An even simpler check is this 'Who do you turn to in a specific situation? Who does the rest of your team turn to?' That person is your 'go-to'

Lets say there is a very angry customer on the phone who demands that someone meet her in person to resolve her complaints. The first person you think of, is the 'go-to' for complaint management. You can do this simple test for almost any task/activity.

Who do you think of when you want a VVIP to be shown around the property?

Who do you turn to when you need to come up with creative or new ideas?

Who do you refer people to, to proof read emails?

If you know who your 'go-to' persons are, recognize and acknowledge them.

Things you can do:

Employee of the Month Recognition
Public Recognition at Meetings
Personalized Thank You Notes
Opportunities for Professional Development
Special Projects or Assignments
Peer Recognition Program
Flexible Work Arrangements
Team Celebrations or Events
Leadership Opportunities
Monetary Rewards or Incentives

What if you cannot think of anyone as a 'go-to' person in your team? Should you create 'go-to' persons in your team? We think you should.

Here's how you can:

1. Assess Business and Customer Needs: Evaluate your business goals, objectives, and customer requirements to identify areas where having go-to persons would be most beneficial. Consider factors such as market trends, competitive landscape, and customer feedback to pinpoint areas of focus.

e.g. Do you need a someone from you team to become better at Social Media Marketing? Making Reels? Replying to guests comments in review websites?

2. Identify Skills and Expertise Needed: Based on your assessment of business and customer needs, determine the specific skills, expertise, and competencies that are critical for success in those areas. This will help you narrow down the characteristics you're looking for in potential go-to persons.

3. Align Development Efforts: Tailor your training and development efforts to address the skills and expertise needed to meet your business and customer requirements. Focus on building capabilities that directly contribute to achieving your organizational goals and delivering value to your customers.

4. Assign Relevant Projects and Tasks: When assigning special projects or tasks to potential go-to persons, ensure that they are directly related to addressing key business and customer needs. This will not only provide them with opportunities to showcase their abilities but also contribute to driving meaningful outcomes for your business.

5. Monitor Impact on Business Performance: Continuously monitor the impact of developing go-to persons on your business performance and customer satisfaction. Measure key performance indicators (KPIs) related to the areas where go-to persons are involved to assess their effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.

6. Encourage collaboration and knowledge sharing: It becomes important for the leader to create the space, time, and rewards that encourage collabs and knowledge share. You cannot create ‘go-to’ persons if they cannot share their knowledge with others.

7. Offer mentorship and guidance: We would suggest do it yourself to begin with, and then slowly, when everyone knows you are serious about this, get your trusted lieutenants to do this.

8. Recognize and reward progress: At this point use the 10 ideas listed above, or ask someone in your team who always seems to know what to do in such situations!