[Rick Deans]

Many words have been spoken and printed about the “brain drain” of U.S. industry so I’ll give you many more words to express my opinions on this subject.

Blame for the brain drain has, by some, been placed on the pressure of quarter-to-quarter performance by Wall Street and/or the metrics of executive compensation to drive a myopic perspective to operational decisions. This focuses executives on near-term performance and generated the basis for reasons (read: excuses) why thinking beyond the quarter, let alone the year, was impossible. Many adopted the perspective of “one must survive each quarter to get to the next year”. Using this mantra, no dutiful executive could divert the organization to lofty, long-term goals such as avoiding the loss of corporate knowledge because such an effort would not impact this quarter’s performance (read: lousy leadership).

However, in my experience, the pending issue and expected consequences were predictable and harsh. Employee population data is an unabashed, irrefutable source. Fixing a known problem that has become a crisis through inattention will find no near-term solution. In some cases, companies and even industries may have difficulty overcoming the near term effects. Some will find it impossible. I never expect the loss of corporate knowledge may never be cited as a source of lagging performance. To do so would indict the senior executives of dereliction. Those who do succeed where their competitors don’t will have believed in the problem for many years and acted.

To recover from pending difficulties requires an ability to recognize the impact of the problem and choose to do something about it. I suggest instituting a systemic, non-optional employee enrichment program. Such a program requires unyielding support from all levels of management and the discipline to remove those from positions should they choose to ignore the issue.

Such a program might include a company-wide effort designed to predict the skills and associated levels of competency for the future, identify the gaps between the current and future state and then institute programs to train the trainable, hire the skilled and recruit the gifted. This is a tall order and costly one. The opportunity is to start now. Stem the flow by policy/culture changes in hopes of buying time for the systemic efforts to yield benefits. By all means plan to be successful though employees not through executives.

But, enough words for now…..