How many "Dots" can your professionals connect?

Steve Jobs spoke at a Stanford graduation back in 2005. If you have not already seen it, it is pretty interesting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtbJM9ksxo8 In part of his address; he talks about his professional journey. He uses the term "connecting his dots" where in retrospect there was a series of decisions and learning opportunities that he took advantage of that provided him a unique set of skills .... a set of skills that allowed him to create Apple Computer and lead the company to where it is today. One interesting point is that he was fired from Apple, connected a few "dots" outside the company, and then was later back.

I have heard accounting partners tell me that they sometimes fear getting a staff real well trained and experienced in a specialty area for fear of losing them. For example, assisting a financial auditor to obtain more IT skills could be risky because then they might become too valuable and leave. I have heard this type of story more than once.

Huh?!

So let me get this straight, your staff becomes much more valuable, much more able to service your clients in new ways, and you are afraid about even pushing that idea? It's a legitimate concern at many companies and accounting firms. The question is why?

This fear is really about not having the resources and opportunities to allow your professional to "connect later dots" at your company. You provide them a first dot, maybe an expensive dot, and then they go elsewhere and others benefit.

The workforce today is very mobile. Pensions are gone. Headhunters run rampant for the best talent. The internet allows people to find jobs quicker and to create new jobs themselves. The accounting and IT industries are facing future 5 and 10 year shortages in skilled labor supply, whether the economy expands or stagnates. This issue is not going away.

Your talent, especially your best talent, wants to connect their dots, even if they don’t know what they are, and they are willing to change jobs if that means connecting more. The question is, what do you do about this dot problem?

To be continued….