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Beyond the Office: 7 Powerful Ways to Cultivate Your Identity Outside Your Career
This week, we are thrilled to feature Guest Blogger, Mark Danaher. Mark is an Executive & Career Coach at Careers by Design and a good friend of Horizon Point. Originally published on LinkedIn, here is “Beyond the Office: 7 Powerful Ways to Cultivate Your Identity Outside Your Career”.

“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” – Alice Walker.

In a world where 55% of Americans define themselves primarily by their job, according to a 2014 Gallup poll, it’s crucial to pause and reflect: Are you more than your office role? This startling statistic reveals a dangerous trend in our society – the merging of personal identity with professional roles. While dedication to one’s career is admirable, allowing it to become the sole definition of who you are can lead to a precarious balancing act, leaving you vulnerable to burnout, stress, and a loss of self when faced with career changes or setbacks.

As a career strategist and resume development expert, I’ve witnessed firsthand the pitfalls of over-identifying with one’s career. I’ve lived through it myself. For over 14 years, I served as a career counselor and coordinator at Manchester, pouring my heart and soul into helping others find their path. My role wasn’t just a job; it was who I was. Then, without warning, a new principal closed the career center, pulling the rug out from under me.

Suddenly, I found myself adrift, grappling with a profound sense of loss. Who was I if not the career counselor? How could I introduce myself without my title? The burnout and stress that followed were overwhelming, and it took working with a coach to rediscover my purpose and reconnect with the world beyond my former role.

This experience taught me a valuable lesson: while our careers can be a significant part of our lives, they shouldn’t define us entirely. In this article, we’ll explore seven powerful strategies to grow your identity beyond your career, ensuring that you’re not just surviving in your professional life, but thriving as a whole person.

1. Quantify Your Life, Not Just Your Work

In the professional world, we’re often taught to quantify our achievements. “Increased sales by 30%,” “Managed a team of 15,” “Reduced costs by $100,000.” These metrics are valuable on a resume, but what about quantifying the other aspects of your life?

Challenge yourself to apply this same principle to your personal growth and hobbies. For example:

– “Read 52 books in a year”

– “Volunteered 100 hours at the local animal shelter”

– “Learned to play 10 new songs on the guitar”

By quantifying your personal achievements, you’re not only setting goals for yourself outside of work but also recognizing the value of your non-professional pursuits. This practice helps shift your focus from solely career-based accomplishments to a more holistic view of your capabilities and interests.

2. Problem-Solving Beyond the Office

Your ability to overcome challenges shouldn’t be limited to your professional life. Could you identify problems in your community or personal life and apply your problem-solving skills there? This helps others and reinforces that your value extends beyond your job title.

For instance, if you notice a lack of green spaces in your neighborhood, you could:

– Research urban gardening initiatives

– Propose a community garden project to local authorities-. Organize volunteers and resources

– Implement the project and measure its impact on the community

By tackling issues outside of work, you’re demonstrating to yourself and others that your skills and initiative have a broader application. This can be especially powerful when facing career transitions or setbacks, as it reminds you of your inherent problem-solving abilities.

3. Take Initiative in Personal Growth

As you might go above and beyond in your career, apply that same initiative to your personal development. Set ambitious goals for yourself that have nothing to do with your job. This could involve:

– Learning a new language

– Training for a marathon

– Starting a blog about a passion project

– Taking up a challenging hobby like rock climbing or chess

A study published in the Journal of Happiness Studies found that individuals who engaged in leisure activities reported higher levels of life satisfaction and lower levels of stress. By taking initiative in areas outside of work, you’re not only expanding your skillset but also building resilience and a more robust sense of self.

4. Optimize Your Personal Time

Efficiency shouldn’t be confined to the workplace. You can look for ways to streamline your personal life to make more time for the things that truly matter to you. This might include:

– Meal prepping to save time during busy weekdays

– Creating a capsule wardrobe to simplify your morning routine

– Using productivity apps to manage household tasks and errands

By optimizing your time, you’re freeing up space for activities that contribute to your identity outside of work. This could mean more time for family, hobbies, or self-care – all crucial elements of a well-rounded identity.

5. Lead in Your Community

Leadership is about more than managing teams at work. Look for opportunities to lead in your community or groups aligned with your interests. This could involve:

– Coaching a youth sports team

– Organizing a neighborhood watch program

– Leading a book club or hobby group

– Serving on the board of a local non-profit

A 2018 Corporation for National and Community Service study found that volunteers have a 27% better chance of finding employment. However, the benefits extend far beyond career prospects. Community leadership allows you to develop new skills, build a diverse network, and make a tangible impact outside of your professional sphere.

6. Apply Your Skills to Passion Projects

Your professional skills have value beyond the workplace. Could you identify ways to apply these skills to projects or causes you’re passionate about? For example:

– If you’re a marketing professional, offer your expertise to a local charity

– If you’re an IT specialist, volunteer to teach coding to underprivileged youth

– If you’re a financial advisor, start a blog offering budgeting tips for young adults

By applying your skills in diverse contexts, you’re reinforcing that your abilities are part of who you are, not just what you do for a living. This can be particularly empowering during career transitions or when facing professional challenges.

7. Cultivate Diverse Relationships

Your network shouldn’t be limited to professional contacts. Actively seek out and nurture relationships with people from various walks of life. This might include:

– Joining clubs or groups based on your hobbies

– Attending community events or workshops

– Volunteering for causes you care about

– Participating in online forums or social media groups aligned with your interests

A study published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships found that having a diverse social network contributes to greater life satisfaction and resilience. By building relationships outside of your professional circle, you’re creating a support system that isn’t tied to your career status.

The Journey to a Holistic Identity

Remember, growing your identity beyond your career is a journey, not a destination. It requires conscious effort and a willingness to step out of your comfort zone. As you implement these strategies, you likely find that your sense of self becomes more robust and resilient.

Psychologist Dr. Susan David, author of “Emotional Agility,” offers this powerful insight: “The most resilient individuals and organizations aren’t the ones that don’t fail, they’re the ones that fail, learn, and thrive because of it.” By diversifying your identity, you’re building this resilience, preparing yourself to thrive regardless of professional ups and downs.

My journey from career counselor to rediscovering my purpose taught me that our true value lies not in our job titles but in the unique combination of skills, passions, and experiences that make us who we are. By consciously cultivating your identity beyond your career, you’re not diminishing your professional self but rather enriching your whole self.

As you progress, challenge yourself to assess the balance between your professional and personal identities regularly. Are you giving enough time and energy to your life outside of work? Are you recognizing and celebrating your non-professional achievements with the same enthusiasm as your career milestones?

Remember, you are not your job title. You are a complex, multifaceted individual with the power to define yourself on your terms. By embracing this truth and actively working to grow your identity beyond your career, you’re not just safeguarding against professional setbacks – you’re opening yourself up to a richer, more fulfilling life.

In the words of Roman philosopher Seneca, “As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters.” Make your tale about more than just your career. Make it a story of growth, resilience, and the continuous discovery of who you truly are.

Reach to me if you are struggling with your identity. Talk to Mark

For similar content on what we call “wholepersonness” and work-life integration, check out these posts on The Point Blog:
November 26, 2024
My Six-Week Soul Sabbath

When you think of a sabbatical from work, what comes to mind? I took a few minutes to write the first words that came to my mind. They were: breather, time off, soul rest, work-life balance and creative restoration. As the newest member of the Horizon Point team, I was not as familiar with the term sabbatical like the rest of the ladies.

Rumor has it that in 2021 everyone was on Mary Ila’s back porch in a Monthly Mingle meeting, distracted, busy and burned out. A couple of our team members had been to the hospital with chest pains, and it was tangible how deeply everyone needed a “soul sabbath”. The next item on the agenda was sabbaticals for everyone. That meant 6 weeks of paid time off for mental, physical and spiritual restoration. The idea was that when everyone was full, they would be able to dedicate their best selves to the mission. Thus, the Horizon Point sabbatical was born.

This year, for our second quarterly planning meeting, “Sabbaticals” was on the agenda. Apparently, everyone on the team had been busy juggling too many balls and the subject was brought up before we even got to it. Not being familiar with the art of sabbaticals, I had loads of questions. “So, we get paid for 6 weeks? You don’t check your emails? What about Insighlty-the CRM we use for our tasks? Are you sure?” Everyone on the team assured me that it was a wonderful experience and that it would be well worth it. So, I blocked off November 1-December 16th and as if I could read my own fortune, forecasted the most timely sabbatical I didn’t even know that I needed.

You see, 8 weeks ago, I found out that I am expecting my second child. My husband and I had prayed for this baby, but I knew before trying that historically, pregnancy has not always been the easiest experience for me. Add in coming off anti depressants in July and the beginning of the perfect hormonal storm was brewed. Things that normally are a challenge or are exciting for me have invoked fear, and I could feel deep inside that I needed to be still. The next quote is from Mary Ila’s blog, The Surgeon General’s Warning and Professional Development.

A week or so after the conversation with the pregnancy announcement, we have our monthly one-on-one. We talk through a lot of client work and potential work. It is kind of hectic. We have to call another team member in at one point to talk through an execution plan for a new client.

And as we usually do in one-on-ones, we spend some time talking about her professional development within the context of her needs and the company’s needs.

I can tell she is concerned about taking on too much during this season of her life where a new child will enter and in her current state where she just doesn’t feel good and she never knows when that may or may not hit. Thus are the joys of growing a human being inside you.

I think out loud and I can tell my thinking out loud may be overwhelming her. I even sometimes overwhelm myself with it.

So, I stop. I ask her to think about one thing she wants to grow in professionally. Just one. I can tell she doesn’t want to stall her learning and growth, and she says as much, but she also wants some grace as she navigates what looks like a very different season coming up for her.

I don’t want her to stop learning and growing. I want her to continue to grow in her confidence and skills where she can continue to add value to the organization. But I know she won’t do either of these things if she is overwhelmed.

I don’t think Mary Ila knew the impact that reading that in black and white had on me. During that meeting we discussed juggling too many balls but also the fact that there are bouncy balls and there are glass balls. Bouncy balls like professional development will do that just-bounce, but the glass balls like mental health are a little less resilient. So on my six week “Soul Sabbath” I plan to rest. Not to lay down (although that may be on the agenda too) but to rest my mind. To be still and to know. After all, God’s track record in my life is GOOD.

If you are interested in learning more about how to create organizations where people thrive, please visit our Illuminate website at: https://horizonpointconsulting.com/illuminate/

October 29, 2024
The Surgeon General’s Warning and Professional Development

As I take in my daily dose of news fed to me via email by the New York Times on Saturday, August 31, I’m surprised to see the title: Opinion: Surgeon General: Parents Are at Their Wits’ End. We Can Do Better.

Saturday’s Times email blast usually features a more lighthearted piece, especially on a holiday weekend.

But as I opened the article, I couldn’t help thinking, “No sh*t!” to what the Surgeon General was saying. You see, I have literally just cleaned up sh*t (Or wait, was it vomit?) off the floor of our bathroom as child number two out of three started with a full round of the stomach bug and didn’t quite make it to the toilet.

Such are the “joys”, I guess, as the Surgeon General references in his opinion piece. It is back to school season and everyone is passing around germs.

But this is not all that has come during back to school month in a household of three children ages 13,10, and 5. When they are healthy, EVERYDAY at school, everyday of life, demands something.

Take for example, the day before the holiday weekend started. One child had to bring a snack for his class that corresponded with the color of the day- black. In case you are wondering, Oreos were a hit for the group of four and five year olds. And don’t forget, he had to wear black too. This is day nine of ten days of the color game where corresponding outfits with the color of the day are a must. We opted for bracelets two of the ten days because I refused to go buy clothes just to meet the color demands of Pre-K.

The ten-year-old had student council speeches at 8:15 am the same day. Prior to said speech, this required the speech to be written and turned in for approval and posters to be made. Oh, and a parent form to sign. Of course, it outlined the requirements and obligations of both parent and student for accepting the role of leading the student government of an elementary school. She ran for President and lost, so cue in the emotional support needing to be provided there. This support takes place in between trips to the said toilet with the stomach bug.

And the thirteen year old. Well, his struggles have been much like the Surgeon General leads his article with- serious health issues. On this Thursday before the Labor Day holiday, he had just been discharged from an almost week long hospital stay.

So, you can see why I was saying “No sh*t!” to the Surgeon General op-ed. It has been a season for our family of intense stress. Honestly, it takes a toll even when someone isn’t hospitalized or throwing up everywhere.

The demands for black snacks, constant school events- which nine times out of ten requires you to send money and fill out a form- is ongoing. And let us not forget figuring out how the heck you are going to carve out time to work to pay for all this stuff and get work done (if you are fortunate enough to have the flexibility to leave work) to attend kids activities in and out of school or care for them when they are sick.

I have it made, but…

The Surgeon General and I may not be in identical boats, but we both have it “made” when it comes to the lifestyle we can afford for ourselves and our children.

As the first comment I saw of the NYT piece said, “Dr. Murphy had access to top shelf medical care and a supportive workplace. He is very lucky. A lot of parents don’t have these advantages.”

I have these advantages too. My husband and I work for ourselves and therefore have a ton of flexibility when it comes to when and where and how we do work. At least one of us can make the 8:15 am student council speech and another the 2:15 carline pick up line because our five year old is too young to go to extended day at the elementary school where he attends. We don’t have to punch a time clock, and we are able to divide and conquer.

Our health insurance is uber expensive and not that great of coverage honestly, but we have it. We don’t have to make decisions on whether to access the healthcare system if any of us needs it based on whether or not we can afford it.

That doesn’t negate the stress, though, of the 12:08 am email that had to go out to a client the night my son was admitted to hospital to say, last minute, that I wouldn’t be at his facility the next morning given what I described to him vaguely as “a family medical emergency.” Or the meeting I had to put off twice about starting a new contract with another client with the same vague reasoning. I eventually had to delegate the meeting to a person on my team who I know executed everything beautifully. But it is just another example of the constant- and I mean constant- reshuffling I have to do to try to work- and I’m lucky that it is work I love- and raise kids.

I cannot imagine the toll day-to-day parenting takes on the single parent, the parent that can’t leave work or they will be fired, the parent who doesn’t have insurance, and the parent who doesn’t have a village of people around them helping them.

We’ve been raising kids since the beginning of time. Has it always been this hard?

So maybe it is just the way things are today. Me and peers are making too much of parenting, spending too much time worrying about our kids, engaging them and us in too many activities in and out of school, worried too much about them missing out. Or are we both working when only one of us should? Or are we worried about missing out on every single thing they do because of the comparison and judgment between parents that show up for everything and those that do not?

I think since the beginning of time parenting has been stressful. Cue Cain and Abel and that tragedy. I’m sure the death of one son at the hand of the other was pretty stressful for Adam and Eve income, privilege, and societal demands of the time and all aside. The stress of trying to provide the very best care for our children so they can grow up to be healthy adults is not new, and I think it is one all parents have shared since the beginning of time.

But there are some things today that are different. As comments in the NYT article point to, screens and social media do, I think, play a role in the difficulties. They aren’t to blame, but they do play a role. The way the structure of work is misaligned with education and childcare (access and affordability) plays a role. The way we are constantly striving for more, more, more plays a role. And as many of the comments in the NYT Op-Ed point to, this seems to be unique to America. Do kids really need to go on two field trips in one month at school? Do we really need to operate this factory 24/7/365? The healthcare system, as MANY comments in the NYT article point to, plays a role and adds a lot of stress if and when you have to encounter it. And if you are alive, you will at one point or another.

And as I write this last paragraph, my inbox dings with a breaking news alert from the Times, “Four people were killed and at least nine injured in a shooting on the campus of a Georgia high school, the authorities said.”

Yeah, there is that stress too. If I send my kid to school today, are they going to get shot?

Yes, things are the same as the beginning of time, and yet they are different.

So how on earth do I- or people like me who have pretty constant caregiving demands and stress- even think about professional development?

We’ve been focused on the importance of professional development on the blog for the last few weeks. We’ve talked about what we’ve been up to for professional development, the ROI of it, and how to do it when you don’t really have a budget for it.

But what if you are in a season of life where you just don’t have the time for it or the mental bandwidth to focus on it? Did you notice in the what we’ve been up to for professional development post what I’ve been doing for PD? Nope, you didn’t. That is because I am not doing a thing! Practicing what I preach I am not.

What if you are leading someone or working along someone that is in this season? Many of which are sandwiched caregivers- caring for growing children and aging parents all at once.

Or are you leading someone who really needs to focus on caring for themselves? Or a spouse or other loved one? Let’s face it, everyone has something with varying degrees of intensity and capacity to handle that intensity.

As I am contemplating this post while caring for the thirteen year old through his go-round with the stomach bug (yes, it made its way through all of us), I get a text from someone that works with me. I cringe when she says she works “for” me, but I pay her. I’m supposed to be that leader who is focused on the ROI of her professional development.

She asks when would be a good time for her to call me. I tell her I’m free and the phone rings shortly after.

After checking on us and also talking about her family, she says, “I’m pregnant.”

I congratulate her and we talk about some work things. Then, she circles back around to what I know has been on her mind the most. How does she navigate having and raising this child with work?

How do I do it? she asks. Well, not really well at the moment I want to tell her!

I know she wonders if the same privilege I gave myself of easing back into work after having all three of my kids be afforded to her? Of course it will. Of course.

And what about healthcare? Can she get on the company’s family coverage? I reach out to get the benefits plan information from our insurance provider to send to her shortly after we get off the phone.

The Surgeon General points to things in his piece like paid parental leave and changes in healthcare to help with the “toll” of parenting. Whereas I don’t think anything he mentions are bad things, my political philosophy inclines me to think that it isn’t the government’s job to alleviate “tolls” we face, but our very own.

It is the job of families, employers, and communities to create a healthy society. To help society successfully navigate and mitigate the tolls this life lays on each and every one of us and to revel in the joy that comes with life too.

Some of the hard cannot and will not be avoided, but some of it can be made better if we care for and treat each other well. That is where the joy mostly comes from.

And, yes, families, employers, and communities need to play an active role advocating for the government to play its role where it should, but we can’t turn a blind eye to the choices we have in each of our roles to make a difference.

We can treat people like humans, honor the stage of life they are in, and design a workplace around getting work done and getting it done with excellence while also realizing a person’s productivity may ebb and flow based on where they are in life. And realizing it will really ebb in the wrong direction if we neglect to see the whole person and if we try to treat humans like machines.

Some balls bounce and some balls break

A week or so after the conversation with the pregnancy announcement, we have our monthly one-on-one. We talk through a lot of client work and potential work. It is kind of hectic. We have to call another team member in at one point to talk through an execution plan for a new client.

And as we usually do in one-on-ones, we spend some time talking about her professional development within the context of her needs and the company’s needs.

I can tell she is concerned about taking on too much during this season of her life where a new child will enter and in her current state where she just doesn’t feel good and she never knows when that may or may not hit. Thus are the joys of growing a human being inside you.

I think out loud and I can tell my thinking out loud may be overwhelming her. I even sometimes overwhelm myself with it.

So, I stop. I ask her to think about one thing she wants to grow in professionally. Just one. I can tell she doesn’t want to stall her learning and growth, and she says as much, but she also wants some grace as she navigates what looks like a very different season coming up for her.

I don’t want her to stop learning and growing. I want her to continue to grow in her confidence and skills where she can continue to add value to the organization. But I know she won’t do either of these things if she is overwhelmed.

None of us perform at an optimum level when we are overwhelmed. And let’s face it, I’ve been overwhelmed pretty much all year. What is it the Surgeon General called it? Oh yes, I’m at my “Wits’ End.”

So, as I heed advice to her, I heed advice to myself. What is the one thing I want to grow in? Not ten things, not three things, one thing.

Seasons come and seasons go, and right now the season for both of us is one of intense child-rearing. If I’m honest (and you can probably already tell based on my tone to begin with), I am sometimes resentful of the intensity of this child rearing season that takes me away from a focus on professional growth.

But like my colleague said in the same meeting, we have rubber balls and we have glass balls. If we drop a rubber ball, it will bounce. But if we drop a glass ball, it will break.

My professional growth and hers will bounce.

Our children are glass and we parents will do everything in our power to make sure nothing causes them to break. Sometimes we need help discerning what will help our kids grow and what might break them, just like we do for ourselves.

But in this season of life for both of us, we both need something we can claim for ourselves and our own growth, even if it is just one thing. One small thing. It will, I know, make us better parents to have this one thing to call our own and to have each other to challenge us to do it and not take our eye off that ball, even if it will bounce.

The whole person of each of your employees and the value they bring to your organization are glass balls too. What are you doing today to make sure they don’t break? Especially when the Surgeon General is issuing warnings about it?

And what are you doing to give them a ball or two to bounce so they learn and grow and continue to add value for themselves and your organization?

September 24, 2024
Investing in People Makes Cents
Last week, Emily kicked off our new series on professional development. What it is and why we should care about it. I’m pulling that thread to talk about the dollars and cents of why you should invest in people and why you should do it NOW.

I just read a powerful article from McKinsey titled Increasing your return on talent: The moves and metrics that matter that hit me square in the face with this quote: “McKinsey research indicates that companies that put talent at the center of their business strategy realize higher total shareholder returns than their competitors.”

One more time for the people in the back: spending money on your people makes you more money. McKinsey’s research let them to the startling stat that some companies could be missing out on $480 million a year just by not investing in employee engagement and skill development.

McKinsey goes on to lay out a 5 step plan for companies to “maximize their return on talent”, and it’s a an excellent plan that relies on an already existing, already strong HR team. If that doesn’t describe the situation at your company, you might not be ready for McKinsey’s 5 step plan. Instead, maybe you need the Dollar Tree plan.

Last week, I had lunch with a great friend who also works in the HR space. She recently stepped in for me to facilitate some pro-bono training when I couldn’t make the date work. Her tactic? Conversation cards from Dollar Tree.

She spent $3.75 plus tax on conversation cards that turned into meaningful relationshipping for the group and several people left interested in adopting conversation cards with their own teams. Weeks later, my friend is still riding the high of a $3.75 investment. When we invest in people, it’s about the intent and the follow through more than the amount of money spent.

Horizon Point’s operating values include Continuous Learning & Improvement, and it’s truly part of everything we do. Our operating values make up the structure of our planning meeting agendas. Seriously, the line items are grouped by value:
1. People First
  - Catch up
  - Review accomplishments
  - Schedule one-on-ones
2. Productivity
  - Company performance
  - Open projects
  - Business development
3. Continuous Learning & Improvement
  - Review program & project feedback
  - Identify continuing ed / professional dev opportunities
4. Give Back
  - Volunteer leadership
  - Financial support
Just the act of talking about our learning with intention generates engagement and a future-focused mindset. But the impact is compounded when we put our money where are mouths are. I asked Mary Ila today about Horizon Point’s investment in continuous learning for team members, and the total so far this year is over $10,000, just for the 5 of us. She doesn’t hesitate to invest in people, as long as the purpose is aligned with the mission of our work at HPC and, of course, as long as the investment is reasonable and works in the current budget. Our work is about talent development and better workplaces, and it only counts if we practice our own preaching.

To close the loop on the McKinsey research, they reported that:

the most effective organizations encourage personalized, adaptive learning. Employees are motivated to own their journeys by deciding which skills and areas of expertise they want to focus on. They are given feedback, along with coaching and peer-learning opportunities, and they are supported by a digital ecosystem that can help them track their progress over time.

We strongly agree with this approach, and we spend a lot of time and resources talking about it and being about it. We learn together, we learn individually, and it’s all based on the skills or areas we want to develop. As McKinsey puts it, we own our journeys. We also train and coach our clients on this adaptive learning model using our Leaders as Career Agents process. We help them customize learning opportunities that drive their organizations forward and create more value.

To invest in people is to invest in a thriving future. Talk about it and be about it. Investing in people makes cents!
September 10, 2024
AI for Talent Development: Good, Scary, or Both?

AI is everywhere. Have you recently googled something and used the AI generated answer without ever clicking a link from the list? It’s one of my new favorite efficiencies…and it freaks me out a little. In the “if something scares you, it probably means you should do it” kind of way. We’ve been talking about AI for HR over the last few weeks in the context of our work and industries we support, and today I’m wrapping it up with my take on AI for talent development as a whole. It freaks me out a little, so it’s probably a good thing. Right?

Speaking of Google’s AI Overview, here’s what came up when I googled “is AI for talent development?”:

Yes, AI (artificial intelligence) is being used in talent management to improve efficiency and outcomes at every stage of the talent lifecycle. AI technologies like machine learning algorithms and natural language processing can help with:

Recruitment
AI can help match candidates with roles based on their skills, experience, and cultural fit. AI-powered semantic search can also help recruiters find qualified candidates by running Google-like searches that go beyond keyword matching.

Employee development
AI can help create personalized training plans, learning suggestions, and development goals for each employee. AI can also provide real-time feedback based on performance data, which can help employees make immediate improvements.

Performance management
AI can help set dynamic goals and provide actionable insights to drive employee performance and development. AI can also help with succession planning by analyzing employee data to identify high performers and predict future leadership needs.

Skills intelligence
AI-powered tools can help HR leaders gain an in-depth view of their workforce’s skills and potential knowledge gaps. This information can help leaders evolve job architectures as skill needs and business priorities shift.

For each topic featured in the AI Overview, Google provided links to the source material used to inform the AI response. I wanted to know more about AI in Recruitment, so I clicked the link icon and found more detailed articles:

(Shoutout to Avature and HireRoad)

If you’ve kept up with the latest news at Horizon Point, you likely know that I (Jillian) just returned from a 6-week paid sabbatical. During that time, I slept a lot, I made time for hobbies, and I let my brain slow way, way down. Now coming back to work, it’s nice to ease into slow productivity and learn to incorporate the good of AI into our talent development work.

I don’t think anyone can say for sure what the future of AI for HR holds, but for now, let’s be curious and explore AI for talent development with open minds. After all, the simple definition of development is the act of improving by expanding, enlarging, or refining, and AI can certainly help.

August 20, 2024

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