Talent development is the journey towards realizing a person’s full potential and maximizing one’s contribution to an organization or society.” – PSTD

Disclaimer: The following reflections represent my personal insights as someone who has witnessed the evolution of the Society from its name change and has been privileged to observe how it has evolved to align with its new identity. This article does not represent the official position of the Society. I am writing this with the hope of generating interest among current and future members to continue facilitating the Society’s evolution.

Whether you are a longstanding member of the PSTD or not, you are likely aware that the Society has transitioned from solely focusing on training and development. The acronym TD now stands for talent development. So, what does this name change signify? Did we merely adopt the name of the American Society for Training and Development, now known as the Association for Talent Development? The answer is both yes and no.

We do acknowledge that ATD’s name change is an indication that training, and development cannot exist in isolation. This compelled us to reflect on the impact we are making as a society and how we need to broaden our perspective in order to achieve our vision. While it would have been easier to adopt ATD’s framework, we recognized the importance of creating a framework that holds more meaning for the Filipino talents we are committed to developing.

In our efforts to make the TD framework a collaborative product, we organized several meetings and summits. We sought the insights of practice and thought leaders, gathered input from CEOs and L&D Managers, and collected a wealth of information. We spent considerable time analyzing this information, striving to understand what it was trying to communicate to us, and how we could build a meaningful framework based on these collective expectations. With the leadership of Fe Marie Cabantac and the assistance of Dr. Rose Fuentes, who was then the Dean of the SAIDI School of OD, we successfully developed the Philippine Talent Development Framework.

The framework comprises four components: Pagmulat (Discovery), Paglinang o Paghusay (Development), Paglaya (Freedom of Mobility), and Pagtagumpay (Achievement of Potential). The question now arises: How do we utilize these components to develop talent? We need to translate them from abstract concepts to practical application. During the 2021 summit, I was tasked with sharing the history of the framework, but I believe we can go beyond that. I can assist in providing a deeper understanding of the framework, offering a guide for all of us.

Pagmulat: 
From an organizational standpoint, it is crucial to recognize that talent development must begin with discovery. The moment a talent joins an organization, the ability to recognize their potential becomes essential for timely development, ultimately maximizing and capitalizing on their abilities. This means that PSTD must now consider talent development as early as the talent acquisition stage. Assessing candidates serves two purposes: determining if they have the necessary qualifications for the job and identifying how their talents can be enhanced to help them succeed within the organization.
Knowing one’s talents without knowing where to channel them is of limited use. This is where Career Planning and Management comes into play. As employees and organizations recognize their talents, they must also acknowledge their career trajectories, as this information informs the next component.

Paglinang: 
One of the most significant challenges in Learning and Development is aligning developmental needs with proposed interventions. Another hurdle is ensuring that employee performance aligns with development efforts. Therefore, it is evident that career management, learning and development, and performance improvement must be interconnected. Addressing this issue effectively is a crucial task for PSTD. Some companies may excel in this area, but I believe there are not enough of them. We need to examine how this is done correctly and disseminate the knowledge to all members, empowering them to become effective practitioners who can demonstrate how earlier interventions lead to improved performance and prepare individuals for greater responsibilities, which is the domain of the next component.

Paglaya: 
Paglaya is all about freedom. From the talent development perspective, it signifies freedom from barriers or impediments to performance, leadership, and succession. Consequently, PSTD must develop programs that pave the way for these three elements. Does this mean that the Society must offer an extensive array of training? It may appear that way, but in my opinion, it should not. Doing so might divert us from our primary purpose, which is to capacitate talent development practitioners rather than perform their duties for them. I believe our focus should be on developing effective systems that lead to desired performance, leadership, and succession outcomes.

Pagtagumpay: 
The premise of organizational transformation in this context hinges on talent transformation—people realizing their potential and thereby making optimal contributions to organizational performance. As PSTD acknowledges that what makes one successful now may not guarantee success in the future, we must delve into the relationship between organizational transformation and talent development planning. This implies that talent development is not a singular journey but a series of cycles, encompassing pagmulat, paglinang, paglaya, and pagtagumpay.

Knowledge Management serves as a crucial overarching element in talent development. As we know, experience alone is not the best teacher; it is evaluated experience that holds valuable lessons. To learn from our talent development journey, we must examine our past, recognize what can be replicated, and identify areas where improvements can be made.

If PSTD were on its own talent development journey, I would venture to say that we are currently in the phase of pagmulat, exploring components beyond conventional learning and development practices, while simultaneously progressing towards paglinang. Our path towards paglaya, fully realizing our potential as a society, is still underway. Nonetheless, we are making progress, celebrating small victories (pagtagumpays) that will ultimately lead us to greater achievements.

Ultimately, the framework does not just guide the members of the society how to practice talent development, it also points PSTD where to go.