FOCUS: 2000 Previews - That old devil called 'talent'

<p>At Leo Burnett, we have a special project team working on the </p><p>millennium outlook. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>I have no doubt that these pages will be covered with predictions about </p><p>the new clicks and mortar economy and the power of the interactive </p><p>universe. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The digital revolution is here and it must be harnessed. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>But I would like to share my millennium angst with you. It's one issue </p><p>that must be dealt with this year and every year in the future: the </p><p>issue is talent. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The new knowledge economy has been heralded as the coming of the </p><p>Creative Age. There is no doubt that the power of connection, the </p><p>free-flow of information and the viral contagion of ideas have never </p><p>enjoyed such symmetry. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The old world trade-offs between corporation, security and personal </p><p>freedom no longer seem inevitable for the individual with exceptional </p><p>ability. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The essay question that every agency head must answer is "why in the </p><p>world would anyone want to work for us?" </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The answer can be found in enabling people to grow and achieve </p><p>fulfillment better than any of the alternatives. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>You will have noticed that this is at the apex of the hierarchy of needs </p><p>pyramid. Quite simply, the provision of security, tenure and status </p><p>doesn't play in the weightless economy. Dilbert is the anti-hero for our </p><p>age: the to-be-pitied corporate citizen. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>If as an industry we are unable to attract and retain talent we need to </p><p>prosper, agencies will become irrelevant to the clients they serve. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Financial gain will not be the competitive edge to secure the best. The </p><p>secret will lie with the climate and culture of the organisation. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>A creative climate is engendered by a willingness to take risks, a </p><p>belief in excellence and the power of the imagination combined with </p><p>mutual respect. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>It is driven by a sense of the possible not the probable. There must be </p><p>scope for endless reinvention. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>If you doubt this is possible, visit our new KL environment (office is </p><p>too mean a word for it). </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The agency of the future can only expect to attract the talent of the </p><p>future if it can satisfy needs and create opportunities that the </p><p>individual would struggle to find elsewhere. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Psychological reward, personal growth, lifetime learning are the </p><p>benefits in kind which will count. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Leo Burnett and Starcom are determined to be fertile soil for the talent </p><p>of the future. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>We want to deliver a climate which fosters growth - personal and </p><p>professional. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>If we fail, both as a company and as an industry, to meet this </p><p>challenge, then talent has every right to give us the finger. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Now that's a digital revolution to really worry about. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>