PON Live! Katherine Coffman – Capitalizing on the Best Ideas and Talent

Even the best ideas and talent can only deliver value when they are put forward. A student who is unsure of an answer on a test can only answer correctly if she is willing to submit her best guess rather than skip the question. A corporate executive can only improve a board’s decision if she is willing to speak up with her opinion about the best path forward. A firm can only hire the best candidate if she applies for the opening. Whether we are considering negotiations, hiring, performance evaluations, conversations within teams, or any other aspect of workplace decision-making, the choice of process will influence whether and how individuals put themselves forward (supply-side) and how those individuals are treated (demand-side). Through discussion of scholarly research and case studies, we will explore how leaders can better manage both demand-side and supply-side decisions to capitalize on the best ideas and talent. We will analyze the impacts of reducing ambiguity in processes. Processes that are clearer and more objective not only help to reduce the “wiggle room” available for demand-side biases to influence decisions; they also communicate to candidates that demand-side biases are less likely to play a role in decisions, addressing supply-side considerations. Second, we will discuss how leaders can build processes that rely less on individuals to self-evaluate and self-advocate to advance.