Growing Talent into Competitive Advantage
How can you guide the growth of your people into a competitive advantage?
In this episode, Rich sits down with Tami Wolownik, Head of People & Organization at Siemens Mobility, where she leads the HR function for 4,000 employees. Tami discusses one of the biggest strategic resources for any company: talent. She shares practical advice on how to help people create a skills-based future, improve performance management through Growth Talks, and enhance succession planning through Talent Spotlights. She also discusses aligning functional goals with corporate goals and her approach to leadership development throughout the organization.
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Key Quotes
“I will tend to block portions of my schedule in the morning for what I call impactful thinking. When I know there’s two or three different projects that I’m working on, or that I need to get with the team on and I need to do some advanced planning, advanced thinking, I’m going to block my schedule.”
“You have to have leaders who understand that they don’t have to be the smartest person in the room.”
“You should be open to constructive feedback if it’s coming from someone who has your back.”
“Leaders have to truly empower employees and not only empower, leaders have to rely on employees. And if the leaders get that up front, that they do need those employees, they need their ideas, they need their input, they can’t generate everything that has to come out of their department or their group on their own, as soon as they understand that and decide to tap into that, they will be an effective leader.”
Practice Makes Profit
Completing the time assessment at the end of each quarter to see if you’re happy with where your time’s being spent relative to your priorities.
League of Strategic Minds
What are the key areas to cover in a strategic plan?
Winsights: Ideas for Advantage
“Michael Porter, Professor at Harvard Business School, wrote, “There is no best auto company. There is no best car. You’re competing to be unique. Consider your people, their competencies, capabilities, and company offerings. What’s unique and are you leveraging those areas of uniqueness into competitive advantage?”
References
Time stamps:
(00:48) Deep Dive Interview with Tami Wolownik
(49:18) Practice Makes Profit
(51:13) League of Strategic Minds
(53:18) Winsights, Ideas for Advantage
Links
Submit a question for Rich to the League of Strategic Minds
Tami Wolownik on LinkedIn
Rich Horwath on LinkedIn
Rich Horwath on YouTube
Rich Horwath on Instagram
Strategic Thinking Institute Website
Inc. Magazine’s Top 4 book for 2024: STRATEGIC Book
New executive development platform: Strategic Fitness System
Sign up for Rich’s free Strategic Thinker Newsletter
About the Guest
Tami Wolownik
Head of People & Organization at Siemens Mobility
About the Host
Rich Horwath, Founder & CEO
Strategic Thinking Institute
Rich is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of eight books on strategic thinking, including his most recent work, STRATEGIC, which was named a “top 4 must-read business book for 2024” by Inc. Magazine, and a national bestseller by USA TODAY. He has been the top rated keynote speaker on strategic thinking at national conferences for nearly 20 years.
This Episode Brought to You by the Strategic Thinking Institute
Sharpen your strategic thinking for long-term success.
The Strategic Thinking Institute has developed hundreds of resources to help leaders at all levels think, plan, and act strategically. In addition to facilitating workshops and strategic coaching with executive leadership teams, STI has assessments and products for functional groups such as sales, marketing, finance, human resources, operations, information technology, account management, business development, accounting, clinical, medical, and other technical specialties. STI’s experience in a wide range of industries brings your team the best-of-breed practices and resources to enable your team to outthink and outperform the competition. Remember, be strategic … or be gone.
Strategic Minds Podcast Episodes
Strategic Minds Podcast: Episode 1 – Gold-Medal-Winning Strategy
Strategic Minds Podcast: Episode 2 – Blank Page to Billions: How An “Ideas Guy” Strategizes
Strategic Minds Podcast: Episode 3 – Strategic Leadership Shaped by a Service Mindset
Strategic Minds Podcast: Episode 4 – CEO as Architect of the Future
Strategic Minds Podcast: Episode 5 – Constructing Creative Strategy
Strategic Minds Podcast: Episode 6 – AI, Atoms, and the Science of Strategy
Strategic Minds Podcast: Episode 7 – Storytelling to Strategize
Strategic Minds Podcast: Episode 8 – Transforming Complexity Into Clarity
Strategic Minds Podcast: Episode 9 – Think Big, Move Fast, and Own the Outcome
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