Today I am not at a race I was registered for, for various reasons. I decided I need to start blogging again. And since I would normally be ‘blogging’ in my head throughout the entire race (in this case 12 hours on the trail) – for the post-race re-cap, I decided to organize a few of my current work-related thoughts. Enjoy…

To start, take a look at this interview

…between Autoline Weekly and a panel of some of the very best cyber security experts.

If you only watch the first 5 minutes of this important conversation you’ll notice that the very first solution ingredient you hear mentioned is #talent and all the members of the panel agree to its dire importance. General Stone said, “One of the things we’ve been working on for a long time…is talent.” He goes on to describe in great detail how strategy for business, all the way up to the White House level involves training, developing, and building the right workforce.

If you’ve heard me speak on the subject, either in a presentation or over coffee, you’ll know that I say the number of vacancies is a bit deceptive and skewed by various factors but the fact remains that recruiting the right people is a serious issue that every company faces and shares. Ive often said in my intake and strategy discussions with customers that if we can all agree that the number one qualifier for every requirement is ‘Willingness and Ability” then we are starting in a good place to consider who can do the work. That is part of the message you might receive when you hear one of the panel members say “Innovation happens when disciplines converge.” There is an investment that needs to occur at multiple layers by the employer to attract and retain the best talent.

This week my company’s CEO was talking about investments. He sketched out on a white board a table that showed the arc between ROI and Risk, and all I could think was, ‘This is what recruiting needs’ < Investment and Risks….thinking outside the box.
I am sure every dialogue occurring around cyber solutions ties back to the talent necessary to provide the services or create the products that are a critical part of the answer to the ever-changing cyber-threats that our world faces daily, be it car-hacking, or scada, or IT infrastructure.

So if you watch the interview all the way through, it closes on the same note, that talent is the key.

Outside of my ‘day-job’ where I am trusted to resolve this very problem, you’ll find being a part of as many events possible collaborating with intelligent like-minded individuals, be it an organized conference or spontaneous small gathering. I am known for and believe in helping people find their right place in all of this with mentoring, coaching and just plain old networking.
But enough about me 😉

If you’d like to find out more on how you can either personally learn and grow as a candidate, attract key talent to your own organization, or participate in helping others – please reach out!
* I AM ON A MISSION *
And just like every race Ive ever completed, we will tackle this together – One Step at a Time!


Ending always with – Be well,

~K~