Retention of exceptional talent is one of the top objectives of any corporation or organization.  The processes that lead to talent retention however, often challenge concepts of equality, fairness, meritocracy and loyalty to corporate culture.

The challenge to equality is anchored partly in the belief that because each person has individual greatness or even divine value on par with others, we should only strive to use equivalent development and assessment systems to select, improve, deploy and promote them.  The challenge to fairness is rooted in the conviction that differential treatment in one human condition that yields unfairness¹ means that disparity of all types is automatically injurious to all individuals and systems.  The challenge to meritocracy often reveals a misunderstanding and under-utilization of the range of merit that can bring value to an organization.  This is especially true in systems that have had narrow means of measurement to fit a limited array of talent clusters and intellectual/professional styles.  Of all of these, the perception of challenge to a sense of loyalty to organizational/corporate/subgroup culture is often embedded more deeply in the way each person experiences a system or organization.  It is often shielded by the system-wide applause given to “our uniqueness” and our values (which usually means our primary values not our only values).  If unexamined, the beneficial and unifying corporate culture can be pernicious to components of diversity which are not easily perceived to blend with the organization's stated and subtle professional preferences.  A corporation which does not periodically explore each of these may unintentionally become vulnerable to loosing critical unique talent. 

Some managers fear inconsistency.  Some cultures are as resistant to inclusion of differences as others are to change.  Yet, some leadership styles have clearly developed an inclination to seeking the uniqueness that each colleague brings to the organization's goals.  These leaders understand that relying on the shortcut of subgroup labels cannot attract as much discretionary effort as the appreciation of the individual and her/his distinctive talents.  It is the creation of an environment where each individual’s uniqueness is recognized, valued, included and rewarded that forms a positive base for organizational effectiveness in talent retention. 

1 One example is Plessy v. Ferguson, which led to the Supreme Court’s early unjust separate but equal doctrine even in public accommodations. The case was later repudiated by our Supreme Court.