Tom Konchalski1 is a legendary NBA high school prospect scout. He was known as an “oracle-like predictor of player’s potential” and had a hand in discovering several legends including Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant as well as New York-greats Bernard King and Chris Mullin.
Leadership principle: Always be cultivating external talent.
Well-known coaches at the top basketball universities across the country relied on Konchalski’s assessments of players for over five decades. Coaches valued his encyclopedia knowledge of up-and-coming talent (breadth) and his incisive perspectives on the details, like how they interacted with teammates and whether they wanted the ball at the end of the game (depth).
In addition to having an eye for talent, Konchalski was known for his warmth and authentic sense of care for the players he scouted, their families and coaches: “He got to know players and their families and placed an emphasis on helping people make their lives better through the sport.”2
Finally, he had a near religious level of discipline. Every three weeks, he would create his report (on a typewriter no less) and send it out to hundreds of college basketball coaches.
This combination of disciplined process, a kind-hearted personal touch and rigorous assessment made Konchalski one of the best there has ever been in terms of scouting talent in basketball.
Ok…but how is this relevant for me?3
Three of the biggest mistakes that leaders make in terms of sourcing external talent are:
Abdicating responsibility to HR or external recruiters;4
Waiting to build their pipeline until there is an urgent need in their organization; and
Taking a laissez fair approach to meeting external talent - haphazardly stumbling upon talented people at conferences, industry events or through word-of-mouth.
These mistakes tend to create HUGE opportunity costs in the long-run. In other words, senior leaders either never develop their muscle of hiring externally, the equivalent of only knowing how to hit to one side of the court. Or they have to endure painstakingly long searches to find the right profile that they need, exhausting precious time and risking falling behind competitors in an area where they lack capability.
You can avoid these pitfalls and minimize these opportunity costs by embracing the “Konchalski method.” Build up your own “database” of high potential talent and systematically track your interactions and engagement with them.
Remember, the battle for talent is an everlasting one. Follow the ABC’s of Talent Prospecting aka the “Konchalski method”…Always Be Cultivating!
Take Action: Practical and Proven Steps
Carve out 1-2 hours per month for talent cultivation. Schedule 3-6 twenty minute 1-on-1s with high potential individuals who are recommended to you by your network. If you put this monthly practice into action for one year, you will have met 36-72 high potential leaders for your pipeline. Also, don’t forget “win backs” also count. These are talented leaders that have left your organization, but who you want to keep warm for future roles.
Develop a mental model for spotting potential. It can be helpful to have a framework that allows you to deconstruct what you are looking for in high potential talent in order to be more intentional in your outreach. One model that is validated was developed by colleagues of mine at ghSMART. You can read about it here in an HBR article by Jim Intagliata, Jen Sturman and Steve Kincaid. It identifies three areas: cognitive intelligence, drive intelligence and emotional intelligence. Though you won’t able to rigorously assess all three areas in a brief interaction, like Konchalski did, it can still serve you well as a starting point. One easier attribute to spot is agility or the ability to succeed in many different environments, cultures and functions.
Aim for a 80/20 listen to speak ratio. These 1-on-1 conversations are an opportunity for you to learn about them (not to give advice or reminisce on all of your achievements). In the style of Konchalski, amp up the personal touch and show genuine curiosity about each individual you spend time with. Seek to learn about their background, their interests and their big wins (this is a good proxy for their strengths). Move beyond “warm fuzzies” and get to substance. Also, offer to stay in touch or provide them with some other low effort action to support their growth (e.g., another connection, an article for them to read).
Be systematic about tracking your “talent pipeline.” Create a Google spreadsheet or use another technology tool to keep information about your talent pipeline. Include the basics (name, current role/organization, interests) and a pithy statement to remember them by (e.g. intense analytical powerhouse, digital ambassador or creative futurist). Konchalski was well-known for these one-liners (some examples include “Scores like we breathe,” “like a rabid dog on defense” and “Bodyguard with a surgeon’s touch”) and while you may not match his wit, the practice will help you to remember what stood out about the person’s capabilities. For the most notable ones, set a reminder to check back in with them in six months.
Reflect: Some Questions to Consider
When can I carve out 1-2 hours per month to start building my external pipeline of talent?
What could get in the way consistently applying this time each month?
How can I make my approach to “tracking” talent more disciplined and systematic like Konchalski?
If this week’s Friday Reflection was practical or enjoyable (or maybe even both!), please share it with your colleagues and friends.
Some deeper articles on this legend - Tom Konchalski https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/05/19/tom-konchalski-scouted-basketball-top-row-coaches-looked-up-him/
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/18/sports/ncaabasketball/basketball-tom-konchalski-ncaa.html
This is one of the reasons I love sports! It makes lives better. The movement, the competition, the mental strength you develop and the community. There are very few things in life that offer all of these benefits in one.
This is a re-write of one of my earliest articles. I wrote it in the context of the Great Resignation but the reality is that this is an approach that is needed in any talent market. Also, it has come up in at least 5 conversations in the last week, so I decided to dust it off and make it more of an evergreen piece. I added some new parts and refined some of the recommendations.
This point is HUGE and one that I reiterate over and over again in advising senior leaders. High potential talent wants to know the leader they are working for cares about developing them and is someone they want to work for. To have the highest odds of success, you need the best HR and talent teams, the most effective recruiters AND your own individual efforts in cultivating a pipeline of talent. There is no replacement for this last attribute.