I’m just digging into Aon Hewitt’s report, 2014 Trends in Global Employee Engagement, and an early heading inspired this post. It is a reference to the “Emerging Talent Imperative.”

In the fullness of the report, I’ll learn just what they mean by that, and I’m sure it’s informed, incisive, and salient. But the phrasing reminds me a) of the movie “The Player,” and b) the resurgent value of design, reestablished by Apple, BMW, and others.

In "The Player," Peter Gallagher plays Larry Levy, the studio honcho who argues that movies don’t need writers.

LL: “I’m just saying there's time and money to be saved if we came up with these stories on our own.”
Bonnie: “Where are these stories coming from?”
LL: Anywhere. It doesn't matter. The newspaper. Pick any story.”
Bonnie: “‘Immigrants protest budget cuts in literacy program.’" LL: “Human spirit overcoming human adversity. Sounds like Horatio Alger in the barrio. Put Jimmy Smits in it and you've got a sexy ‘Stand and Deliver.’ Next.”
Executive: “How about 'Mud slide kills in slums of Chile’?"
LL: “That’s good. Triumph over tragedy. Sounds like a John Boorman picture. Slap a happy ending on it, the script will write itself.” ...
Griffin Mill: "I was just thinking what an interesting concept it is to eliminate the writer from the artistic process. If we could just get rid of these actors and directors, maybe we've got something here." 

Likewise, in the PC-dominant era, computers were just devices we put up with, ‘cause they came with the job. The kind of computer didn’t matter, though. Then Apple used the iPod toehold to prove different.

For quite a long time and progressively, workers have too often been deemed as widgets, replaceable parts who can be repurposed, or replaced, without ill effect.

But people make all the difference, not just in our talent, but in our commitment to a purpose, our engagement with others, our willingness to work toward a shared goal. Yes, there’s a broad middle, but we’re individuals, and we do make individual contributions.