Retaining High Potential Talent: Assessment and Coaching As a Means of Avoiding the “Mahna-Mahna” Effect

This study explores how coaching effectiveness is enhanced by focusing on and managing of the relative frequency of individual job tasks and how it contributes to deepening the leadership bench in organisations. Research suggests that in order to motivate and retain an organisation's best people, the key is to understand their strengths and maximize their opportunities to apply these strengths. Further, the study emphasizes why constraining a talent‟s ability to customize their role and career path (which we define as the “Mahna-Mahna” effect) must be addressed by any strategic coaching intervention in order to effectively support talent retention