5. Talent & Succession
Build, borrow, buy
Capability sourcing as a portfolio
Use when
Any capability gap conversation before a requisition is raised
Build
Develop internally: slower, cheaper, sticky, morale-positive; needs time and teachers
Borrow
Contract, partner, gig: fast, flexible, no permanent cost; knowledge leaves
Buy
Hire it in: fast-ish, expensive, integration risk; resets culture equity
“Can we build it, can we borrow it meanwhile, must we buy it?”
How to use it
Make it the standard vocabulary of workforce planning: every gap gets a portfolio answer (often build-plus-borrow-bridge). In cost-conscious or unionized environments, leading with Build is usually both the economically right answer and the one that respects existing commitments to the current workforce.
Card details
- Model type
- Grid
- Origin status
- Established
- Content last reviewed
- 28 July 2026
Origin
EstablishedPeter Cappelli, Talent on Demand, 2008.