Mary Poppins & Inclusive Talent Management 2018

Source: http://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Mary-Poppins.html

To me, this sounds almost as if Jane and Michael were yesterday’s millennials. Mind you the 60s were not a time where the concept of a democratic workplace was widely spread. We need to frame the Mary Poppins adoption by Disney in its political context of the year 1964. It was the very same year, when Title VII of the Civil Rights Act banned employment discrimination on the basis of sex. So, sensitivities to diversity and inclusion were in early stages as you can tell from the not at all subtle sexist lines in Jane's & Michael's job ad favoring the pretty nanny.

At a second, closer look into the Banks’ household, we also observe a rather hostile, depreciative workplace environment with Mr. Banks being the grumpy patron dismissing his wife, children and their personnel (cook and maid). Ms. Banks marches with the suffragettes but has a blind eye to her social privileges (ethnicity and class) as well as to her own behavioral and communicative contribution to the gender imbalance in the family.

The new nanny Mary Poppins is the magical contrast to Michael’s and Jane’s mother: independent, self-confident, equipped with super powers - not to forget her awesome bag (BTW, I believe it to be a serious forerunner of today’s iPad). Finally, she gives directives to Mr. Banks self-appointing herself to the position with clear requirements for her employer.

The film sets out to be about the children, the nanny, the women’s roles. But it ends with the father and his relation to work and family. In the last scene, when he dances with his kids on a day out flying a kite, Disney has a lesson for all fathers: prioritizing family and play over work and obedience performing engaged fatherhood. It was 1964. Today's dernier cri in talent management is often planted in societal change long ago.