Discussion: Career Development- Outside the Box and Effective Training

I was talking with a colleague today about Talent Management. Many companies are beginning to think outside the box in terms of the development their executives. A better term might be thinking outside the company.

What do we mean by this? It is a practice that accepts that the best way to develop Jack or Jill and his or her career as an executive, might not be inside the company, but rather to send Jack off to another company to gain experience and then hire him back in three years. People coming and going happens every day, but to make it a deliberate talent management strategy is something else.

What are your thoughts - a brilliant idea, or too risky?