As a leader, one of the greatest gifts that you can offer your people is access to tools, knowledge, and opportunities that will help them build their capacity to contribute their best. It’s a way to ‘Give the work back to the people.’ It provides them the possibility for success and is a win-win for both of you. You can all be in service to each other and the greater good of the mission.
This is part 4 of the 4-part series on Employee Development by Diana Gabriel, Certified Strengths Strategy Coach.
Today’s top organizations are more adaptive, innovative and smart about bringing out the best in their people. Their employees are always learning, and managers are always teaching. Instead of practicing command-and-control management, leadership is based on effective employee development.
Not all development needs to be formal or regimented, notes Gwen Moran in Fast Company’s article, How to Help Build Employees’ Career Paths So They Don’t Quit. One of the best ways to grow an employee is to connect them with a mentor, someone whose knowledge and insight have been proven effective over the years.
When this topic comes up with my coaching clients, I recommend establishing specific goals when working with a mentor, being specific about your needs and wishes regarding the areas in which you’re seeking growth and development. If you are the mentor, work with your mentee in how to effectively leverage their strengths to solve problems. Help them to gain confidence and self-awareness, and build their capacity to handle tough situations successfully.
People on your team who’ve shown that they’ve gained a greater perspective and effectively leverage their strengths can also mentor others. Providing this opportunity is a great development step that benefits everyone, including you as the leader.
By design, people who show significant levels of development are candidates for moving up. When the time is right, provide them the chance to prove themselves in a new role. This may be a vacancy from a retirement, or more significantly, a position created for them where no one has had the chance to lead before. Giving someone a groundbreaking chance to make a difference, and to contribute their gifts is the ultimate engagement motivator.
A final area of development is to provide your people with the opportunity to offer their input and receive your feedback. Discuss their progress, ideas, and the lessons they’ve learned. Let them know how they’re doing and offer continued insight, support, and direction. This is the foundation for effectively developing your people.
What are you doing to actively support the development of your people? How do your people respond when given the support and opportunity to build their capacity? I’d love to hear from you. You can reach me here and on LinkedIn.
Diana Gabriel, PPC
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