If You Love Them…

This post is the seventh in a series that shares a summary of a podcast from a company called Essential Communications, along with my notes that dig into each point a little deeper.  If you like what my post has to say, you may want to check out their website and see what else they have to offer you.

http://essentialcomm.com/podcast/your-teams-best-interests-part-one

Catching you up:  When employees believe their manager has their best interest at heart, they are more satisfied and more productive than those who don’t believe that.  Treat your people well, and you will be rewarded!

How to show your employees you have their best interests in mind:

7.  Offer career development 

Through this series of posts, it should be clear what your people want from you:  

·      awareness of their contribution, 

·      recognition of the effort they put forth, and 

·      opportunities for growth and advancement.

In this post, I’ll address a sometimes-nebulous step in that growth and advancement – how to move your people forward, planning for the long-term (and it’s probably not with you).

Yes, of course, you want to keep your best people.  You don’t actually want them to move on!  But the best way to keep them, for as long as possible, is to show them you value them and will help them get where they want to go.  (If you don’t, they’ll leave even sooner!)

The first step in working with your people is to talk with them about what they really want to be doing.  Where do they see themselves next year, in three years, in five years?  What are their goals?  What are their priorities?  You can do this in an informal way, or you can set up career-exploration time with them, whatever is most comfortable for you and for them.  Let them know you are here to support them and to achieve their long-term goals.

Then, discuss what needs to happen between now and achieving their goals.  What will enable them to get there?  How can you support them in taking those next steps?  Are there skills they need to learn?  What have you observed is lacking in their professional experience/demeanor?  Give advice about what they need (and where to get/build those skills).  Are there professional development opportunities they should be taking advantage of?  Continuing education or an advanced degree?  Cross-training or volunteering to gain skills in another area?  Do they need to build contacts or to practice networking?  Are there additional opportunities you can provide – polishing presentation skills, getting in front of higher-ups or other departments, peer leadership tasks, etc.?  Can you help them get a mentor or a coach to guide them on their journey?

Consider other areas where you can give advice:  networking (where, how, with whom), job searching (where to look, to whom they should speak, how they should approach openings or organizations where they are interested), recommendations on jobs you feel would be a good fit for their next step (and perhaps where they might want to be looking – or building towards – for the future), and how to position themselves (how to talk about their skills and experience and their goals).

Be an advocate for your team.  Help them get what they need – skills, experience, contacts.  Offer to be a positive reference for them (if you can be).  Make suggestions for appropriate openings you come across.  Reach out on their behalf to hiring managers or recruiters, where appropriate.

In what other ways can you help your team members succeed in their career goals and in their life dreams? 

I read a lot of articles and attend many webinars and conferences on how to create organizational cultures that motivate employees.  I love sharing the nuggets I take from those with you.

This month’s posts share a summary of a podcast from a company called Essential Communications, along with my notes that dig into each point a little deeper.  If you like what my post has to say, you may want to check out their website and see what else they have to offer you.

http://essentialcomm.com/podcast/your-teams-best-interests-part-one

1.    Be sure your employees understand their job. 

2.    Deliver lots of feedback—both praise and developmental.

3.    Create opportunities for new responsibilities.

4.    Allow employees to have high visibility.

5.    Position people for promotion.

6.    Provide professional development. 

7.    Offer career development. 

8.    Be the resource they need.  Share the view from your vantage point. 

9.    Be fair. 

10. Tell your team how to succeed with you.