Becoming a Better Boss Secret 8: Developing Employee Talent with NO Budget!
People need opportunities to grow and learn. Read any retention survey and you will see this is true across industries, generations, and experience levels.
As a leader, knowing that your employees need to grow and learn is essential. Basic motivation theory tells us that when a need is present, we will search for ways to meet that need. If you as my leader want me to perform better for our organization, you will need to guide me in finding the right learning opportunities. Create an environment that encourages and supports my need to learn and grow.
There are many opportunities for those who want to be continuous learners. No shortage exists in ways to expand personal knowledge. Often, employees will seek out information on their own. Problem is, the information they find may not be correct – or even relevant – to your organization.
Here are ideas for providing development opportunities that will keep employees on the right track in developing relevant and needed skills and behaviors. Remember, the leader must be supportive and involved in these efforts.
Video Case Study
Assign employees the task of bringing one video of less than five minutes, to designated staff meetings. The employee is tasked with choosing a video they feel would help the team in advancing performance. After watching, the team informally discusses relevance. This is brilliant on many levels. Think about what this generates!
Book Club
Assign a book or magazine article and plan a meeting (or series of meetings) to discuss. Be sure the material is relevant to all team members. Be sure to keep meetings short, appoint discussion leaders (other than you), divide reading into reasonable segments, and make it fun!
The Match Game
Brainstorm with your team to identify topics of interest and need. Then work behind the scenes to match an internal employee who is an expert on that topic (or perhaps, who needs an incentive to become an expert). Work with your internal expert to develop about 15 minutes of relevant content that can be presented at a team meeting (allow additional time for discussion and questions). Include everyone – don’t always choose the person you consider to be most competent!
Targeted Assignment
When an employee has been given the opportunity to attend formal training, reap the benefits by giving them a targeted assignment. The assignment is to come back and share key insights related to the training objectives. This can easily be done as part of a staff meeting or possibly a lunch and learn. Ensure the employee goes to the training knowing he or she will be expected to share skills learned.
Conclusion
For the leader, one thing is clear when it comes to talent development: you must model continuous learning. Be the expert your title says you are! Stay on top of your game. Read the latest books and know the latest trends. Consider how this information impacts your workplace and your industry.
To model your efforts toward continuous learning share relevant content with employees. If you come across something that is of interest to any one person on your staff, share it. And when it is time for celebration, give books or other learning opportunities as gifts.