May 2024

Developing Your People is Not a Checkbox

By Erin Yeagley

It's safe to say that managers today are busier than ever, with a multitude of tasks on their plate. Between meeting organizational objectives, managing team dynamics, and evaluating individual performance, the fundamental necessity of developing their people becomes just another checkbox on their never-ending "To-Do" list. It's akin to a series of events:

1. Susan completed Orientation — Check.
2. Blake completed On-boarding — Check.
3. Mia completed Compliance Training — Check.

What if we adjust the lens? What if the old checkbox is now a 100,000-character text box?

The paradigm shift needed here is to understand that the practice of developing your people is never meant to be completed or "checked off." It’s an ongoing process, and there is no end – no checkmark. This new mindset gives the manager and the employee an opportunity to craft an individual development plan, living and breathing on their personal profile. It is something to be added to week by week, month by month, and year by year. Together they can map out the individual’s evolution within the organization.

Once the manager embraces this shift, there are 3 balanced strategies Academy Leadership advises you to adopt when constructing the foundation of a successful development plan. This foundational framework provides critical information to people on how they are to work and behave in order to contribute and progress within the organization.

1. Formal Development — This should extend past initial orientation programs. Though the strength of an organization’s orientation program is extremely important to the foundation of the new hire’s success, it is a mistake to make it their only formal training experience. It is ideal when organizations offer opportunities for their employees to participate in formal training focused on both technical and soft skill development.
2. Job Assignment — Crucial on-the-job training provides practical learning opportunities, allowing the employee to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world situations. This hands-on experience enhances problem-solving skills, adaptability, and fosters a culture of continual improvement within organizations. Job assignments provide the most powerful resource for personnel development – whether job-specific or leadership-related. Opportunities to learn by doing are the most effective in long term development.
3. Self-Development — Employee self-development initiatives foster a growth mindset, enhancing resilience and adaptability amid challenges, promoting a culture of continual learning and innovation. Collaborative self-development plans between employees and managers leverage insights for meaningful growth, aligning with organizational goals to tailor resources and support, benefiting both individual career paths and organizational success.

Developing your people should be viewed as a long game. Continuous monitoring of employees' developmental activities is key for sustained growth. Providing a plan for comprehensive training, whether formal or on-the-job, is crucial in easing resistance to change and enabling employees to contribute effectively to company objectives. Encouraging and incentivizing self-improvement initiatives, while guiding employees on relevant developmental paths, is essential.

It is important to note that the most vital element to successfully developing your people is collaboration. A truly effective development plan relies on a personal commitment from the employee. Working closely with their manager, they must proactively identify areas for improvement and remain receptive to suggestions. When managers and employees agree on specific actions and timelines, the 100,000-character text box begins to fill in rather quickly.

Academy Leadership’s Advanced Leadership Course and Graduate Leadership Course take a deeper dive into the topic of Developing Your People, focusing on the specific characteristics and mechanics of developing a comprehensive plan for your team’s success.