In an interview setting, if a candidate asked you this question, what would your reply be?
In addition to achieving outcomes via their teams (getting work done), people leaders have also signed up to ensuring that they provide their people with opportunities to grow and progress in their careers (whether within the organisation or outside).
Now if some of you think that well, it’s the responsibility of the individual to decide where they want to take their career and they can ask me for help when they need it – then you don’t fully understand what it means to a coach of people.
Your role is to inspire your team to want to perform at optimal levels. And when the team is performing at this level, then the team members should start thinking about how they grow further in their roles. This is where you – their people leader – play a big part.
- If you haven’t discussed with your people the skills they need to grow, then you are doing them a disservice.
- If you just point them to online or other training or certifications, then you are meeting the minimum requirements of your job.
To be a fabulous people leader, you need to constantly be talking to your people about what could be next for them. This does not have to mean that they need to leave your team.
Look around you – where are there opportunities for your team members to grow their skills?
- Could they host the next All Hands or Town Hall?
- Could they do the analysis for the next workforce plan?
- Could they develop project management skills by rolling out training for everyone?
- Could their project manage the next off site?
- Could they facilitate a workshop?
- Could they interview a senior leader for a collective learning Brown Bag session?
As Julie Winkle Guilioni says in her book Promotions are so yesterday, there are many opportunities for people to grow in the role they are already in. Opportunities for growth while in the team means team members will be more engaged, more productive, and the organisation benefits. But by the team member benefits most of all – because they are growing their skills.
And when your team members have grown their skills and formed connections, promotion opportunities will appear (because your people will find these for themselves).
If there arent promotion a
- a secondment opportunity in a new team
- a job shadowing opportunity to learn a new skill
- a job share perhaps?
So, how many people have been promoted on your watch? Very soon, this is going to be the question asked by candidates applying for roles in your team. What will your answer be?
#leadership #coaching #promotions