Before you enter a development conversation, it is worth asking the individual to plot themselves against the matrix. You will then see how aligned you are, or if any perception gaps exists.
Perhaps they are more open to learning than you gave them credit for, but low trust or even imposter syndrome is holding them back. Sometimes people don't believe they are performing as well as you think. This might be because they have perfectionist tendencies, or your language or behaviour has not praised or championed them. Often it is because the leader has not been clear about what high performance looks like so there is a perception gap.
Creating the right environment and space to have the discussion is essential. So too is your mindset. If you go in thinking, "I am right, they are wrong", you are going to have a rather unpleasant conversation. If you go in with the open mindset, wanting to learn how the other person sees themselves and build from there, it will be enlightening. I always say, everyone else is at least 10% right. That puts me in an open mindset straight away.
Opportunities for growth
If you have identified gaps in development, your job is to provide the opportunities to help them succeed. This doesn't just mean formal training and budget. It also means giving them the space and time to develop, so factor it into your weekly or monthly priorities. It means being available to answer questions, coach them, and support them. You might take the role of introducer, expanding their network or sharing videos, reading or podcasts. You might actively nominate them for projects to help develop a specific skill or close a knowledge gap. The point is, you have to go into the conversation with a commitment to help them close the gaps.
Straight talking
Nobody really likes to give negative feedback, but done in the right way, it can be incredibly motivating. Waffling on or minimising the issue will not serve you or you team member well. You can be honest, direct and clear and still be kind, compassionate and generous. If you want to promote a learning culture, straight honesty is a skill you need to role model, so others in the team know it is safe to do it too.
I remember being told I had poor attention to detail. OK, that's a sign post for improvement. I asked them for an example so I could make sense of it, but no example could be given. I then asked them, what does good attention to detail look like, and the response was equally poor - perhaps use spellcheck. What I really needed was straight talking so I could understand frequency, impact, and then explore causes (turns out it's my personality style).
So be clear, be specific and then allow the other person to respond, explore and find ways to improve.
Accountability
So you have a lot of responsibilities in helping your people grow and develop. You are not accountable for their growth and development though. It is essential to create the expectation that team members own their own development and their success depends on their energy and will to develop. You provide the opportunity, they provide the action and will.
If you set the expectation early, it becomes habitual and cultural. When creating development plans, the team member is actively involved in finding solutions and activities that work to their personal learning style. Keeping a record of the activity and then committing to progress conversations periodically not only helps embed accountability, but it also gives the team member time to reflect and notice growth.
It helps you to become more self-aware. This will guide you in controlling your emotions and behaviours so you can be more rational in high pressure or stressful situations.
Your confidence will increase. You will learn to trust yourself and that will translate into the work you are doing. This isn’t about an ego boost but giving you the self-esteem you need to work hard without distraction and questioning.
The more you experience, the more creative you will become. This will not only be from the new skills and knowledge you have gained through developing yourself. It will also be from you witnessing other’s approach to different situations and can help you form a more well-rounded perspective.
A lot of personal development is about ‘what if?’, it could be whether you feel you are in the right job, with the right company, working in the right team. By spending time learning new skills and developing yourself, you can then start to form a better idea of your personal and professional goals.
The more you take yourself out of your comfort zone, which tends to happen when fulfilling your personal development goals, you will experience more challenges and hurdles. This will make you more resilient in the future as you will be more familiar with uncertain or risky situations.
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