A startling study conducted by the Corporate Executive board on 15,000 employees and managers at more than 25 organizations indicates that 75% of managers believe that employee development is an integral component of their jobs.
That’s the good news.
The bad news is that only 45% of managers are rated as effective at coaching and development by their employees.
If you are a leader (of any type), improving this leadership capability is of critical importance.
One of the primary responsibilities of leaders is to develop talent, preparing the next generation of leaders to be successful and achieve the organization’s short- and long-term performance goals.
Just imagine how organizations could change for the better—and the impact it could have on the bottom line—if even 75% of its leaders coached and developed their employees effectively.
Employees need to be confident that their managers can (and will) provide them with coaching and feedback, as well as help them engage in development efforts, both of which will allow them to maximize their performance and add more value to the business.
Leaders must be committed to an approach to employee development that includes the following:
- Helping underperformers improve
- Capitalizing on the strengths and knowledge of more-seasoned employees
- Leveraging high-potential employees by challenging them and helping them expand upon their current skills and abilities
Allocating the time and resources necessary to support people through their development journey is central to a leader’s responsibilities.
The support required to assist others in their professional growth includes holding development discussions, collaboratively producing plans with team members, and providing meaningful development assignments.
However, despite its importance, many leaders struggle to make employee development a real priority. This is a mistake, and one that will cost your organization down the line.
Although you and your team member are jointly responsible for creating and implementing development plans and strategies, it is ultimately your responsibility as a leader to provide your team members with feedback, coaching, and support as they execute their development processes and plans.
If you have a sinking suspicion that you might fall into the ineffective 45% but believe that development is an integral component of your job—or if you just want to gauge your effectiveness as a developer and coach—use the mini-assessment below to pinpoint your strengths and opportunities for improvement.
This will help you focus your efforts in some key areas that will generate immediate traction.
| Uses a process or methodology to identify the ongoing development needs of team members. | Strength | Not a Strength |
| Works collaboratively with team members to create development plans that include assignments and tasks. | Strength | Not a Strength |
| Seeks commitment from team members on their development plans and expectations. | Strength | Not a Strength |
| Provides support and assistance to help team members be successful with development plans. | Strength | Not a Strength |
| Creates a work environment where others feel empowered and responsible for engaging in development efforts. | Strength | Not a Strength |
| Fosters a team environment of development, growth, and learning. | Strength | Not a Strength |
| Provides regular coaching and feedback about development efforts. | Strength | Not a Strength |
| Recognizes when team members make improvements or progress on their development goals and plans. | Strength | Not a Strength |
| Provides informal, on-the-spot coaching and feedback. | Strength | Not a Strength |
| Provides formal coaching and engages in development discussions on a regular basis. | Strength | Not a Strength |
Now, review your responses and identify one strength that you can continue to leverage.
Give yourself some credit for being successful with this aspect of talent development!
Then, pick one area that you indicated is not a personal strength. Build a plan for addressing this area and make a concerted effort to be a little better.
This may be as simple as making a few adjustments to your approach to leadership.
Remember, leaders need to become trusted partners who have a vested interest in building positive relationships with the organization’s talent by using coaching, feedback, and development-planning processes to grow the business and its employees.
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