04 Jan
When was the last time you actively worked on your own career development? Has it been so long that you’ve forgotten what it means?
Career development is the process of self-discovery, where you seek out and analyze your own relationship to your work style, habits, blind spots, existing and needed skill sets, and most importantly, your interests. You may have been so busy that you’re not focusing on your ideal role or scope of responsibilities right now, and believe us, we get it. But, ignore this facet of professional life for too long, and you’ll soon find yourself adrift, rudderless without a clear idea of what you really want to do for the rest of your career.
If you’ve been unable to focus on your career development, it’s extremely likely that your team hasn’t focused on it either (as goes the leader…). Sure, you may have provided them an online tool here, a software resource there, to encourage them to prioritize self-development, but unless you’re working it into your priorities too, it’s not getting done.
By and large, employment trends are showing us that the days of companies-guiding-their-employee’s-careers is over. Much in the same way as an employee going from college to pension with a single organization is a relic of the past. Most employees are aware their career path is largely up to them, but there is still a *tinge* of expectation that this kind of expertise will come from their manager or organization.
So, what is your role, exactly?
Consider that an employee embarking on the adventure of their own development will need a guide, lest they explore themselves into something unsustainable, or worse, right out your front door. To be that guide, you must focus some attention on the importance of developing your staff, without feeling the need to write the entire journey for them. Their own process is key.
Here are some approaches you may consider implementing:
- Organize a few career coaching sessions for your staff
- Mentoring; create a formal plan to be their guide
- Measure their competencies by implementing KPIs
- Implement self-service resources
When you’re ready to level-up your staff and career development options (effectively leveling-up the profile of your organization as an employer), give us a call. We’d be happy to walk you through some outstanding options to keep your team engaged and working toward their most fulfilled job-lives.