Investing in the development of employees is the most important and rewarding thing a manager can do. For some reason, though, it’s often the last thing on a manager’s “to do” list.
From a purely selfish perspective, when you develop employees, they become smarter and more productive, they perform at a higher level, and ultimately, make you look like a rock star. Developing employee skills also helps with recruiting and retaining the best employees, and it allows you to delegate so you can focus on your other roles as a manager. Most importantly, it’s rewarding because it’s what leadership is all about: making a difference in the lives of others.
If you’re unsure how to become a mentoring and motivating manager, these ten steps will help you.
✅ Start With Yourself
Before you can credibly and effectively develop others, you should develop yourself. Otherwise, you may come across as a hypocrite, rather than a genuine mentor. Shaping good behaviour starts with role modelling, and learning good self-development will also help sharpen your skills in developing others.
✅ Lay a Foundation of Trust and Mutual Respect
Employees need to know that discussing their development isn’t just a sneaky way to get them to admit their weaknesses. To inspire them to take ownership of the process, you have to start by building trust. Help them to see that you’re invested in their success and on their side.
✅ Ask Questions
Few people respond well to simply being told what they need to do. Instead of dictating the process, involve your employees by asking good questions. Coaching questions force employees to figure things out for themselves. Those queries can also be revisited after an assignment is completed as a way to reflect on lessons learned and cement the new knowledge or skill.
✅ Learn How to Delegate
A lot of managers will spend time on work that, while comfortable, they shouldn’t be doing. Letting go of the responsibilities you enjoy will help you develop your employees’ skills and free up your time, so it’s a win-win. But don’t expect your reports to do things the same way you would do them. They may fall at first and need additional instructions, but that’s how people learn. They may eventually do the job better than you.
✅ Give Stretch Assignments
Other than a job change, stretch assignments are hands down the best way to learn and develop. As a manager, you’re in a position to look for opportunities for your employees that are aligned with their development needs and career aspirations. Don’t think about picking the most qualified person for the assignment. Instead, think about picking the right developmental assignment for the person.
✅ Feedback
We all have behavioural blind spots. A manager is often the person who can tactfully help an employee see a weakness that’s getting in the way of their effectiveness or advancement. Be prepared to give feedback not only at performance reviews but throughout the year.
✅ Help Navigate Organizational Politics and Culture
Although “politics” is often viewed as a dirty word, it’s the way things get done in organizations. Your staff needs to know this and learn to navigate the office culture. Job shadowing and role-playing are two ways to educate employees about the ins and outs of being politically savvy.
✅ Spend Real Money
Lastly, whenever possible, enrich your employee’s developmental goals with training, conferences, coaches, and other tangible resources. A good training program, while not a substitute for what you can accomplish as a manager, will enhance your efforts and show your staff members that you’re legitimately invested in their growth.
JP IAS offers a wide range of training, suitable for every type of company. Some of them are:
- 👉 Warehousing and Storage Level 2
- 👉 Fire Safety Level 2
- 👉 Managing Conflict
- 👉 Team Working
- 👉 The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
- 👉 Stress Management
- 👉 Equality and Diversity
- 👉 Manual Handling
- 👉 Food Safety Level 1
- 👉 Food Safety Level 2
- 👉 Food Safety Level 3
- 👉 Health and Safety Level 1
- 👉 Health and Safety Level 2
- 👉 Health and Safety Level 3
- 👉 Care Certificate
- 👉 Introduction to fraud and fraud prevention
- 👉 Introduction to the Bribery Act 2010
- 👉 Self-Awareness and Personal Development
- 👉 Customer Service Level 2
- 👉 Spectator Safety Level 2
Enroll your employees for our training! Don’t miss out the chance to improve their qualification and benefit your business.