Creating a Clear Pathway for Vocational Growth and Development
Photo by Alexander Ramsey on Unsplash
One of the critical elements to retaining today's workforce is providing a pathway for personal and professional development.
My mother worked for GMAC (General Motors Acceptance Corporation) for 30 years. To my memory, she did clerical work her entire time and never received a significant promotion. My father worked in the car insurance industry on the claims side for most of his adult life. He changed companies once or twice to move up to a supervisory role, which always included a move. Neither of my parents attended college, which likely impacted their upward mobility. But it was not uncommon for those of the Greatest Generation to spend their entire adult vocational life with one company or one industry. Beyond initial training, personal and vocational development was not the norm.
Today's workforce is far more educated and certainly more mobile. Recent statistics show that 30% of the age group between 18-39 considered switching jobs since the Covid-19 pandemic began. There is a clear expectation of moving up in the organization and receiving personal and vocational development. If those aspects are absent, you will likely see quiet quitting or job migration. The need for intentional development has never been stronger. Yet, other factors are making development challenging. One such factor is the hybrid workplace. The advent of the hybrid workplace has placed a burden on in-person development. The good news is that there is a rapidly growing number of digital pathways for ongoing education and training. These can be helpful add-ons but cannot fully replace personal oversight. Human Resources can and must be involved. But leaders with direct reports absolutely cannot abdicate their development responsibility. In his book The Motive, Patrick Lencioni clarifies that one of a leader's top priorities is to build into their team.
Additionally, every leader's first job is to raise up more leaders. Therefore, team leaders and leaders with direct reports must prioritize development. But what do we mean by development? And how do we go about diagnosing where someone truly needs to grow?
Merriam-Webster defines development in several nuanced ways:
A process of working out the possibilities
To activate or promote the growth of someone
To expand someone's capacity through a process of growth
To see potential, make it visible, and bring it into reality over time
Since "growth" is often related to development, we must also consider the nature of this term. "Growth" is a progressive development. You can begin to see the reciprocal nature of development and growth. These words don't merely reflect outward competencies but also inward character attributes and behaviors. For example, more problems are being created today through abuse of power, a lack of emotional intelligence, and poor behavior than a lack of technical skills. I see this in the non-profit world and the for-profit sector.
There are a few common threads among the definitions above that must be emphasized if we are to provide quality pathways for development and growth.
First is the idea of seeing potential in someone. Everyone has the potential for development and growth. The real question is will anyone see the unrealized potential? We must be present, observant, and look beneath the surface to truly see potential.
The second common thread is "it." What specifically can be identified as a developmental area for someone? It's easy to identify the negative behaviors that require correction. But in the long run, it is more valuable to identify a person's strengths and place a developmental premium on those traits. Notice the words "possibilities," "capacity," and "potential" above. These words represent a person's talents and abilities that can be cultivated and grown over time. Focusing on someone's strengths as a developmental pathway will enhance their motivation and build their capacity to contribute more. (more on diagnosing specific areas in the next post)
A third critical element found in the definitions above is activation. Many in the workforce will not activate their own personal or professional development. Usually, the issue is not a lack of motivation but confusion or frustration. Either there is confusion surrounding how someone can be developed or frustration that no one is addressing development needs from an organizational vantage point. The employee is left to figure this out for themself. The team leader is the ideal person to help activate someone's developmental pathway. As an organizational leader, be thoughtful and intentional about this critical role.
The fourth important concept is the idea that development is a process. Development that leads to real growth takes time and oversight on the part of the leader and a willingness by the employee to be uncomfortable for a season.
Organizational leaders can no longer view development as an afterthought or something to be outsourced. This should be job one for any leader--above vision, strategy, and problem-solving. How can you make the people around you better? If you focus on development and, in turn, build a healthy team and organizational culture, you will see retention increase. So let's raise up more leaders.
A great way to invest in your people and launch a good development culture is to consider a Core Clarity Strengths Workshop. Click the button below for a free 30 minute consultation.
Thank you for stopping by!
I hope this content was helpful and encouraged you in your daily practice of leadership. If you would enjoy receiving more content like this on a regular basis please subscribe by clicking the button below.
