One of the most valuable lessons learned from playing a sport – whether throwing a ball or swinging a golf club – is the importance of follow-through. No matter how much power you have in your arm, or technique in your wrist, if you don't complete the process, you won't get the results you desire. This very same lesson applies to developing your employees.
The structured approach to developing your direct reports is a three stage process which begins by assessing your direct reports' development needs and then providing your reports with development opportunities. The third and final stage of developing your reports, and the focus of this topic, involves supporting ongoing development. This support not only ensures adherence to the development plan, but it also helps build employee confidence and shows your direct reports that you, as a manager, are interested in their professional growth within the company.
There are a number of ways to provide support to your direct reports on an ongoing basis:
- monitor progress
- provide feedback
- build employee confidence
Monitoring progress
You need to monitor your direct reports' progress to ensure they're following through with the plan and that the plan is working for them. An effective development plan should already contain a follow-up schedule which you can follow. Failing to monitor your direct reports' progress will show them that their development is not really important to you and may cause a steady decline in their energy, enthusiasm, and motivation.
Creating a follow up schedule is essential to the success of directing your direct reports. If you decide to just "check in" from time to time, you may find that weeks or even months have passed since your last follow up. Any number of issues may have arisen in the interim. During the creation of the development plan, you recorded concrete, possible, and realistic development opportunities – you can now use that information as a baseline to measure progress. Based on the plan, how far has the employee progressed? Have the deadlines you both agreed upon been met?
In an ideal world, employees are responsible for their own development, so motivation and enthusiasm are not an issue. However, you still need to show them that you care about them and take their development seriously. Following up at scheduled intervals is a way to provide support in that it allows you to monitor the employee's progress and intervene or recommend a course of action if things are going wrong.
Providing feedback
Consider, for a moment, what it might be like to be in your employee's position. You'd want to know if you're valued, or if you need improvement in certain areas. Providing feedback, which is the second strategy for supporting development, is critical to your employee's development. If employees can't see any external signs of improvement in their performance, eventually they'll begin to think it doesn't matter how they do their job.
Managers who provide timely feedback on an ongoing basis reinforce positive behaviors and address issues as they arise. By taking a proactive approach, they avoid having to deal with the loss of key people or with employees who are obviously performing well below their capabilities.
Building confidence
Building confidence is the third strategy for supporting direct reports. Employees need to work in an environment where they have a certain amount of autonomy over their job, and they need to have confidence in their ability to do that job. As a manager, you need to reward achievements. This can take many forms, but the important part is that you reward your reports' achievements. You should also provide coaching and mentoring as needed.
Creating confidence in your reports is an essential part of supporting their development. Let them know you are always available. Provide your reports with the encouragement and support necessary to feel confident in their ability to succeed. When things do not go as well as planned, focus on what went well. Remember that you're asking them to go beyond their current level, so you need to take it one step at a time.
Supporting ongoing development not only ensures adherence to the development plan, but it also shows your direct reports that you, as a manager, are interested in directing your reports. Supporting your direct reports' development involves meeting regularly to monitor development progress, providing timely feedback with respect to their development plan, and building your reports' confidence by coaching or mentoring them, and rewarding their achievements.