Identify development opportunities that could be part of a development plan for your direct report.
Training
An obvious opportunity is to suggest some form of training for your report. By this point in the process, you and your report should have an idea what gaps or weaknesses the report has that can be improved through training.
You may have identified some or all benefits that come from developing your direct reports. The first is that providing development opportunities to your direct reports can make their jobs more interesting and challenging and contribute to a stimulating work environment. A second benefit of developing your direct reports is that you can inspire them to achieve top performance and fulfill their potential.
As your starting point, you and your report need to make time for the meeting. You should agree on a mutually convenient time and make sure that neither of you have appointments immediately before or after the meeting – you need to give your full attention to each other. In order to ensure these meetings are productive, you need to do your homework beforehand. Gather information on the reports, their values, preferences, capabilities, and interests in terms of career progression.
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.
Four strategies can help you improve communication, helping you to communicate for clarity and direction.
What to do:
What not to do:
Would you be surprised to learn that management studies indicate that 50% to 80% of a manager's time is dedicated to communicating in some way? Clearly, the ability to communicate effectively is an integral part of being a manager.
Consistent use of four communication strategies will promote effective communication and help you do a better job directing others:
The purpose of management in any type of organization is to make sure available resources are used most efficiently in the pursuit of goals. Organizing is one managerial function that helps ensure resources are used efficiently.
The purpose of persuasive writing is to motivate the reader to support an idea or take action. To make persuasive writing effective, you should ensure it attracts attention, stimulates interest, and maintains focus. It must also create a desire and prompt a response from the reader.
Dear Homeowner,
The purpose of responsive writing is to provide a response to previous communication. For responsive writing to be effective, it must be prompt and courteous, exact, sincere, and brief. It should be straightforward in providing what a reader has requested.
[Production development staff],
The purpose of informative writing is to transfer information to the reader. To make informative writing effective, you should explain your reason for writing at the start. It's also important to organize key ideas, be specific, and separate fact from opinion.
Subject: Todd Brenner named head of the Marketing Department
