Week 1 – Defining Development
Lesson 2 The Importance of Development at Work
The corporate ladder is broken. Job titles and pay rises are too infrequent to satisfy our need to develop. 40% say that no one is looking out for their development. Employees need to see a path forward, to gain new skills, work with new people, have greater autonomy. And when employees feel they are learning and growing, they work harder and more efficiently which supports 9% higher customer engagement and 10% higher organisation profitability.
This conversation talks directly to several predictors of whether someone is engaged in their role. Two of these are talking about development and opportunities to learn and grow. See The 12 Strongest Predictors of Engagement diagram on Page 4 of your Black Workbook.
One of our most important human needs is progress. To know we are moving forward. If we do, active disengagement disappears. 9 in 10 people are actively engaged in their work if they have someone at work who encourages their development. Famous examples of this are; Warren Buffet mentors Bill Gates, Audrey Hepburn mentored Elizabeth Taylor, Stephen Spielberg mentors JJ Abrams.
Activity On Page 2 of your Black Workbook list
What is one positive benefit of having a development plan?
What is one thing that could us stuck with a development plan?
Out of the 5 coaching conversations, the development plan is the coaching conversation where you have greater opportunity to focus on what you want, and then match this back to how it benefits your team and organisation.
Whilst in the diagram The 5 Coaching Conversations on Page 4 in your Black Workbook shows, The Development Plan as the fourth in a linear conversation path and as a snapshot in time, in fact strong development plans are tailored to the individual, intentional, and ongoing. Therefore
A structured development plan can be formulated at any time
All five coaching conversations are focused on Performance Development. Therefore development is baked into the other four conversations and asked about in Setting Expectations, Everyday Feedback, Work in Progress, Progress Review
Development is a nudge not a leap. We need to focus on one thing at a time
“It takes a village to raise a child.” We need to seek advice from everyone around us
Don’t be afraid to take advice as there is always something to learn
Skill development can occur both on the job and outside of work
You have completed this lesson
Remember to click the ‘Next Lesson’ button.