Team Health Check Action Guide

QUESTION 6
My manager supports me to get even better at the skills I’m valued for here.

Watch a brief video that walks you through Gallup’s take on their version of this question.

How employees are coached can influence how they perceive their future. If the manager is helping the employee improve as an individual by providing opportunities that are in sync with the employee’s talents, both the employee and the company will profit.

Key Insights

  1. The need that sits behind this question is ”Help me grow”

  2. Development never stops.  This needs to be driven by the employee as no one looks out for your career like you do.

  3. Those who strongly agree declines with age and tenure (a) 50% of 18-24s 6 months into role (b) 25% of over 55s (c) 20% for workers who have been in role over 10 years

  4. Separates a great manager from all others, as it shifts the focus from the work to the person.  Talent responds best to another human being

  5. It doesn't need to be just about next role.  The best development comes when it is integrated into the role and on performance and productivity versus an "add on."  There needs to be a frequency around development and progress

  6. There is a direct correlation to absenteeism, profit, and customer engagement

Team Activity to Unpack

  1. In your next team meeting, write following three questions on a flipchart or whiteboard:

    • What is something you would like to learn?

    • What is something you would like to teach someone else?

    • From who would you like to learn?

  2. Have a buddy interview them and then get the buddy to report back what they learnt.

Additional Questions to Ask

  1. What does development mean to you?

  2. What are some ways we can develop as a team?

  3. If you could learn anything that would have an effect on your current role, what would that be?

  4. How do we learn and develop as a team?  How do we learn and develop as individuals?

  5. How do you track your best individual performances?  What do you do to improve them?

Suggestions for Action

  1. As part of a task allocation ask the question “Is there a particular skill or area that you would like to learn?”

  2. Encourage "learning lunches" during which employees share knowledge with others

  3. Make your employees goals public.  Ask employees to create a simplified version of their goals that they can display in their areas

  4. Have long serving employees mentor newer employees.  But do not enforce mentoring.  Encourage it.