Developing Direct Reports

How to Develop Others while Growing the Business

Aug 21, 2009 Iulia Mihai

Developing others is a key management competency, yet it is also one of the most overlooked responsibilities, especially when dealing with conflicting work priorities.

Everyone wants to grow and develop their skills. The vast majority of employees don’t just want a job to pay the bills, but rather a career that makes use of their strengths while helping them develop their weaknesses.

People development is undoubtedly a time-consuming, albeit a worthwhile, proposition. Often, it can also be a challenging and frustrating undertaking, depending on each particular case and the amount of work involved. Assessing unskilled managers and helping them improve their skills as people developers is therefore a critical task for organizations in general and Human Resources professionals in particular.

What Does an Unskilled Manager Look Like?

• Always focuses on business issues, and has no time or interest in dealing with people issues.
• Is tactical, not strategic.
• Delegates development of his/her direct reports to other people in the team.
• Expects to develop people by sending them to a workshop once a year.
• Doesn’t provide feedback.
• Prefers to hire only experienced people, instead of hiring people with potential who may need additional development.
• Is not aware of or doesn’t care about his/her team’s aspirations.

Remedies for Improving the Ability to Develop Others

• Spend the time. The most important thing is to show a willingness to invest time in growing others. Managers need to set aside development or coaching time. How much? That depends on each individual and the level of their skills versus job requirements. Typically, each direct report will require at least 1 hour of direct coaching per month. For a team of 5-6 direct reports, that means at least 5-6 hours should be dedicated to coaching every month.
• Review and evaluate. Each individual’s work should be reviewed and evaluated to ensure their feedback is specific and relevant. Relying on other people’s opinion of the employee’s work is not recommended as it may not give an accurate picture of their work quality, strengths and weaknesses.
• Provide feedback. Feedback is a crucial component of anyone’s development, whether they are an athlete, student or experienced professional. Without feedback, growth and development are not possible, as people are often unaware of their own weaknesses and how they come across to others. To make feedback really meaningful, ensure it is specific, timely, and relevant, and always try to give examples of actual work situations.
• Provide a development plan. Talking without documenting often leads to no improvement. A well though-out and carefully documented improvement plan is an excellent way to keep track not only of developmental activities, but also of the employee’s progress. It also provides a framework for regular discussions and check-in points.

Given that most people have the capacity and aspiration to do bigger and better things, it is important for leaders to recognize that developing their direct reports is just as critical as growing the business.

Human capital is the single most important differentiator that sets apart winning organizations from average ones. Settling for ordinary leaders with less than ideal people development skills or interest will seldom lead to extraordinary business results. As Jim Collins said in his book, Good to Great, "Good is the enemy of great. And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great."

The copyright of the article Developing Direct Reports in Workplace Culture is owned by Iulia Mihai. Permission to republish Developing Direct Reports in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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