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Developing Others

Definition
Developing Others is the willingness to delegate responsibility and to work with others and coach them to develop their capabilities.
Behaviors

An employee demonstrating this competency:

  • Provides helpful, behaviorally specific feedback to others
  • Shares information, advice and suggestions to help others to be more successful; provides effective coaching
  • Gives people assignments that will help develop their abilities
  • Regularly meets with employees to review their development progress
  • Recognizes and reinforces people's developmental efforts and improvements
  • Expresses confidence in others' ability to be successful
Importance of this Competency
Developing Others helps an organization to get the most from its human resources. Employees with multiple skills can do more things and are more valuable to the organization. By developing others, an organization also cultivates people who can provide leadership. Many of the changes organizations are trying to implement (e.g., empowerment, self-directed work teams) require developing employee skills. This competency is also important because, in developing its employees, an organization demonstrates its commitment, thereby enhancing motivation and productivity.
General Considerations in Developing this Competency
One of the challenges in developing this competency is giving it regular attention, often in the face of more pressing day-to-day problems. Managers who are strong at this competency make time for it; they schedule development planning meetings with employees at least quarterly. They look for opportunities that will develop their subordinates. To develop this competency, you will also need to develop skill at coaching. Many books and courses are available on this topic.
Practicing this Competency
  • Schedule regular development planning sessions with each employee.
  • Review your organization’s performance management system to see how you can implement Developing Others within that system.
  • Ensure that each employee has an updated personal development plan.
  • Look for opportunities to assign your people to teams and projects that will develop their skills.
  • Involve your employees in planning and decision making, to develop their skills in these areas.
  • Plan and implement training for your staff.
  • Recognize and praise behavior related to self-development.
Obtaining Feedback
Periodically ask each of your employees for feedback on how you are implementing development planning and performance management. Ask for their ideas on how you can improve the process.
Learning from Experts
Interview someone who has a successful track record of developing staff. Ask what this person does, what has worked effectively and less effectively. Keep a list of ideas that you can apply with your own people.
Coaching Suggestions for Managers
If you are coaching someone who is trying to develop the compentency, you can:
  • Model the process of Developing Others in your own behavior with this person.
  • Hold a session with this person to review what he/she has been doing to develop people.
  • Recognize and praise behavior related to Developing Others.
Sample Development Goals
By December 12, I will meet with each of my direct reports and begin the process of development planning.

By January 12, each of my direct reports will have a personal development plan.

By March 5, I will read Performance Planning and Appraisal, by King, and develop a list of ideas to apply when coaching employees.
Development Resources

BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS

Coaching and Mentoring: How to Develop Top Talent and Achieve Stronger Performance, by Harvard Business School Press. 176 pages. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press, 2004.

Coaching Manager: Developing Top Talent in Business, 2nd Edition, by James M. Hunt & Joseph R. Weintraub. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc., 2016.

Developing and Training Human Resources in Organizations, by Kenneth N. Wexley & Gary P. Latham. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall College Div., 2002.

Developing Executive Skills: Managing Yourself, Others and Organizations, by John R. Hook. Weybridge, VT: Velocity Business Publishing, 2001.

Developing Supervisors and Team Leaders, by Donald L. Kirkpatrick. Woburn, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2006.

Employee Development on a Shoestring, by Halelly Azulay. 240 pages. Association for Talent Development. 2012.

Managing for Excellence: The Guide to Developing High Performance in Contemporary Organizations, by David L. Bradford and Allan R. Cohen. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1997

StrengthsFinder 2.0, by Tom Rath. New York, NY: Gallup Press, 2007.

Telling Ain't Training, by Harold Stolovitch. 312 pages. Association for Talent Development. 2011.

The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever, by Michael Bungay Stanier. 244 pages. Page Two. 2016

The Performance Challenge: Developing Management Systems to Make Employees Your Organization’s Greatest Asset, by Jerry W. Gilley, Nathaniel W. Boughton & Ann Maycunich. 256 pages. Cambridge, MA: Perseus Publishing, 2000.

Unlocking Potential: 7 Coaching Skills That Transform Individuals, Teams, and Organizations, by Michael Simpson. 160 pages. Grand Harbor Press. 2014.

Winning the Talent War: A Strategic Approach to Attracting, Developing, and Retaining the Best People, by Charles Woodruffe, 204 pages. John Wiley & Sons, 2000.

WORKSHOPS & COURSES - PUBLIC, ONSITE, ONLINE

LinkedIn Learning – 623 videos, classroom and online courses
https://www.linkedin.com/learning/search?keywords=coaching%20and%20developing%20others

Better Conversations & Coaching. Three days. Center for Creative Leadership. Tel 336 545-2810
https://www.ccl.org/open-enrollment-programs/better-conversations-coaching/

Coaching from a Distance: Developing Your Team When You Can't Be Face to Face. Online, Four lessons. American Management Association. Tel. 877 566-9441
https://www.amanet.org/coaching-from-a-distance-developing-your-team-when-you-can-t-be-face-to-face/

Coaching Essentials for Managers and Leaders. Online & Live. Blanchard Companies. Tel. 800-728-6000
https://www.kenblanchard.com/Products-Services/Coaching-Essentials

Coaching for Results. One day, Virtual & In-class. Eagle’s Flight. Tel. 800-567-8079
https://www.eaglesflight.com/solutions/coaching-for-results

Engaging Employees to Drive Results. The Employee Engagement Group. Tel. 781-281-7256.
https://employeeengagement.com/employee-engagement-workshops/

LinkedIn Learning – 623 videos, classroom and online courses
https://www.linkedin.com/learning/search?keywords=coaching%20and%20developing%20others

See Appendix


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