Successfully following up
on development conversations?
Every year, you have development conversations with your employees. Good discussions about how your staff stay motivated and how you can help with their development and personal growth. But what about the follow-up? Do you place the responsibility with the employees? Or do you take an active role in their development?
Take an active role
Actively help and show trust. This ensures the future of your organization. It also gives your employees the opportunity to develop talents, sharpen skills, and remain relevant in an ever-changing economy. And that’s not only good for them, but also for (the future of) your company.
How do you approach development?
1. create a personal development plan (PDP)
2. encourage personal responsibility
3. pair your employee with a mentor
4. offer training in new technologies
#1 maak een persoonlijk ontwikkelingsplan (pop)
Create a personal development plan (PDP) together with your employee. Taking a structured approach to your staff’s development benefits both your employees and you as an employer. Your staff get the chance to develop, specialize, or move up within the organization. For you as an employer, a PDP helps ensure that your people’s knowledge and skills continue to align with your organization’s goals. Your staff also remain motivated because they can realize their own ambitions.
#2 stimuleer eigen verantwoordelijkheid
Professionals know their sector inside out. Your employees probably have a good idea of what development opportunities will best increase their knowledge and expertise. Encourage your employees’ personal responsibility. Let them first determine for themselves what they think they need. You can then support them in this. For example, by giving your staff the space and time to read articles, watch videos and lectures, attend workshops, seminars and training, or find other ways to develop their skills independently. Afterwards, have them share what they’ve learned with each other.
#3 koppel je medewerkers aan een mentor
By facilitating mentorship in your organization, you show that you take the development of your staff seriously. A mentor or coach is usually a senior employee who guides another (junior) colleague in his or her development. Although mentorship is often used for onboarding new employees, it doesn’t have to be limited to that. A mentor can contribute to a person’s growth at any stage of their career.
Topics mentors and employees can work on together include:
- how do you gain more expertise?
- how do you give and receive feedback?
- how do you share frustrations and successes?
- how is your development progressing within and outside the organization?
- what new skills and/or knowledge do you need to achieve your professional and personal goals?
- which networks are relevant to you?
Mentorship can also benefit the mentors themselves. It can give their career a new direction. Moreover, senior employees have the opportunity to pass on their knowledge and experience to younger colleagues.
#4 bied training in nieuwe technologieën aan
Those who want to participate in the future must keep investing in learning. Every day, new software and information management systems emerge to help companies and their employees streamline work and improve results. To properly use these emerging technologies, your employees need training or workshops. This way, they can implement the new programs more effectively and adapt their ways of working. Upskilling is therefore the buzzword for both employers and employees.
Need advice on how to shape development ? Contact us here without obligation to learn more about the possibilities!
