Be Creative About Staff Development

This post was originally posted on the HR Store blog page. (www.thehrstore.blogspot.com/2009/09/guest-post-be-creative-about-staff)

Recently I have been thinking about how we develop our staff and ourselves. This subject seems to weave it's way into almost every aspect of my work at the moment: I've been delivering appraisal training to several different organisations: a staff's Personal Development Plan is discussed as part of the course; I recently delivered a break-out session at a Coaching conference on Continued Professional Development; and I'm going to be delivering a practical developmental seminar for coaches next month.

In the course of this work, through discussions and feedback from participants, I've begun to realise that there's a real need to change the way that managers approach the development of their staff.

Traditionally, when a manager writes a Personal Development Plan (PDP) as part of their staff's performance appraisal, external training is identified: some kind of taught course, a conference, further education resulting in a recognised qualification.

But at the moment, with the recession still biting at our heels, the organisational development budgets are not as large as they were a few years ago. Managers now need to start considering how to develop their staff in a cost-efficient way. So I'll give you an example:

A junior manager pulled me aside on a training session. He wanted a piece of advice on what course he could send a member of staff on who needed training in how to manage difficult conversations - there were no more places left on the in-house conflict resolution training, and all external courses cost more than his departmental training budget would allow.

So I asked a question: "Who do you know, more senior to you in this organisation, who is able to manage difficult conversations?" The junior manager was quickly able to identify someone.

So I said: "How about you approach this person to ask them if they could support you in developing your member of staff? Let's develop a plan."

1) Your member of staff and the manager will need an initial meeting - to make sure they can work together for this specific development need.

2) Your member of staff will then attend a couple of meetings to observe the manager managing a difficult conversation.

3) The member of staff will meet with the manager again and talk through his observations. The manager will in turn talk through some of the techniques they use to manage difficult conversations.

4) The member of staff will return to the workplace & apply their learning.

5) The member of staff and manager will meet again, perhaps one or two times to consolidate learning: identify any challenges, reflect on application to date, and measure the progress made.

It's quite simple really - and all it will take is the resource of time and commitment from the manager and the member of staff . Some might say that this is a form of mentorship - and I suppose that they would be right. However, this mentor relationship is defined for a specific need, and is time limited. The key benefit is that this form of development opportunity has high impact and is sustainable. The added benefit is the networking opportunities that it creates for the member of staff, and the exposure to a wider range of issues beyond their current sphere of work.

In essence, this idea is based on one of my key principles that development and growth is natural, given the right conditions. Choosing the right role model and having the opportunity to observe, then reflect and discuss with them their approach can happen in any organisation, anywhere. The example I give is just one way that a manager can demonstrate creative thinking when identifying the appropriate learning method to meet a development need.

When you're next completing a Personal Development Plan for a member of your staff - try and think creatively. If you need inspiration - please feel free to ask.

When did you last use your EQ?

I've become fascinated by Emotional Intelligence (EQ). It's such a simple concept: recognising one's own or other's emotions, considering what are the factors behind those emotions and using that information to determine future actions. However, if it's that simple, why don't we use our EQ more frequently?

I've spent the last year weaving the principles of EQ into my work, either in my coaching practice or as part of training programmes I deliver. And I find in most cases, it's a topic that is easy for clients to think about. What fascinates me most is that although we all know what emotions are, we don't recognise the power of understanding our emotions - and the subsequent impact on how we make decisions and what actions we take.

Stop for a second to think about your emotions: most people can readily identify their feelings. That is the easy first step. But then what happens next? Nothing. Most people don't consider this piece of information and apply it. If we did the potential for better relationships could be enormous. And when relationships are working well, we can achieve more both on a personal and professional level.

What does this mean in practice? You're a manager entering an appraisal; your employee appears to be nervous and anxious. Great - you recognise the emotions that your employee is feeling. But what do you do in response? In reality, the answer is usually nothing.

As the manager, you are probably feeling bored by the tick-box process that appraisals can sometimes become. So you go through the motions, and the result is a time-wasting exercise to meet the Training Department's requirements. You feel relieved it's all over and your employee leaves feeling less afraid, but certainly not engaged or inspired.

And that's exactly what appraisals are not about. Appraisals are about motivating employees, setting challenging goals, and looking at stimulating developmental opportunities. If done correctly, appraisals can increase staff satisfaction and productivity. In this instance, the exact opposite has occurred.

If you had considered your feelings, you might have spent time thinking about how you are likely to come across to your employee during the appraisal meeting. As a result, you may have spent time planning on how to phrase key points different - particularly how you might give feedback. Changing how and what you communicate is a result of using your EQ.

You walk into the appraisal, and you note the feelings of your employee. Knowing that you had prepared appropriately for the meeting, you would be able to make your employee feel at ease from the start of the meeting; as the meeting continues you would notice your employee beginning to show that they feel valued and excited about the coming 12 months. You, in turn, will feel that you have invested 90 minutes of your time and also would be feeling more motivated as result. (Appraisals aren't just about motivating employees)

So, the next time you have to face a difficult or challenging situation, take 5 minutes out. Think about how you're feeling, both emotionally and physically. Think about what you're going to do differently and consider the difference in potential outcomes.

Emotional Intelligence isn't hard. It's just about being more self-aware and aware of others emotions and giving yourself time to think about it. Give it a try. You'll be pleasantly surprised by the results.