Developing People

Enabling your colleagues to succeed

An organisation’s most valuable and influential resource is its people: and it is one of the most expensive too. Leaders need to develop the skills of their team members to face ongoing challenges and to deliver success. Furthermore, individuals’ talents and skills can often be hidden; the leader needs to challenge and support people in order to achieve their full potential. This process has to start with the leader, to set an example and to ensure that individuals are up to the task. Developing your people means getting individuals to perform at their best. This is a complex skill, and leaders often fall short because they fail to understand just how challenging it is.

This toolkit provides practical techniques enabling you to help people develop their skills and realize their potential.

Length: 16 pages

Contents:

Action Checklist: Developing Performance

• Manage your team’s performance
• Set challenging, audacious and relevant goals
• ‘Walk the talk’
• Convey a sense of urgency and enthusiasm
• Use a 360-degree appraisal
• Confront poor performance
• Choose the best method of training and developing team members
• Be persistent

Best Practice: Coaching Using the GROW Model

Things You Can Do:

• Improve Your Development Skills
• Choose your leadership style
• Lead from the front
• Challenge and develop others
• Allow leaders greater latitude
• Improve listening and empathy
• Treat each person as an individual
• Understand the need for training and development
• Initiate and participate in voluntary activities outside work
• Discuss development activities with your peers
• Improve your coaching skills
• Conduct performance appraisals (or development discussions) and give feedback
• Set realistic and challenging targets
• Provide fair rewards and give recognition
• Take risks and encourage people to learn from mistakes
• Establish a capability framework
• Develop your mentoring skills

Avoiding Problems

Dos and Don’ts

Key Questions

Further Action

Further Information

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