How can you ensure equitable career progression on your team?

I have been a firm believer of creating an ecosystem that will enable growth and progression. As a leader we need to create growth opportunities as well as provide necessary support in this journey. I have personally focussed on setting extended targets, pushing the team members beyond their limits but ensured I am standing along with them. Our endeavour should be to create a workplace culture that values diversity and promotes sensitivity to the needs and perspectives of all employees. Equitable career opportunities are essential for fostering a team spirit and unlocking the full potential leading to greater innovation, creativity, and productivity in the workplace.

Start with you as a leader and how you help, encourage or hinder people progressing their career goals. Invest in people and their development. Everyone deserves the opportunity to cross train / develop and to be exposed to new areas of the business. Foster internal promotability and be upfront with people’s skills and abilities. Mentor in the moment and elevate their experience as they learn. Think back to the opportunities you were or weren’t given in organizations and why you may have moved on if there wasn’t upward mobility or recognition. Having bias is the leaders issue to work through and you should seek coaching and guidance. People show up to do a good job, give them a good job to do.

In my experience, performance and potential are regularly assessed as part of the performance appraisal cycle with the results reasonably transparent to the employee. But that conversation around aspirations is crucial, and often lacking. Do you really understand what an employee wants out of their career? Where they see themselves in 5 years? Next year? If there is a gap in their expectations and what you view as realistic opportunity in their current role, how can you help them bridge that? Are there additional projects they could take on to gain experience or visibility? Are there mentors you can connect them to? Don't forget that some employees are happy where they are! Meet each employee where they are.

Assessing the current situation is an ongoing process, and it's essential to remain agile, proactive and responsive to new developments. Its paramount to be mindful of regularly revisiting your assessment and realigning the approach will help you make informed decisions and navigate changes in a clinical manner. Its necessary to follow the SWOT principle to assess internal and external factors that can influence the situation. In my experience, as leaders we should inculcate self assessment as ethos of our teams as it becomes a powerful tool of measurement and the outcomes are well predicted. The flip side of self-assessment is the potential for bias and a lack of objectivity, which can lead to inaccurate self-perceptions and judgments.

It is very important to access the capability and capacity of each employee and agree clear goals and expectations with them. With regular monitoring, the leader can understand how each team member is performing, what kind of support or training is required for that team member in to achieve those goals and objectives. The leader should remember that he can only succeed if his team will succeed. It’s all about teamwork

Feedback is often seen as a daunting prospect, evoking thoughts of criticism and negativity. However, it's essential to reframe our perspective. The leader's responsibility is to maintain a healthy team environment where members are open to receiving input. Effective leaders recognize this and approach feedback with empathy and constructive intent. They understand that the way feedback is delivered matters greatly. A well-articulated feedback process fosters a culture of trust and development within teams, ensuring that individuals feel supported rather than criticized, ultimately driving both personal and collective progress. #keeplearning #simplifylearning

Timeliness of feedback is so important as is the understanding of the person in front of us. What are their hang-ups, what’s going to hit hard for them? It’s worth thinking about this beforehand so you know what blinkers they are likely to be wearing and how you can try and combat those blinkers to ensure the right messages get through in the manner intended.

So many times managers or leaders wait for a "review" to provide feedback, typically because they don't have time or lack the skills to effectively give meaningful feedback "in the moment." Taking time, even just five or ten minutes after you have observed a situation in which the team member or colleague could benefit from feedback, whether it is positive or constructive, makes all the difference. That feedback affirms the team member and demonstrates the manager's commitment to their growth. Keep the feedback focused on the behavior of the individual, with specifics of what worked or didn't work. It is always about growth.

Providing feedback in a way that invites higher performance, rather than defensiveness is key. Instead of a feedback sandwich (positive feedback, negative feedback, positive feedback), try the WISE feedback method: - Start by stating that the standards are high and that they weren't met. - Express your confidence that they can achieve such high standard. If relevant, highlight a time in the past where they have met such a high standard. - Provide actionable steps they can take to meet such standard. By reframing the feedback as something they can control and can achieve, you giving them the support they need to do better next time.

Before asessment, a manager must ensure that JDs are clear to each team member. 2nd step is having KPIs in place. Now regular assessments followed by feedback will help the team members to grow in their careers. Resultantly, organisational productivity will also be increased. Any process of assessment and feedback which gives growth and learning opportunities to a team always bring fruit to both employees and organisation. A win - win situation which is visible and open in process contributes positively to the D&I and eqaul opportunities cultures.

Development plans are so often poorly developed for a multitude of reasons: it's not important to the manager, it can be time consuming and staff often feel it is meaningless. Alignment is the antidote to this poison. - Plans should be aligned to the strategy of the organisation. What you do as an individual should contribute to your team and to the organisation. - Goals within individual development plans should be aligned to a framework (are you using STAR, are you using 'be goals', or using your organisation's model). - The best plans have room for individually focused time - but those individual goals still need to be aligned to the above.

I am not really interested in seeing something that someone has prepared in advance that formalizes their career plan. Don't get me wrong, it is not a bad thing to do, but in the discussion between leader and employee, the stronger thing to ask for is the story. Ask the kinds of questions that help employees articulate their professional and their personal lives, and clarify why success is important for them. Train your managers to techniques to facilitate these ongoing and blended discussions. Instead of getting people to fill out templated development plans, have more conversation, ask more questions and demonstrate that you hear them through effective paraphrasing and feedback. Development is not a form, it is a dynamic discussion.

Career development plans can change rapidly depending on life circumstances and as leaders we need to flexible and willing to pivot if necessary. Allowing an employee to choose the career path that is best for their lives and that of their families is going to create the healthiest possible outcome for everyone and your team will thrive.

It’s important to make sure there is a general understanding of the importance and potential outcomes of development plans. Giving ample time for them to be reviewed, evaluated and implemented. This document should be a tool and not solely a means of negative or punitive actions. The purpose is to generate support and success in a manner that garners positive outcomes and advancement.

I agree, individual development plans should not be formal one-size-fits-all documents, but these should be highly personalised tools that reflect the unique needs and aspirations of each team member.

In promoting equitable career progression, diversity and inclusion are paramount. As an executive coach, I stress the importance of creating a level playing field where every team member has access to varied opportunities for growth and development. Embracing diverse perspectives and backgrounds not only enriches the workplace but also fuels innovation and strengthens the team as a whole. This approach fosters a culture of fairness and empowers individuals to reach their full potential, driving both personal and organizational success.

As a leader, this can feel like an overwhelming burden, and it is if you’re trying to figure it out yourself. Not only is it unmanageable, but you’ll fall short on the diverse and inclusive perspectives so critical to effective development. As the article highlights, connect team members to people in and outside your network. This will require you to operate with a mindset that talent isn’t “yours.” Miss this and you’ll avoid this opportunity out of fear you may lose people, when in fact they aren’t yours to lose. It also means getting to know each of your team members on a personal level. I’d also encourage leaders to have their team members share their development plans with the team. This will add even more diversity to the mix.

Establishing transparent and all-encompassing policies is a pivotal step in cultivating equitable career progression within your team. Equally critical is the proactive encouragement of team members to openly articulate their career aspirations. It's imperative that we refrain from making assumptions about their ultimate objectives and instead create a nurturing and safe space for them to freely express their aspirations. By doing so, we can collaboratively identify practical pathways to help them achieve these goals, fostering a dynamic and inclusive professional environment.

Indeed, organisations make better decisions by leveraging their team’s diverse expertise and knowledge. Individuals are empowered to share their opinions and offer unique insights in inclusive environments. Undoubtedly, diverse teams are more effective at solving complex problems.

People must be allowed to branch out from what is considered safe or what they have historically done. Indeed, one of the best things a primary leader, the one with ultimate responsibility, can do for those they are developing is allow Tuckman's five stages of team development to play out—forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. Formation is the foundational element wherein each member gets to know the other; storming is healthily working out conflict, where bonds form. Norming, acceptance, and cohesion take root, making way for performance. Adjourning can refer to the end of the work day or project. The beauty of this is that it enables diversity to function, becoming inclusion -- the way.

Don't forget to celebrate your own 'wins.' Sometimes, we wait for others to acknowledge our 'wins' and that can lead to feeling overlooked or undervalued. You aren't though! Learn to be your own cheerleader and share your wins with others. Additionally, if you see colleagues or team mates not receiving enough kudos for their contributions, take this as a sign to uplift and acknowledge them for their efforts, big and small.

Healthy competition is essential. Celebrate and reward your team-members individually and also in front of others. This is to promote competition. It is well known that plants tend to grow better when they are in proximity to other plants. Same with humans - that is why sales teams mostly include at least 2 people - healthy competition.

Always recognize your team members contributions and show them that you care about their work and their work is meaningful. You can bring up their meaningful contributions in 1:1s and mention that you really appreciate them achieving X that resulted in Y. If someone is doing exceptionally well in Z, you can show them that their work is useful by letting them conduct a workshop on Z for the whole team. This will inspire the team to learn from this person and the person will feel appreciated and recognized.

Support and sponsor diverse talent: Identify and nurture the diverse and underrepresented talent on your team, and provide them with the support and guidance they need to grow and succeed. This can include mentoring, coaching, sponsoring, or advocating for them within the organization. You can use tools like [mentoring programs] or [sponsorship initiatives] to create and foster meaningful relationships and opportunities for your team members.

Don't forget to celebrate and reward achievements, both individually and collectively. This boosts morale and supports equitable career progression. Beyond praise and incentives, it involves sharing stories, lessons, challenges, and failures. Encourage feedback and suggestions, creating a positive, empowering environment where team members feel valued and respected as they pursue their career goals.

Having an academic model or framework underpinning your leadership strategy helps produce consistency in the outcomes. Just like with a process, if you understand the general rules and the general outcomes, you can make changes with some concept of the impact that has. If your leadership is just based on individuals and their style, you cannot take a sophisticated approach to shifting leadership to shift outcomes - at least, not in any structured way.

One of the greatest assets of any team is trust; build it within your team and your team members. Develop a career path with each person and with the entire team. Develop career anchors that respond to each team member's specific requirement. With some team members it might be professional development that address the additional technical knowledge to enable them get a promotion. Some it might be personal development to enable them develop the required competencies for the next role. Some might be stretch assignments that will enable them develop the practical skills to navigate the corporate terrine. Some might be mentoring or coaching. Freequent brainstorming and feedbacks also prepare teams for higher roles.

Investing in helping your team grow their skills and careers outside of your company shows you're building human-to-human relationships and leading with empathy. Career progress isn't just moving up the ladder at your company, it's a holistic look at how someone wants their career to progress throughout their lifetime, and how you, as their leader, can remove obstacles to them getting the resources, training and coaching to do so. Start by talking to each person, understanding their dreams and aspirations, and determining how you can help them achieve this. When people know you're invested in their well-being, they perform better and are more invested in delivering outcomes.

I once had a vacancy for a safety coordinator while working as an executive for an organization with about 1,000 employees. A manager told me that one of his employees, who worked part-time in the e-commerce jewelry department, had an extensive safety background and was interested in the role. I told the manager to encourage the employee to apply for the internal posting. She applied for the position and interviewed great. I hired her as our full-time safety coordinator. She excelled in the role, and we collaboratively developed an individual development plan (IDP) for her to become a director. She met her goals on the IDP and became a director. She is the best employee I ever had!

From my experience transparency in an organization is key to the success of both the leader and the workforce. It is also vitally important for the leader to show a certain degree of vulnerability, reveal that he/ she is human and prone to getting it wrong at times and allow a team member lead the way. This will instill a sense of confidence in them and in the final analysis which team member will allow a vulnerable leader to fail? Whether you reveal your weakness or not the fact that you show that you are human and can make mistakes will motivate your team members to go the extra mile to ensure the achievement of a collective success and or victory. The arena turns into a win win condition, which in my view should also be celebrated