Investing in your development

I originally wrote this document for people who I directly manage but believe deeply in investing in people's development so wanted to share it.

I want to invest in and support your development. Here is how I try to do that:

1. My job is to push you out of your comfort zone: ?The best learning comes when you are challenged .? Let’s confirm upfront that you are game for this approach!? And let me know if I push you too far out of your comfort zone.
2. I will push you to leverage me … so I can amplify you: ?My job is to help you grow as a person and do your best work. To that effect, I focus on aligning on goals, removing roadblocks, and transparent communication. ?To help me amplify you successfully, I believe managing up is a critical skill.
3. I want to build our style together:? I have my style . I want to find our JOINT style.? I believe that the patterns we start with become embedded.? If you move to a new location, initially you experiment with new restaurants.. But around 3 months, you settle into a pattern that is comfortable. ? So…. let’s talk openly early so the relationship we build amplifies us both.??
4. My job isn’t to be your friend but to make you effective:? I find I build deep friendships with many people who have worked for me and support them in their careers but I’m conscious that when we work together, I’m conscious that my primary role is to challenge and amplify you.
5. I’m transparent… as long as you have the maturity:? I default to candor and transparency but I’ve also found that some people can over-react to information so I will calibrate based on how you leverage the information I share.
6. I’m happy to share feedback… don’t hesitate to ask:? I know that people can sometimes get overloaded with feedback and I’ve found that asking your manager for feedback opens a door to deeper conversations and insights for your career.??
7. I value feedback too:? I, like everyone, have things I can do better and blindspots.? I hope you take the time to share feedback with me.?
8. I care about your whole career, not just the part at our current company:? I love to have candid chats about how you are thinking about your entire career and how I can help.? I recognize our entire careers won’t be at one company and if your mind wanders there, I’d love to support you through that journey (those are some of the most difficult times, I’ve been there myself).? For folks who are performing well, I also encourage / support building your thought leadership .
9. Level growth isn’t linear.? ?As we get more senior in our careers, promotions don’t come as frequently and predictably.? My job is to help you see areas that are holding you back that you aren’t aware and unlock your growth.? I can’t provide a perfect checklist for the next promotion but know that I am always thinking about that and how to grow you.? I am conscious to never promise promotions until they are inked but the time we invest together helps me set you up for success.
10. You play a critical role in your career progression: ??I love you to bring to our discussions areas of growth you see for yourself and I’ll also share thoughts. For us to be successful, your ability to reflect on your own development and take advantage of feedback is critical.? ?

If you like the approach (and it is ok to not;), I’d suggest putting at the top of our 1:1 doc the key areas of development you are focused on and to start a regular dialog on them to help you.? I think it is valuable for you to detail out your thinking first and then we can set time to talk through and add my perspective / additional thoughts / how I can support you.? I’m also happy to establish a regular cadence (every ~8 weeks I find works well) to connect separately from our 1:1 to chat about your development and our partnership.

If you manage others, I encourage you to invest the time with each of your team on their development.? I love to understand where their growth opportunities are and how I can support both of you.