My top tips for developing your leaders.

Why should you invest in your team? What are the benefits of training? What returns will I get? Can you guarantee my KPIs will increase?

These are typical questions I get when pitching the benefit of leadership development. However, it is not a simple answer. Leadership development is an investment in your human capital. Just like saving your pennies in the bank will accumulate over time, so will the development of your people.

As it is that time of year again, I wanted to provide some top tips for ensuring your review process is focused on looking back and looking forward. We know that most young employees want to know their organization and leaders are committed and investing in their careers; stats show this fuels them to stay longer and gives them confidence in the company to be around a while. If this is true, then holding development conversations should be a top priority on your radar. If holding these conversations is your top priority, then what are you doing to equip your leaders with the resources, training, and development to ensure these are highly productive and motivating conversations? And they are focused on development versus daily to-dos and operational duties.

Here are my top tips for holding productive career development conversations.

1. Ensure you know what the employee wants. This will help you determine what skills they will need to further their learnings. It might be a raise; it may be a promotion; it may be to feel stretched and further their skills in their current role. You won't know unless you ask, and stop making assumptions.
2. Set a scheduled time for developmental conversations that is separate from all operational objectives; it is too easy to turn it into a to-do list and action plan based on the managerial duties that each leader is responsible for.
3. Ask questions to find out what they like and are passionate about. Questions like, tell me when you felt the most engaged this quarter, what was it about that experience that made you feel this way? What area did you dread? Elaborate on why you dreaded this area/task/responsibility? What are you most looking forward to in the upcoming quarter/year? And what do you think you will need to learn to be good at this?
4. I love to ask if you want to be known for anything this year, what would it be? This can help draft a clear plan to get them there.
5. And don't forget to put it on paper - too many people feel they do not have a plan when it's conversational. There is no room for confusion when it's documented and written out, just like a strategy.

One of my favorite books to use when developing leaders is the FYI book. It is a book that is a reference manual 'For Your Improvement." It is extremely clear and easy to use. At the back of the book, there are templates and examples of writing a development plan.

I have added the link to the book, just click the book and it should redirect. Buy it used it's usually just as good as the new one, and any addition - they are all pretty good.

And if you want a crash course on how to use this book. Check out this FREE retailu video and development planning worksheet.

Ensuring your talent development planning includes a clear road map of development for your team is a considerable investment that you don't want to miss. This is the best retention tool to ensure your employees are engaged, motivated, and valued. I can't tell you how many times I have worked with leaders, who tell me that they have never had a development plan on paper but feel so good when I've helped them draft it. Also, they can then go on and activate this with their team.

We run development planning sessions for teams who are serious about putting it on paper and having clear succession planning for their teams. Share and tag someone you feel needs more development around development planning. And if you want to get some training around this, reach out get in touch.

I hope this helps you deliver some awesome conversations! And don't forget to download our free planning tool. April

I just launched a self-development guide for leaders to grow their skills and self-awareness.

Check it out here.

www.aprilsabral.com