Investing in employee growth and development. This is one thing that is most appreciated by them. We regularly sit at the table of organizations that have grown rapidly. Employees who had been working for a long time were "promoted" to manager because of their substantive knowledge. And it used to be quite normal that if you were good at your job, you would eventually advance to manager. But this does not mean that these people all had the right leadership skills. As a result, they often do not (yet) know how to guide other employees in their growth and development. And that is what employees want. But how do you do this? With the help of these 9 tips you, as a (young) manager, guide your employees in their growth and development.
1. Set a good example
People don't do what you say, they do what you do. So it is extremely important to lead by example. Are you constantly setting goals, tracking your progress, learning, growing and developing? If so, that is contagious to your employees.
2. Learn from older workers
Take the time to get to know the team and the way they work through and through. You can learn a lot from older employees in the process. Their years of experience can help you with the new responsibilities you have as a young manager. Just be careful not to let them lead you but take responsibility yourself to be able to engage in growth and development. Are there no older employees working there? Then find someone outside the organization who can help you with this. Think of him/her as a coach.
3. Allow employees to excel in their talents
Every employee has talents. It is the manager's job to ensure that these talents can be put to the best possible use. See your employees much more as entrepreneurs. You can very well tell them what to do, but they often know this themselves just as well. Give employees the responsibility to do things themselves, which is one of the most important ways to let them grow and develop. You can do this, for example, by doing away with lists and rules. This gives employees more room to contribute ideas and take initiatives.
4. Set goals!
Setting goals motivates. In doing so, it is good to start at the end. Determine what your dot on the horizon is (for example, your BHAG for in 2030 ) and work back from there to goals for each year or even each quarter. Let employees set their own personal goals based on the team goals. Make sure the dot on the horizon is clear to everyone and repeat it regularly. Teams that are clear on what the end goal is are more engaged and work better together.
E-book: Setting Goals
How can you set goals in the best way? What kinds of goals are there? And what does goal setting yield? In this e-book, we give you tips&tricks and tools.
5. Start small and build it bigger
Learning and development can sometimes be scary, especially if employees are not familiar with being constantly engaged in it. This fear can be removed very easily by starting small. After all, growth and development does not have to mean immediate promotion, it can also be very small. For example, when you find presenting scary, to do it anyway. Every little bit helps and it is extremely important to pass this on to your employees.
6. Give confidence
In practice, we often notice that in many organizations it is unfortunately still a habit to talk about each other instead of with each other. But you put your team together that way for a reason, so it is important to give your employees the confidence and show them that you believe in them. Give them the confidence that you believe in them and treat them as professionals. Give each their own responsibilities. Show your employees that you stand behind them and want to help them grow and develop.
7. Be honest and transparent
Transparency is the key to success. Being transparent about decision-making, numbers and goals allows employees and teams to grow and perform at their best. Make it clear what you expect from your team and tell them how important they are. In addition, it is important to be honest and say what you think. For example, dare to be vulnerable and admit when you make a mistake.
8. Give employees space, direction and responsibility
Because many (young) managers have moved up the ranks because of their content knowledge, many of them also think that they have to be the best in the class. After all, they have been taught that that is what makes the difference. But that flyer no longer holds true these days. As a manager, you must dare to lead, but don't let ambition come across as arrogance. Sometimes a leader is better off saying less. Open up to your team members and listen to what they have to say. Encourage them to think with you. Once you show employees what is possible and what can be done before that, you can put them in charge. Put your own ego aside for a moment and be open to suggestions from your employees. After all, the best idea really doesn't always come from you. The trick is to be open to the ideas of others. In addition, it is important to involve your team in decisions in a timely manner. Keeping them well informed allows them to participate and add value.
9. Give feedback and recognition
Everyone longs to hear from time to time if they are doing well. Constructive feedback contributes to employee development. By getting feedback, employees know what is going well and what they can still develop on. This allows them to achieve goals and take their productivity to the next level. And in doing so, they inspire others to go the extra mile. To really work on personal growth and development, it is important to get feedback from different perspectives. So for example also from colleagues, customers or suppliers you are currently working with. Using a feedback app, you can easily ask for 360 degree feedback.
10. Making mistakes is allowed
Both you, and your employees, are human beings. And people make mistakes. And that's okay! After all, you grow from making mistakes. Do you have any tips for (young) managers? We would love to hear them!