The goal should be to help every employee be more capable than they are today.
One of the questions employees eventually ask themselves is:
“What is next for me?”
Sometimes they ask it after six months – Sometimes after several years.
But sooner or later, most people begin thinking about where they are going, what they are learning, and whether their current job is helping them move forward.
As leaders, we should not wait until an employee is frustrated, disengaged, or considering another opportunity before we begin that conversation.
Over more than 40 years of leading and developing people, I have learned that employees want to know that someone is thinking about more than the job they perform today.
They want to know that their future matters too.
That is why I believe every employee deserves a growth plan.
Development Should Not Be Left to Chance
Organizations often spend a great deal of time teaching employees how to do their jobs.
We have orientation.
Training programs.
Policies and procedures.
Performance expectations.
Goals.
Evaluations.
All of those things are important.
But once the employee becomes competent in the job, development can become less intentional. We assume experience will take care of it.
Sometimes it does. But sometimes people simply repeat the same year of experience over and over.
They get better at doing what they already know how to do, but they are not necessarily growing.
Leaders need to help change that. Development requires some intentionality. A simple growth plan creates that intentionality.
Growth Does Not Always Mean Promotion
One mistake leaders sometimes make is assuming that a development conversation has to lead to a promotion.
It does not.
There may not be another position available. The employee may not want to manage people.
They may love what they currently do and simply want to become better at it.
Growth can take many forms.
-An employee can learn a new skill.
-Take responsibility for a more complex assignment.
-Become the subject-matter expert in an area.
-Lead a project.
-Train a new employee.
-Participate in a cross-functional team.
-Improve a specific leadership or communication skill.
-Learn another part of the business.
Development is broader than moving up an organizational chart.
Sometimes the best development is about becoming more capable where you are.
Start With the Employee’s Goals
A growth plan should not simply be a list of things the manager thinks the employee needs to improve.
That becomes another performance-improvement document.
A true development conversation begins with the employee.
Ask:
“What would you like to learn?”
“What part of your job would you like to become better at?”
“What type of responsibility would you like to take on?”
“Where would you like to be a year or two from now?”
“What interests you that you have not had the opportunity to explore?”
Then listen. (Very important!)
You may discover aspirations you did not know existed.
The quiet employee who has never asked for more responsibility may want to lead.
The strong performer who seems content may be interested in another part of the organization.
The person who does not want management may be very interested in becoming a technical expert or mentor.
We cannot help employees grow if we never ask where they would like to go.
Growth Plans Need to Be Realistic
Good development planning also requires honesty.
There are times when an employee wants an opportunity they are not yet ready for.
There may be skills they need to develop first.
There may be organizational limitations.
There may simply be no position available.
A leader should not make promises they cannot keep.
But we can still say:
“Let’s identify what would help prepare you if that opportunity becomes available.”
That shifts the conversation from a promise to preparation.
And preparation is something the leader and employee can work on together.
A good growth plan should stretch someone, but it should also be realistic.
Experience Is One of the Best Development Tools
Formal training has an important role in development.
I have spent much of my career in training and development, so I certainly believe in the value of good learning programs.
But some of the most powerful development happens through experience.
-Give someone a project that stretches them.
-Ask them to lead part of a meeting.
-Have them present an idea to senior leadership.
-Let them shadow someone in another department.
-Ask them to train a new employee.
-Give them responsibility for solving a real business problem.
These experiences create learning that cannot always be duplicated in a classroom.
The leader’s role is to make the experience intentional.
Do not simply give someone a difficult assignment and hope they learn from it.
-Set expectations.
-Provide coaching.
-Check in.
-Give feedback.
And afterward ask:
“What did you learn?”
That is how experience becomes development.
Small Steps Matter
A growth plan does not need to be complicated.
In fact, overly complicated development plans often end up sitting in a file somewhere.
Sometimes a simple plan is more effective.
What is one skill the employee wants to improve?
What is one new experience they should have?
What is one responsibility that would stretch them?
What support does the leader need to provide?
When will you talk about progress again?
That can be enough to start.
Development happens through a series of small steps taken consistently over time.
Revisit the Plan
A growth plan should never be a document created once a year and forgotten.
People change.
Interests change.
Opportunities change.
The organization changes.
Development conversations should happen throughout the year.
Ask employees how things are going.
“What are you learning?”
“Is this still an area you want to pursue?”
“What would be a good next step?”
“Where do you need more support?”
Those conversations also create accountability.
The employee has responsibility for their development, but the leader has responsibility for helping create opportunities for it.
Development works best when both are involved.
Don’t Only Develop Your High Potentials
Organizations sometimes focus most of their development energy on a small group identified as “high potential.”
There is nothing wrong with preparing people for future leadership roles.
But development should not be reserved only for the employees we believe will move quickly through the organization.
Every employee can grow.
A long-term employee who has no interest in promotion can still expand their skills.
A solid performer can become a stronger contributor.
A newer employee may discover talents neither they nor the leader recognized when they were hired.
The goal should not be to turn every employee into an executive.
The goal should be to help every employee become more capable than they are today.
Growth Is Also a Retention Conversation
Employees pay attention to whether their organization is investing in them.
When people feel they are learning, developing, and preparing for something meaningful, they have another reason to stay engaged.
That does not mean development alone will retain everyone.
People leave organizations for many reasons.
But if an employee believes the only way to grow is to leave, we should not be surprised when they eventually begin looking elsewhere.
Sometimes the simple act of discussing an employee’s future sends a powerful message:
“We see more in you than the job you are doing today.”
That matters.
Leaders Develop People Before Opportunities Appear
One of the worst times to begin developing someone for a future role is after the position becomes vacant.
By then, we are often in a hurry.
The better approach is to develop people continuously.
Help them build skills before the opportunity appears.
Give them experiences before they need them.
Let them practice leadership before they receive the title.
Then when opportunities arise, the organization has people who are better prepared to step into them.
That is one of the most important responsibilities of leadership.
We should not simply fill positions.
We should develop people who are ready for what comes next.
The Leadership Lesson
Every employee deserves the opportunity to grow.
That growth may lead to promotion.
It may lead to broader responsibility.
It may mean becoming exceptional in their current role.
The destination will not be the same for everyone.
And that is okay.
What matters is that we are having the conversation.
Ask people where they want to grow.
Help them identify strengths and development needs.
Create experiences that stretch them.
Coach them.
Give them feedback.
And revisit the plan regularly.
Because development should never be something we begin only when we need someone to fill another job.
It should be part of how we lead people every day.
If we want people to grow with the organization, we have to help them see how they can grow within it.
