When I think about developing others, I think it's almost like that old adage about when you're doing a presentation: Tell them what you're going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them.
So, when you're developing somebody, help them understand what their development opportunities are, give them the feedback so they know specifically what those development opportunities are, and then help them create a plan that helps them work on those development opportunities.
It's pretty straightforward, but not always easy to do. You've got to make sure that they can hear what you're telling them. When they can't, sometimes you have to take two or three different tacks until you get the right message across.
But really tell them what you're going to tell them, tell them, tell them what you told them, and then keep giving them feedback. Make sure you circle back with them and say, "This is how this particular assignment went," or "This is what I saw in this team meeting, this is what worked well, this is what you might try to do differently." So, just keep those lines of communication open because most people don't come to work and say, "You know what? Today I think I'm going to do a really bad job." They want to be successful — so help make them successful.
I had a leader many years ago, early on in my career when I was becoming a learning and development professional, who saw that I had potential. She knew what my development opportunities were, but she also knew that she could stretch me. I think I learned about developing others from her.
She gave me a stretch assignment and she told me, "Hey, this is going to be tough for you. This is not something you've done before. But, let's talk about what you're going to get out of this assignment. Let's talk about how I can help you, and let's talk about how often we are going to meet and talk about what's going on with that project."
Setting that framework up was very helpful for me. I ended up just knocking the ball out of the park on the project. She was delighted. I was delighted. The customer was delighted. It was a good thing, and it was one of the best lessons I learned from her.
So, when you're developing somebody, help them understand what their development opportunities are, give them the feedback so they know specifically what those development opportunities are, and then help them create a plan that helps them work on those development opportunities.
It's pretty straightforward, but not always easy to do. You've got to make sure that they can hear what you're telling them. When they can't, sometimes you have to take two or three different tacks until you get the right message across.
But really tell them what you're going to tell them, tell them, tell them what you told them, and then keep giving them feedback. Make sure you circle back with them and say, "This is how this particular assignment went," or "This is what I saw in this team meeting, this is what worked well, this is what you might try to do differently." So, just keep those lines of communication open because most people don't come to work and say, "You know what? Today I think I'm going to do a really bad job." They want to be successful — so help make them successful.
I had a leader many years ago, early on in my career when I was becoming a learning and development professional, who saw that I had potential. She knew what my development opportunities were, but she also knew that she could stretch me. I think I learned about developing others from her.
She gave me a stretch assignment and she told me, "Hey, this is going to be tough for you. This is not something you've done before. But, let's talk about what you're going to get out of this assignment. Let's talk about how I can help you, and let's talk about how often we are going to meet and talk about what's going on with that project."
Setting that framework up was very helpful for me. I ended up just knocking the ball out of the park on the project. She was delighted. I was delighted. The customer was delighted. It was a good thing, and it was one of the best lessons I learned from her.
Help your team members to be successful by giving stretch assignments and supporting them through the process.
Robin Jarvis
Senior Manager, Leadership Development, H-E-B Groceries
Robin Jarvis is the Senior Manager for the Leadership Development team at H-E-B, a Texas-based retail organization. Robin is responsible for the leadership development curricula, talent pipeline programs, H-E-B's assessment suite, and the internal scholarship program.
Robin joined H-E-B in 2008 after 9 years with Dell, where she held several roles in Human Resources including HR Generalist, Talent Acquisition Senior Manager, and multiple positions in Learning and Development.
She was also previously a Senior Performance Consultant in the Training and Development department at SEMATECH, Inc., where she was responsible for the development of a nationally recognized new-hire orientation program as well as the development of a global business skills curriculum.
Robin has a Bachelor of Arts in English and political science from Monmouth College.
Robin Jarvis
Senior Manager, Leadership Development, H-E-B Groceries
Robin Jarvis is the Senior Manager for the Leadership Development team at H-E-B, a Texas-based retail organization. Robin is responsible for the leadership development curricula, talent pipeline programs, H-E-B's assessment suite, and the internal scholarship program.
Robin joined H-E-B in 2008 after 9 years with Dell, where she held several roles in Human Resources including HR Generalist, Talent Acquisition Senior Manager, and multiple positions in Learning and Development.
She was also previously a Senior Performance Consultant in the Training and Development department at SEMATECH, Inc., where she was responsible for the development of a nationally recognized new-hire orientation program as well as the development of a global business skills curriculum.
Robin has a Bachelor of Arts in English and political science from Monmouth College.
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