Managers: Time to Upskill

By now, we've heard yearly performance reviews aren't enough. We know that we should be talking careers with our teams. But the truth is, talking isn't enough. Managers have to take some specific actions including help people plan, recommend learning resources and find opportunities for their people to practice and do.

Michael and I talked about a recent research report from Degreed that outlined the importance of managers in culture. We went a little deeper for his recent Forbes article and below is a snippet.

What are two things you could do to as a manager to help your employees grow?

1. Provide space for individual learning. On this topic, Danzl observes “When we think about work, we often think about the job title I have and the work that it covers. We also think about guidance and feedback coming in a yearly performance review. However, in a learning culture, if something isn’t working, or if something is exceptional, a conversation needs to happen in the moment.” Companies need to think about work that needs to get done. This can open up a range of near-term tasks that need to be accomplished by a member of the team. Regarding your own involvement, you can consider what tasks you might take on to help the work along, and how those tasks can contribute to your further career development.
2. Focus on the application of knowledge. As Danzl sees it “Everyone has a forgetting curve, and the way to make knowledge stick is to have people apply that knowledge. However, so many organizations don’t go there. We’re talking about mentorship and coaching opportunities, and allowing people to work on additional assignments.” She recognizes that managers can feel uncomfortable about having brought someone along, then letting them go outside the scope of their job. However, a company that builds reputation in supporting workers’ development will earn greater employee loyalty. In playing your own part, you can discreetly but firmly ask for experiences in knowledge application for yourself.

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Check out the full Forbes article here!

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Insist on projects. “We need a much greater mix of projects and assignments” asserts Danzl, “At Degreed we implement new things through workstreams, involving multiple people from multiple business units. As a communications manager, I’ve had the opportunity to reach into other areas of functional expertise in project management, software implementation and change management.” Those experiences have broadened her value to the company, and also raised her career profile. The key to retention in the future is going to be to allow employees to develop a range of skills, and to organize work in order to achieve that. For your own part, don’t wait to be assigned to projects, and be sure to find ways to fill any skill gaps that you recognize.

Lead by example. When asked whether she was practicing the above, Danzl volunteered that she and her team had worked hard to reach their present level of performance. “At one stage I asked a couple of my stronger leaders, ‘Why is it when we say ‘Let’s tear this idea apart’ that nobody gives critical feedback?’” “We followed up by doing an internal book club on Kim Scott’s Radical Candor, to both read about and practice it. I also brought in a coach to help team members go further, and do alignment work suggested by the Groove organization. Now, whenever we think about implementing a new project we try to blow holes in it first. Also, I’ve worked at staying quiet, and leaving the empty space for my staff to feel comfortable in speaking their minds.” What about you? You can lead by example in your career, too!