Develop each team member as a person
Before I share with you a few best practices about how to develop others, I need to make clear the difference between equipping people and developing them. When you equip people, you teach them how to do a job.
Development is different. When you develop people, you are helping them to improve as individuals. You are helping them acquire personal qualities that will benefit them in many areas of life, not just their jobs. When you help someone to cultivate discipline or a positive attitude, that's development. When you teach someone to manage their time more effectively or improve their people skills, that's development.
However I observed that many project leaders don't have a development mind-set. They expect their employees to take care of their developmental needs on their own. What they fail to realize, however, is that development always pays higher dividends than equipping because it helps the whole person and lifts him to a higher level.
Development is harder to do than equipping. Here's what you need to do as you get started:
1. Development should be seen as a long-term process
Most people can learn the mechanics of their job rapidly. But development always takes time because it requires change on the part of the person being developed, and you just cannot rush that. The development of your team members is an ongoing process, not something you can do once and then be done. My best practice is that you plan to develop your team members. Make it a consistent, regularly scheduled activity.
For instance I encourage my team members to help me organizing some project status meetings. That way allow them to grow personally and professionally.
2. Discover each person's dreams and desires
When you equip people you base what you do on your needs or those of the organization. You teach people what you want them to know so that they can do a job for you. On the other hand, development is based on their needs. You give them what they need in order to become better people. To do that well, you need to know people's dreams and desires.
3. Lead everyone differently
One of the mistakes rookie leaders often make is that they try to lead everyone the same way. But let's face it. Everyone does not respond to the same kind of leadership. You should treat everyone with kindness and respect. But don't expect to use the same strategies and methods with everyone.You have to figure out what leadership buttons to push with each individual person on your team.
4. Use Organizational Goals for Individual development
The way to create this kind of win is to match up three things:
A goal: find a need or function within the organization that would bring value to the organization
A strength: find a team member with a strength that needs developing that will help to achieve that organizational goal
An opportunity:provide the time, money and resources the individual needs to achieve the goal
5. Help them know themselves
A person can not be realistic about his potential until he is realistic about his position. I mean, you have to know where you are before you can figure out how to get someplace else. I believe it is the first resposibility of a leader who develops others to help them define the reality of who they are.Leaders help them recognize their strengths and weaknesses.
6. Be ready to have a hard conversation
There is no development without hard lessons. Most of the growths come when we have positive responses to negative things. The more difficult the thing is to deal with, the more we need to push in order to grow.
7. Celebrate the right wins
Leaders who develop others always want to help their people get wins under their belts, especially when they are just starting out.But a strategic win always has greatest value. Try to target wins based on where you want people to grow and how you want them to grow.
8. Prepare them for leadership
The better your people are at leading, the greater potential impact they will have on and for the organization. The way to proceed would be:
-I DO IT
-I DO IT AND YOU WATCH
-YOU DO IT AND I WATCH
-YOU DO IT
-YOU DO IT AND SOMEONE ELSE WATCHES
Developing your team members as persons you will have a more and more powerful team.
Mbulelo Fani
July 23, 2010
This is most refreshing and thank your for this wonderful insight. I am a developing person who is coming out of a hectic project I was managing during the 2010 FIFA World Cup - SA.
I am motivated again.
Thank you
Fani
Vik
July 23, 2010
Enjoyed reading your article.
Every project is an opportunity to develop team members.
Get team members to be supportive of each others development, and we have a juggernaut!
Alfonso Bucero
August 3, 2010
Thank you very much. I appreciate your comments.
Are you in Linkedin?
Alfonso