When you're in charge of a company, no matter how high up the ranks you rise, you still rely on the people under you. The most successful companies have teams of people who are able to work together as a cohesive unit. When people rise to managerial positions through the ranks based on their merit, it can create a stronger team bond. Many workers are more comfortable being led by people they know than by new hires brought in for management positions. If you're a manager who would like to strengthen your ability to develop talent, here are three things you can work on:
1. Identify the strengths and positive contributions of the people you manage.
Talent is all around you. Every single person who works for your company was hired because they had valuable skills that were useful to the company. Utilizing those skills and encouraging them to grow to their full potential makes sense. Start taking the time to get to know people. Examine their work and figure out where their strengths lie. Finding talent is the first step when it comes to building it up.
2. Stop seeing people you work with as competition.
A certain amount of healthy competition is beneficial in the business world. It can push people to strive for higher goals, which is excellent for the company and overall productivity. At a certain point, a competitive mindset can become a liability. The entire company benefits when everyone on the team is encouraged to achieve their highest potential. If you see your peers and staff as competition for your job, it will hinder your ability to effectively lead them and enhance their talents. Learn to see everyone you work with as a collaborator who has something important to contribute to the business.
3. Get trained in talent development.
When you're trying to learn any new skill, it makes sense to learn from a reputable source. You may be able to come up with some effective talent developing techniques on your own, given enough time, but this method is inefficient. It makes no sense to reinvent the wheel when there is a wealth of information and resources already available to you. Find a talent development program that you can join. You can find classes that meet in person or online. In these classes, you'll learn the best techniques for mentorship that will help you train tomorrow's leaders.