Rebecca has a difficult manager who doesn’t understand the importance of her professional development and is not very supportive of her career goals. She is certain, based on past incidents, that her manager won’t be interested or involved in her development planning. It seems like a hopeless situation, as she believes her manager is never going to change.

Many of us have been in Rebecca’s situation — a manager who does not seem to get it or even worse care!

Developing organizational talent is a key leadership responsibility that is critical to an organization’s success. It doesn’t have to be an onerous task for anyone who is able to influence and make a difference in someone’s career. Simple principles to guide the professional development of their employee are fundamental to success. How good a leader are you? Check yourself.

Think of this as a checklist identifying how well you are coaching for development. This will help you to better understand where you need to focus your energies.

To get an idea where you stand, read through each statement and jot down a rating:
Concept/Process Scale: 1= Low 5 = high
Encouragement To what extent do I encourage my employees to articulate their career goals and aspirations?
Assessing To what extent do I help my employees identify their strengths and developmental needs??
Availability To what extent do I plan for and conduct development discussions with my employees
Support To what extent do I help employees overcome challenges to their career development
Advocacy To what extent do I advocate for my employee’s advancement

Review individual items. Look for items where you scored lower (3 and below) and think about the following questions:
1. What do I believe is driving the score?
2. What do I need to stop, start or continue doing?
3. What do I hope the result to be?

If you do this your employee will know you care!