NO MICROMANAGEMENT OF CAREER DEVELOPMENT

The good news is that even though you own the talent management and leadership development process, you don't have to lead everyone by the hand. In fact, you should not micromanage the career development of each individual. It comes down to striking a balance. You must make it a priority to have the right people on your team. At the same time, you empower them to own their development. Think of it as a partnership. Each person on your team has his or her goals and desires, skill sets, and developmental needs, and should be encouraged to reach his or her full potential.

There are tangible ways you can support your team through this process—for example, helping them identify what they want to do, what they are good at, and what they would rather not do. A simple way to go about this is to divide a piece of paper into three vertical columns. In the first column are all the things that a person likes to do or is passionate about. This could be drawn from jobs the person has had, clubs or activities with which he or she has been involved, or other interests. One technique I have suggested to people is to think about the magazines they gravitate toward when they're waiting in the dentist's office, what articles they end up reading, and in what order. The second column comprises things that the person would prefer not to do, even though he or she may have some aptitude in these areas. For example, a person may be very good at math and have a real affinity for numbers, but accounting holds no appeal. Whatever they are, all of us have column-two activities that we would rather avoid if we were given a choice. The third column is the list of careers and job possibilities that maximize column one and minimize column two.

Remember, you don't need to do this exercise for or even with your team members. It's enough for you simply to make them aware of it. Reflecting on what they like and do not like to do is their responsibility. However, if you are willing to share an introspective exercise like this with your team members, you will demonstrate to them that you are genuinely interested in their development. You want to champion them and see them reach their full potential.

You may encounter people who are highly ambitious. They'll tell you they've always known their career goals, one of which is to become the youngest CEO in the history of the company. This kind of ambition is usually all about finding the shortest distance between point A (where they are) and point B (where they want to go). Moving up in the organization is a great goal, but to be authentic, it must be grounded in the person's wanting to contribute more to the organization, instead of merely acquiring a prestigious job title and earning more money.

In my own career, as I stated in Part One, I tried to make sure I was growing, developing, and adding value, while also having fun. I wanted to expand the scope of my responsibilities and to do more. I remember saying to my wife one day, “Gee, Julie, I guess I am ambitious.” She gave me valuable feedback that really expanded my view. Julie helped me see that my wanting to do the best I can wherever that takes me is different from targeting a specific position or level. It wasn't that I needed to have a specific title, such as vice president or director; what I really wanted was to realize my full potential. I was motivated, but not driven to achieve just for the sake of prestige, salary, or a better title. By being aware of what was propelling me forward, I was able to do all I could to increase my contribution and build my potential as a team player, while never losing sight of my values.