The Leader's 3-2-1: Three Insights, Two Questions and One Statistic.
A task for leaders to own is encouraging the development of their team. Growth opportunities motivate and engage employees, especially Millennials and Gen Z. Research shows these generations are looking for more than a paycheck - they want jobs that provide chances to advance their skillsets. One method to encourage growth: take on the role of mentor. Great mentors make what's invisible, visible in the employee's potential, purpose and path. The three P's of mentorship to add to your leadership practice in 3-2-1:
Three Insights
Potential: Identify positive blind spots. True strengths are so inherent and natural, a person can be blind to them. You can't develop and deploy what you can't name or see. Leaders can flex their mentor muscles by pointing out unique strengths and talents a worker brings to the table with phrases like: “What I see in you is…" or “Where I see you excel…” Purpose: Connect challenges to growth opportunities. Bring visibility to the greater purpose behind their challenges. How are their obstacles working for them rather than against them? What purpose is the hardship serving in the greater scheme of their career? How is the situation preparing them for what's next? You can use phrases like: “By working through this, you will be able to…” or “This challenge will serve your future by…” Path: Build clarity for what's next. Millennials and Gen Z, especially, want a sense of forward movement and are desperate for trajectory. Now that you've identified potential and purpose, help your employees create a sense of momentum and strategy. Use your experience and expertise to clarify steps to the next level and what road(s) they could take.
two questions
Who has been a mentor to you? What are three words you would use to describe them? In what ways can you embody those traits with your team in the next week? Often, what we learned most from others is what we are most equipped to give. Who might be under-performing, demotivated or disengaged because of a development gap? The space between the problems your employee is having and the metric they should be achieving is a development gap. Getting your employee the tools and training they need to succeed is yours to own as the leader.
one statistic
Discussing development can nearly triple engagement. “People want purpose and meaning from their work. They want to be known for what makes them unique. This is what drives employee engagement. They want relationships, particularly with a manager who can coach them to the next level. This is who drives employee engagement… Employees who strongly agree they have had conversations with their manager in the last six months about their goals and successes are 2.8 times more likely than other employees to be engaged.” -Gallup
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