Development planning will not get done if managers do not support it. The first task is to show managers “what is in it for them”. We do this by creating the business case…insuring the team has the competence it needs to meet business challenges. Second, managers need to engage employees to create development plans within the business reality of the organization. Third, managers must be able to coach employee development and hold meaningful development discussions.

The Business of Managing Talent™ helps managers define the business challenges facing their organization based on the organization's strategy; define critical competencies required to meet those challenges; understand the employee development planning process; conduct “development briefings” with their team to provide the context for employee development planning and to challenge employees to plan in that context. Managers practice the three critical skills required to help employees create development plans: Give Business Insight; Provide Challenge; Direct and Motivate. As a result managers will:

Describe the development needs of their organization based on the challenges they face.
Brief their team on the context for development planning.
Invite employees to create plans.
Hold effective development discussions – feedback, coaching.
Look at development planning as a way to insure goals are met.

Outcomes Include:

1. Retention…development is a great retention strategy. It makes people feel part of the team, the organization’s future. The message is clear, “We have a future, you are part of it and we are willing to invest to be sure you have what you need to contribute.”

2. Strategy alignment… development is a business imperative. It must be aligned with strategy.

3. Focusing on the future after tough times…organizations that have seen downsizing and reorganization need to get people to focus on the future, not the past. The development agenda is a positive way to do that. It sends a positive message about the future.

4. Building teams… in many organizations people are kept in the dark about the big picture, resulting in disconnected teams that do not see how they fit. The development planning agenda gets people talking about the functions of the organization and how they support one another.

5. Addressing specific longer term competency development – this helps insure that organizations will have the competencies they need to meet current and future goals.

6. Development dollars aligned with business strategy, resulting payoffs in productivity and performance…shareholder value.