Due to the growing economy, the shortage on the labor market is increasing. Finding talent is not exactly easy, let alone retaining talent. There is a 'war for talent' going on, especially in the construction and technology sectors, where employers have to come up with creative solutions to retain talent. One of those solutions is investing in the growth of your staff. By offering a learning curve and outlining a picture of the future, it becomes clear to staff where they fit within the company's vision. In this way, on the one hand, the involvement and retention of staff is increased and on the other hand, internal investments are also made in a new generation of managers. But how do you invest in this growth of personnel? We have listed a number of examples for you.
Investment and personal development plan
The first step of the investment is drawing up a personal development plan (PDP). A POP is an agreement between the employer and employee about the development of the employee. Drawing up a POP takes a lot of time, but finding and hiring other talent will ultimately cost you more effort. During the first conversation you discuss with the employee what his or her ambitions are and how these can be linked to development goals. You will then make these development goals measurable and link them to a term, so that progress can be monitored and the established goals are actually evaluated.
You can learn to delegate
Many managers prefer to spend their time on comfortable tasks that are actually not important enough. Delegating this type of work is an ultimate opportunity for your employees to increase their skills and it also saves you as a manager time! So learn to delegate, but do not assume that work will immediately be carried out exactly the same as you are used to.
Trends in the market
As a company, it is important to be aware of the latest changes in the market and perhaps even more important to translate these developments into the required competencies of the employees. As a manager or boss, you will have to put your leadership to the fore here and determine which of these developments will also apply to the Operate of the employee. A first step you can take in this regard is to organize a quarterly meeting, where each discipline must give a presentation about the latest development in their field. In this way there is a constant flow of knowledge sharing, which will benefit the involvement and growth of all employees.
Be an example
An employee will increasingly embrace the value of self-development if you as a manager or boss also work on your personal growth. If you do not do this, the pursuit of more development will not appear credible to the employee. So be an example and you will notice that personal growth becomes part of the work culture. For example, go to a seminar, register for a masterclass or take a training course in the field of leadership.
The customer as the starting point
Successful sales begin with a deep understanding of your customer. Not just what they want to buy, but why they want to buy it. What problem are they solving? What ambition drives them? By asking these questions, you shift from product-oriented to solution-oriented selling. And that is exactly what customers are waiting for: an advisor who thinks along with them, not someone who prints.
Therefore, invest time in your preparation. Research your client's industry, read their annual report, and check their website and social media. The better prepared you are, the more relevant your questions and the stronger your position in the conversation. Clients notice the difference between a salesperson who has done their homework and someone making a cold call with a standard pitch.
Do you want to further develop these skills? Check out our Coaching Leadership training with Kenneth Smit for a practice-oriented approach.