As a manager, there have been times when you wished to hold onto your best talent instead of seeing them promoted out of your team or, worse, leaving the organization. While your best outcome is for them to stay and remain productive, that may not necessarily align with their personal goals or those of your organization. Talented employees seek challenging work and appropriate compensation for their high-quality contributions. Your organization needs these skilled individuals in critical roles where they can thrive, rather than allowing them to merely coast when they are capable of achieving more.
The challenge for you is to develop talent that not only adds value now but also enhances the organization’s effectiveness in the future and reduces the likelihood of them seeking employment elsewhere.
To nurture your current talent, provide feedback that helps them understand both their strengths and areas for improvement. It’s essential to recognize the type of feedback that is most effective for each individual you lead. Some team members respond better to a more encouraging approach that includes praise for good work, while others may prefer direct, straightforward feedback. The O. E. Strategies assessment process captures whether a person benefits from a gentler feedback approach that includes praising good work or a more direct approach.
As a person’s skills grow to meet the demands of their role, some may begin to coast. However, the high-potential employees we assess are likely to seek new challenges. If they can’t find these challenges within your organization, they will look elsewhere. To retain these individuals while fostering future talent, consider the following strategies:
• Give them stretch assignments and offer new challenges to help them build their capabilities.
• Encourage lateral moves and cross-training that broaden their experiences and keep them engaged in novel tasks.
• Discuss their career plans to demonstrate how remaining with your organization can provide the opportunities they desire.
• Think about how they could be a strong successor for you as you approach your next role.
Provide opportunities for them to shadow you and take on some of your current responsibilities in preparation. Employees are less likely to seek opportunities outside the organization when they have new prospects and a clear path forward within the company.
After all this development, you may still worry about whether they will leave for their next role. They might consider leaving if there are no further opportunities available within your organization, so help them see how staying can lead to achieving their goals. Additionally, they may leave if they do not fit the organizational culture. If your team is developing a culture that aligns with their values, make this clear; otherwise, it may be best to let them pursue other opportunities.
As people enhance their skills, they not only become greater assets to you and your organization, but they also become ready for new challenges. If you can provide those opportunities and present a future where they feel they belong, they are likely to stay with you.
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