Investing in People [David Skyberg]

Here’s an old saw that I bet you recognize: “Our people are our most important asset.” Or how about this one: “Investing in our people is just good business.” Truer words…

Yet while we all chant the same hymn, do we actually perform as if these are closely held beliefs? I will challenge you to consider how you make these axioms actionable. I’ll wager that most of us measure up woefully short.

Here’s an easy tell that might give away your position: is your training budget actually used? Or do you plan big at budgeting time with the best intentions, but consistently lament at the end of the cycle, “We just didn’t have the time to send folks to training this year.” Kimberly ought to have a flag for that (if you didn’t get that reference, you really need to come to the EL SIG more often)!

What does investing in our people actually look like? I will submit that it doesn’t look all that different than any other business objective. We ought to be able to set SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, Time-oriented) and be held accountable for our performance against them, just like any other goal.

Now it starts to get interesting. If we are going to have real, actionable goals, how do we establish a vision to drive our goal setting? From my perspective, if you are looking internally for this vision, you may be a bit off target right from the start! If our people are the focus, then it is their vision that really needs to be paramount in the plan. But wait! What if their vision doesn’t sync up nicely with our needs? For instance, what if Janice, your ace tester, wants to become a developer? What if Johnny’s vision is to leave development altogether and become a product manager? What if Jane’s vision is to leave your enterprise app company and get into smart grid development?

The bottom line is that if you are really invested in your people, then it doesn’t matter what their career goals are. It only matters that you uphold them and honor the individual in the process. If you do this, then for the time that they are on your team, they will be better performers, and you will be creating an alluring culture.

So here’s my quick recipe for acting on the goal of truly cherishing your people, and raising them to be all that they can be.

·Routinely set aside 1 on 1 time with each direct report to focus specifically and ONLY on career planning (I target once a month). Be disciplined about this. Don’t allow this time to digress into project status meetings. Don’t let it be a feel good, “so how’s your life going” time. Drive toward the achievement of the next bullet.

·Take as a personal goal that every one of your direct reports has established a 5 year plan for which they are passionate. Commit to this goal with your manager. Be as committed to this as you are to achieving budget/revenue goals. Act on the belief that it is just as important.

·Ensure that each of your direct reports sets near term, actionable goals that advance their 5 year plan. Ensure there is commitment to these. Hold these up as being as important as any other commitment they make. Make them part of your standard review process, and hold them accountable for achievement.

·Participate in your direct reports’ growth by setting actionable goals for yourself that help them advance their 5 year plans. Commit to these and prove to your employees that you mean it when you say you are invested in their growth.

As high flying, star performer in your own right, you will be amazed at how creative you will become in helping your people achieve their dreams. You will be astounded at how good you feel about yourself as they check off their career milestones. And you will be dazzled at the positive impact this is having on your work culture and team morale. Hey, it’s just good business!

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David Skyberg is a software team builder with over 10 years experience building and leading teams for some of the biggest names in software, such as Microsoft and RSA Security. davidskyberg@live.com
http://www.LinkedIn.com/in/davidskyberg